Comparison

Aurelius vs marcus.

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

Head to head
About

Aurelius

This app helps you practice Stoicism daily through structured journaling, mental exercises, and reflection on the finiteness of time. It offers a minimalist interface designed for focus and privacy, with seamless iCloud synchronization across devices.

Highlights
  • Structured philosophical journaling
  • Daily Stoic mental exercises
  • Memento Mori reflection
  • Minimalist, monochrome design
  • Secure iCloud synchronization
  • Complete user privacy
Features
Read full description

"Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one." — Marcus Aurelius, X.16 Aurelius is not a mood tracker or a collection of inspiring quotes. It's an uncompromising tool for daily Askesis. We bring philosophy back into practice so your efforts find their true purpose.

About

marcus.

Features
Read full description

The philosophy that kept a Roman emperor steady through plague, war, and personal loss — now structured for your daily life. Stoicus brings you the original teachings of Marcus Aurelius in a format designed not just for reading, but for practice. Every quote comes with context. Every teaching connects to your day. Every morning can begin with intention. EXPLORE Search and browse hundreds of quotes from the Meditations, organized by theme and book. Each quote includes its source, historical context, and a plain-language explanation of what it means for modern life. TEACHINGS Three core Stoic principles — Control Dichotomy, Amor Fati, and Memento Mori — explored through curated quote collections, practical exercises, and guided reflections. Not theory. Practice. BOOKS Read Marcus Aurelius's Meditations book by book, with introductions that explain where each was written, what was happening in his life, and why it matters. From the gratitude list of Book I to the final words of Book XII. DOCTRINE — Original Podcast 12 narrative episodes, each paired with one of the 12 Books of the Meditations. Real historical stories — the shipwreck that founded Stoicism, the slave whose philosophy shaped an emperor, the plague that tested everything Marcus believed. Every episode ends with a lesson and a reflection question for your journal. JOURNAL Your private space for daily Stoic practice. Morning intention, evening reflection, and prompts drawn from the teachings and podcast episodes. Write to yourself the way Marcus did — honestly, without an audience. TODAY'S REFLECTION A daily quote selected for you, with its book reference and a moment of context. Save the ones that matter. Return to them when you need them. Stoicus is not a meditation app. It is a philosophy app — built for people who want to think more clearly, act more deliberately, and carry themselves with the steadiness that 2,000 years of Stoic practice has refined. Be good. While you can. While there is still time. Terms of Use: https://terms-green.vercel.app/ Privacy Policy: https://privacy-policy-omega-lemon.vercel.app/

Screenshots

Aurelius4 screens
marcus.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Aurelius at none against marcus.'s 4. marcus.'s advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. marcus. sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Aurelius asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aurelius ships an update weekly, marcus. every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Aurelius versus marcus.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAureliusmarcus.
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB364 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperAleksandr AbrosimovAHMET SELIM UGUR

In-app purchases

None

Aurelius

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

marcus.

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Yearly$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Aurelius free?
Aurelius is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is marcus. free?
marcus. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aurelius or marcus. have ads?
Neither Aurelius nor marcus. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aurelius or marcus.?
Aurelius ships an update weekly, and marcus. every 10 days. Most recently, Aurelius was updated on October 6, 2026 and marcus. on October 2, 2026.

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