# Shadow Work vs HiMS

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HiMS at none against Shadow Work's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. HiMS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shadow Work ships an update every 2 weeks, HiMS every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Work | HiMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-shadow-forge/id6772528068/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 51 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Engin Aytekin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896277039) | [Dean Applegreen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711939430) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-shadow-forge/id6772528068)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |


### HiMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hims-mood-check-in/id6793196205)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadow Work free?

Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HiMS free?

HiMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Shadow Work or HiMS have ads?

Neither Shadow Work nor HiMS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shadow Work or HiMS?

Shadow Work ships an update every 2 weeks, and HiMS every 9 days. Most recently, Shadow Work was updated on October 31, 2026 and HiMS on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*