Shadow Work vs Shadow Work
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shadow Work
This app guides users through a structured journey of self-reflection and inner healing. It uses a unique methodology with progressive cycles and tailored prompts based on your shadow archetype. Features include a reflective mirror, staged writing exercises, and progress tracking.
- 6 Progressive Cycles of Inner Work
- 4 Tailored Shadow Archetypes
- 7 Exercise Types (journaling, letter writing, etc.)
- Shadow Mirror for Reflection
- Staged Writing with 'Go Deeper' prompts
- Streaks & Progress Tracking
- Breakthrough Cards for Sharing
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Shadow work changed your life on TikTok. Now do the real work. Umbra is a structured shadow work journaling app with depth and a Mirror that reflects back what you write. It's not a random prompt generator — it's a guided journey through 6 cycles of inner work, tailored to your shadow archetype. WHAT MAKES UMBRA DIFFERENT Most shadow work apps give you a prompt and a blank page. Umbra gives you a methodology. • 6 Progressive Cycles — The Mask, The Pattern, The Origin, The Cost, The Dialogue, The Whole. Each cycle takes you deeper. Each one builds on the last. • 4 Shadow Archetypes — Take a short quiz to discover yours: The Achiever, The Avoider, The Caretaker, or The Seeker. Every prompt is tailored to your specific shadow pattern. • 7 Exercise Types — Not just journaling. Fill-in-the-blank, wound mapping, letter writing, one-sentence truths, belief reframing, and inner dialogue. Different days, different depths. • The Shadow Mirror — After you write, Umbra reflects back what it noticed. Patterns, repeated words, what you didn't say. Like having a compassionate witness for your inner work. No advice. Just a mirror. • Staged Writing — Some prompts go deeper. Write freely, then a follow-up question appears: "Go Deeper." Then: "Name it in one sentence." Three layers, one session. • Streaks & Progress — Track your daily practice with streaks. Watch your progress ring fill as you move through each cycle. Celebrate real milestones. • Breakthrough Cards — Select a sentence from your entry and generate a beautiful, shareable card for Instagram Stories or TikTok. Dark, gold, contemplative. Designed to be posted. YOUR JOURNEY Cycle 1: The Mask — Who you present vs. who you are Cycle 2: The Pattern — The behaviors that keep repeating Cycle 3: The Origin — Where it all started Cycle 4: The Cost — What the shadow has taken from you Cycle 5: The Dialogue — Speaking directly to your shadow Cycle 6: The Whole — Becoming who you actually are 256 prompts. 4 archetypes. A real journey, not a daily random question. PRIVACY FIRST Journal entries and progress are stored on your device. AI features send relevant writing or questionnaire answers through our Cloudflare proxy to Poe and its model providers. Mirror reflections and cycle summaries can send journal content; personalized follow-ups use the latest entry when reminders and notification permission are enabled. No Umbra account is required. Turning off reminders stops personalized follow-ups, but does not turn off other AI processing. FREE VS PRO Free: Cycles 1–2 (22 prompts per archetype), streaks, and three Mirror reflections Pro (one-time lifetime purchase; current US price $9.99, local prices vary): All 6 cycles, ongoing Mirror reflections, Shadow Reading, monthly streak freezes, and PDF export This is not therapy. Umbra is a self-reflection tool for people ready to meet the parts of themselves they've been taught to hide. Your shadow is waiting.
Shadow Work
This app offers a structured journaling experience based on Jungian psychology to explore hidden aspects of yourself. It guides you through stages of self-discovery, integration, and self-actualization with written prompts and body awareness exercises. All your entries are stored privately on your device.
- 25 structured sessions across 3 stages
- Shadow Archetype and Exile reveal
- Trigger & Glimmer tracker
- The Mirror reflection tool
- Grounding breathwork and body check-ins
- Private, device-only journaling
- Progress tracking and daily streaks
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Shadow Forge is a structured shadow work journal built on Jungian psychology. A guided descent into the parts of yourself you've been ignoring, judging, or hiding from the world. HOW IT WORKS Shadow Forge divides your inner work into 3 stages and 25 sessions: Stage 1 - Shadow: 7 sessions Meet the parts you cast away. Explore your projections, your triggers, and the qualities you deny in yourself. Ends with your Shadow Archetype reveal - and the Exile it has been protecting. Stage 2 - Integration: 10 sessions Stop fighting what you found. Learn to own the shadow instead of being owned by it. Stage 3 - Self: 8 sessions The work becomes who you are. Live from a more complete version of yourself. WHAT EACH SESSION INCLUDES - A grounding ritual to prepare the container - 3 written prompts designed to surface what hides beneath the surface - A body check-in to locate emotion as sensation - Everything stored privately on your device THE FIRST STAGE IS FREE Complete all 7 sessions of Stage 1 at no cost. Unlock Stage 2 and Stage 3 with a monthly or annual subscription. YOUR JOURNAL. NO ONE READS IT BUT YOU. Every response is stored locally on your device. No account. No cloud. No server ever receives your entries. FEATURES - 25 structured sessions across 3 stages - Shadow Archetype reveal, plus an Exile card - the wound your Archetype has been protecting - Trigger & Glimmer tracker - log what drains you and what lifts you, see the pattern over 14 days - The Mirror - a 5-question reflection that reveals your relationship pattern, synthesized with your Shadow Archetype - Grounding breathwork before each session - Body awareness check-in - Private journal - device only, no cloud - Shadow dialogue and Both are true: two longer writing practices (subscribers) - A crystal that grows with your progress, one facet per session - A daily symbol, and Then and now to read your own words side by side - Carry-forward: one small thing from a session comes back the next day - App lock, discreet reminders, and delete all data any time - Home screen widget, backup and restore - Progress tracking across all sessions - Daily streak - Grounding exercise available anytime - 11 languages supported Shadow Forge is a self-guided journaling tool. It is not therapy or medical advice. If you are in crisis, please contact a mental health professional or a crisis line. Privacy Policy: https://enginaytekin.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Shadow Work at 4.5 against Shadow Work's 3.7. On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Shadow Work sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Shadow Work holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Shadow Work | Shadow Work |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Kwan Cheng Lee | Engin Aytekin |
Customer experience
Shadow Work
Shadow Work
In-app purchases
Shadow Work
- Umbra Pro$14.99
Shadow Work
- Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Shadow Work free?
Is Shadow Work free?
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