Comparison

Archetype Decks vs Memory Nook

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

Head to head
About

Archetype Decks

Features
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Ask the Archetype is a depth psychology field guide. 78 figures from Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, James Hillman, Carol Pearson, and Clarissa Pinkola Estés, one a day, with citations. You draw one card a day. Just one. The deck rests until tomorrow. Each card holds a few things to sit with. A short oracle reading. A scholarly description of the figure, with the thinkers who wrote about it named. A few plain questions in everyday language. A few questions written the way the thinkers wrote them, with citations. A short reading list, if you want to follow a thread further. A note on cultural humility when a figure touches a living tradition. That is the whole app. You pull a card. You read what other people have wondered about it. You leave when you are ready. There are no streaks. No notifications. No badges. No accounts. No data collection. No ads. No subscriptions. The deck does not chase you. If you want to leave a tip, there is a small gratitude jar in Settings. Four tiers, named honestly. A candle for the desk. An afternoon in the stacks. And two for people who really want to send a thank you. 100% of net proceeds go to Nutcracker syndrome research, building toward a dedicated research grant with NORD, the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Nutcracker syndrome is a rare vascular condition most people have never heard of, which is part of why I chose it. Quarterly receipts at sillydroose.com/donations/askthearchetype. All 78 cards are available without paying anything. I built this because I love reading about archetypes, and I wanted somewhere quiet to spend a minute with one each morning. If that sounds like your kind of thing, welcome. Drew

About

Memory Nook

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Memory Nook is a lo-fi ambient room for quiet moments. A small window-side room lives on your phone. Light, sky, and weather shift with the hour—from soft morning glow to rainy nights and quiet snow. A quiet resident lives here too: never hungry, never demanding, just present. Open the app, listen, and stay a while. Zero effort required. WHAT YOU’LL FIND • A living room that changes on its own Morning, evening, and night lighting. Clear skies, rain, and snow. When you allow location, the weather outside the window can follow conditions near you (via Apple WeatherKit). If you decline, a gentle simulated cycle keeps the room alive. • A quiet resident Someone small walks, rests, and looks toward the lamp or window. No pets to feed. No missions. Attachment comes from watching, not from being asked. • Listen Mode & soundscapes Fade the UI and stay with the room. Soft ambient loops—Auto, Morning Air, Warm Glow, Night Drift, Soft Focus—plus rain when the sky calls for it. Mix loop and rain levels to your taste. • Built for long, calm sessions Comfort display options help balance smoothness and heat. Landscape and portrait both work. No account. No ads. No tracking. Memory Nook is not a diary, a pet game, or a music library. It is a personal lo-fi space you can return to every day—simply because the air feels different than yesterday. Made by focuswave.

Screenshots

Archetype Decks4 screens
Memory Nook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Memory Nook at none against Archetype Decks's 4. Memory Nook also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). Archetype Decks's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support 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. Archetype Decks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Memory Nook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Archetype Decks ships an update every 3 weeks, Memory Nook every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Archetype Decks versus Memory Nook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchetype DecksMemory Nook
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size202 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDrew DouglassDaisuke Oba

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Archetype Decks

One-time4
  • A candle for the desk$1.99
  • An afternoon in the stacks$4.99
  • A key to the collection$9.99
Show 1 more
  • A new wing for the library$19.99
None

Memory Nook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Archetype Decks free?
Archetype Decks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Memory Nook free?
Memory Nook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Archetype Decks or Memory Nook have ads?
Neither Archetype Decks nor Memory Nook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Archetype Decks or Memory Nook?
Archetype Decks ships an update every 3 weeks, and Memory Nook every 6 days. Most recently, Archetype Decks was updated on October 24, 2026 and Memory Nook on October 24, 2026.

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