Comparison

Shadow Work vs Shadow Work Journal

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

Head to head
About

Shadow Work

Features
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Shadow work is the practice of turning toward the parts of yourself you usually push away. The fear, the anger, the old hurt, the patterns you repeat without meaning to. Umbra gives you a quiet, private place to do that work at your own pace. This is a journal built for one thing: honest self-reflection, guided gently. WHAT YOU GET A library of prompts, grouped by theme. Meeting your shadow, childhood, relationships, self-worth, anger, fear, and projection. Each prompt is open and non-judgmental. It invites you to look, not to fix. A prompt each day. Open the app and there is one thoughtful question waiting. No scrolling, no noise. Just a place to start. A clean writing screen. Plain text, soft type, and autosave so you never lose a word. Nothing between you and the page. Your history, kept gently. A simple record of what you have written and the days you showed up. A light streak and a quiet calendar reflect your effort back to you, calmly. A missed day just starts the count again, with no penalty and no pressure. An optional daily reminder. Set a time that fits your routine, or leave it off. Your choice. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your entries never leave your phone. There is no account, no login, and no cloud. The app works fully offline. We do not have a server that could read your writing, because there is no server. What you write here is yours alone. A CALM PLACE TO THINK Shadow work can bring up heavy feelings. Umbra is built to hold that gently. Move slowly. Skip a prompt that feels like too much. Come back when you are ready. There is no streak to protect and nothing to lose by taking your time. The app is also a fine general guided journal if you are not here for shadow work specifically. The prompts open doors, wherever you want to walk through them. A NOTE ON CARE Umbra is a tool for self-reflection. It is not therapy and it is not a substitute for professional support. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional or a trusted person in your life. SUBSCRIPTION Umbra is free to download and comes with a free trial. After the trial, a subscription keeps the full library and all features unlocked. You can choose a weekly or yearly plan. Price, trial length, and renewal terms are shown clearly before you subscribe, and you can cancel anytime in your App Store settings. Payment is charged to your Apple ID, and a subscription renews automatically unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the period ends. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy links are available on the subscription screen and below. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dev16nath.github.io/umbra-legal/

About

Shadow Work Journal

Features
Read full description

Meet the parts of yourself you've kept in the dark. Penumbra is a private, beautifully simple shadow work journal that helps you understand your triggers, heal old wounds, and come home to who you really are — one honest prompt at a time. Shadow work is the practice of exploring the hidden parts of yourself: the fears, patterns, and emotions you learned to push away. Bringing them into the light is how real, lasting change begins. Penumbra makes that work approachable, gentle, and yours alone. — GUIDED JOURNEYS — 19 themed paths with 200+ deep, therapist-style prompts: Meet Your Shadow, Inner Child, Self-Sabotage, Fear & Anxiety, Anger, Relationships, Self-Worth, Forgiveness, Boundaries, Grief, Shame, Mother & Father Wounds, Money Stories, Work & Purpose, Perfectionism, Jealousy, Attachment, Identity, and more. — GUIDED TOOLS — • Guided Session — process a charged moment, step by step • Core Belief Explorer — trace a limiting belief to its root • Parts Work — meet a part of yourself with curiosity (IFS-inspired) • Multi-day Courses — Meet Your Inner Critic, Reparenting, Self-Compassion — TRACK & SEE PATTERNS — • Daily check-in: mood, energy and anxiety in 10 seconds • Trigger tracker: capture what set you off and why • Shadow archetypes: notice the Inner Critic, People-Pleaser and more • Private insights, weekly review, emotional timeline & trends — all on-device, no AI — REFLECT YOUR WAY — • A fresh daily prompt and a streak to keep you coming back • Write or record a voice note; tag mood, emotions and archetypes • Dream journal and daily grounding affirmations — YOURS ALONE — Everything stays on your device. Lock your journal behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. No accounts, no cloud, no one watching. — GENTLE & SAFE — Grounding exercises and crisis resources are one tap away. A soft, modern interface for dark and light mode, with a reminder you can set to any time. Meet your shadow. Reclaim your light. — PENUMBRA PRO — Unlock every guided journey and course, full insights, Face ID app lock, daily reminders, voice notes and export. Try Pro free for 3 days. • Yearly subscription with a 3-day free trial • Weekly subscription Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/allegrodigital/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/allegrodigital/terms-of-use Penumbra is a self-reflection tool and is not a substitute for professional therapy or medical care. If you are in crisis, please reach out to a qualified professional or a local helpline.

Screenshots

Shadow Work4 screens
Shadow Work Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

Shadow Work and Shadow Work Journal are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Shadow Work Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Shadow Work versus Shadow Work Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow WorkShadow Work Journal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB6 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDevanuj NathAllegro Digital

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Yearly$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Shadow Work Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Penumbra Pro$4.997 Days
  • Penumbra Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Shadow Work free?
Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shadow Work Journal free?
Shadow Work Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shadow Work or Shadow Work Journal have ads?
Neither Shadow Work nor Shadow Work Journal shows ads.

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