# Shado vs Empty Boat

The clearest difference is ads: Empty Boat at none against Shado's shown. Empty Boat also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shado sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and Empty Boat sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shado ships an update every 3 weeks, Empty Boat every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shado | Empty Boat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shado-ai-journal-and-guide/id6777745636/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 73 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Buildable Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895857143) | [Nguyen Manh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500937406) |

## What reviewers say

### Shado

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shado-ai-journal-and-guide/id6777745636)

This AI-powered journal facilitates honest self-reflection and guided shadow work. It provides personalized reflections, helps identify patterns in your writing, and offers weekly guided sessions to track personal growth. Your entries are private and secure, with no ads or data selling.

**Highlights:** AI-guided journaling, Personalized reflections, Pattern identification, Weekly reflection sessions, Private and secure entries, Optional writing prompts

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shado Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Shado Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Shado Annual | $79.99 | per year |


### Empty Boat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empty-boat-before-you-react/id6798670163)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EmptyBoat_Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| EmptyBoat_yearly | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shado free?

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

### Is Empty Boat free?

Empty Boat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shado or Empty Boat have ads?

Shado shows ads; Empty Boat does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shado or Empty Boat?

Shado ships an update every 3 weeks, and Empty Boat every 11 days. Most recently, Shado was updated on October 24, 2026 and Empty Boat on October 29, 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.*