Comparison

ShadowWrite vs Shadow Work Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ShadowWrite

Features
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ShadowWrite is a private journal for noticing the patterns behind your reactions, relationships, boundaries, and self-talk. Choose a guided question or write freely, then record how you feel before and after the reflection. A calmer way to reflect - Follow a compact seven-day reflection path - Explore 100+ prompts across eight themes - Open any prompt straight in the journal - Track your mood before and after writing - Search, edit, favorite, export, or delete past entries - Keep entries on your device and protect the journal with the private lock Free includes 20 prompts and up to three entries each week. ShadowWrite Premium unlocks unlimited entries, every prompt category, history search, and export. ShadowWrite is a reflective journaling tool, not therapy, diagnosis, treatment, or crisis support. Privacy Policy: https://frexx.top/shadowwrite/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://frexx.top/shadowwrite/terms.html Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: https://frexx.top/shadowwrite/support.html

About

Shadow Work Journal

Features
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Meet the parts of yourself you've kept in the dark. Penumbra is a private, beautifully simple shadow work journal that helps you understand your triggers, heal old wounds, and come home to who you really are โ€” one honest prompt at a time. Shadow work is the practice of exploring the hidden parts of yourself: the fears, patterns, and emotions you learned to push away. Bringing them into the light is how real, lasting change begins. Penumbra makes that work approachable, gentle, and yours alone. โ€” GUIDED JOURNEYS โ€” 19 themed paths with 200+ deep, therapist-style prompts: Meet Your Shadow, Inner Child, Self-Sabotage, Fear & Anxiety, Anger, Relationships, Self-Worth, Forgiveness, Boundaries, Grief, Shame, Mother & Father Wounds, Money Stories, Work & Purpose, Perfectionism, Jealousy, Attachment, Identity, and more. โ€” GUIDED TOOLS โ€” โ€ข Guided Session โ€” process a charged moment, step by step โ€ข Core Belief Explorer โ€” trace a limiting belief to its root โ€ข Parts Work โ€” meet a part of yourself with curiosity (IFS-inspired) โ€ข Multi-day Courses โ€” Meet Your Inner Critic, Reparenting, Self-Compassion โ€” TRACK & SEE PATTERNS โ€” โ€ข Daily check-in: mood, energy and anxiety in 10 seconds โ€ข Trigger tracker: capture what set you off and why โ€ข Shadow archetypes: notice the Inner Critic, People-Pleaser and more โ€ข Private insights, weekly review, emotional timeline & trends โ€” all on-device, no AI โ€” REFLECT YOUR WAY โ€” โ€ข A fresh daily prompt and a streak to keep you coming back โ€ข Write or record a voice note; tag mood, emotions and archetypes โ€ข Dream journal and daily grounding affirmations โ€” YOURS ALONE โ€” Everything stays on your device. Lock your journal behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. No accounts, no cloud, no one watching. โ€” GENTLE & SAFE โ€” Grounding exercises and crisis resources are one tap away. A soft, modern interface for dark and light mode, with a reminder you can set to any time. Meet your shadow. Reclaim your light. โ€” PENUMBRA PRO โ€” Unlock every guided journey and course, full insights, Face ID app lock, daily reminders, voice notes and export. Try Pro free for 3 days. โ€ข Yearly subscription with a 3-day free trial โ€ข Weekly subscription Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/allegrodigital/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/allegrodigital/terms-of-use Penumbra is a self-reflection tool and is not a substitute for professional therapy or medical care. If you are in crisis, please reach out to a qualified professional or a local helpline.

Screenshots

ShadowWrite4 screens
Shadow Work Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

ShadowWrite and Shadow Work Journal are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. ShadowWrite sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year and Shadow Work Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
ShadowWrite versus Shadow Work Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowWriteShadow Work Journal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size1 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerๆฐ ๅ‘Allegro Digital

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ShadowWrite

Subscriptions1
  • Premium โ€” Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
2 purchases

Shadow Work Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Penumbra Pro$4.997 Days
  • Penumbra Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is ShadowWrite free?
ShadowWrite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shadow Work Journal free?
Shadow Work Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShadowWrite or Shadow Work Journal have ads?
Neither ShadowWrite nor Shadow Work Journal shows ads.

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