Comparison

Anew vs Brain Dump Journal

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

Head to head
About

Anew

Features
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A calmer way to start, focus, and come back. Anew is an AI-powered ADHD planner created for the gap between knowing what to do and actually getting started. It reduces the work of planning and gives you one small, clear next step. BRAIN DUMP Say or type everything on your mind. Anew turns scattered thoughts into organized tasks and manageable steps. ONE DOABLE NEXT STEP Large tasks are broken into smaller actions, so you always know where to begin without planning the entire day at once. CALM FOCUS TIMER Work on one thing at a time with a simple visual focus session. If it becomes too much, pause without losing your progress. BODY DOUBLING Focus feels easier when someone works alongside you. Turn on body doubling and a calm companion stays with you through the session, with gentle check-ins along the way. LOCK SCREEN TIMER & WIDGET Your focus timer lives on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. The Home Screen widget shows your next tiny step, so starting is one tap away. GENTLE RETURN Haven’t opened the app for a while? There are no red overdue counters and nothing to catch up on. Anew helps you return calmly and choose what still matters. WEEKLY REFLECTION See supportive observations about your progress and energy patterns without judgment or productivity pressure. MADE FOR ADHD MINDS • Voice-first brain dump • AI-powered task breakdown • One clear next priority • Calm focus sessions • Energy-aware suggestions • Gentle reminders • No streak shame • No account required Progress matters more than perfection. Start again from where you are. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Anew offers auto-renewable weekly and monthly subscriptions. Eligible users may be offered a free trial, and a separate annual offer may be available. Available plans, trial eligibility, duration, and localized prices are shown in the app before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account when the purchase is confirmed. A subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial may be forfeited when a subscription is purchased, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://doc-hosting.flycricket.io/anew-ai-adhd-planner-focus-privacy-policy/8711715f-7da9-43f0-9258-85a7eafcdd6b/privacy Terms of Use: https://doc-hosting.flycricket.io/anew-ai-adhd-planner-focus-terms-of-use/9ffde475-629b-4ee0-8775-03197bec53df/terms Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Brain Dump Journal

Read full description

"Brain Dump Journal" is your own private journal for the thoughts, feelings, and second-guesses that come up during the day. No title and no date picker—the date and time are saved for you, so you can write on the commute or right after a meeting. There is no need to write at length. Organizing and digging deeper can wait. PERFECT FOR • Those who leave a meeting with a nagging thought and lose it by lunch • Anyone whose notes app is full of half-written thoughts they can never find again • People with things they can't post on social media, who want a place that is only theirs • Those who want to notice their own patterns instead of letting an app guess them • Anyone preparing for interviews or a career change who needs the raw material FEATURES • Write whatever is on your mind, the way you'd text yourself • The date and time are saved automatically—no need to set them yourself • Tag by work, life, feelings, or lessons—whatever axis you actually think in (10 tags on the free plan) • Filter by date range, tag, or favorites to look back over past entries • "Rediscovery" brings up a past entry at random (10 per day on the free plan) • Attach photos to keep the context of the moment (2 per entry on the free plan, 8 with Pro) • iCloud sync, so your entries follow you to your next iPhone • Write offline, anytime WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS APP 1. One line is enough to clear your head Nothing to format. Half a thought counts. The timestamp is saved for you—a few seconds with one hand, and it's done. 2. Remarkably easy to find again Filter by tag, date range, or favorites, and search the text itself. "What was I thinking that day?" is seconds away. 3. Nothing you wrote gets buried "Rediscovery" brings up a past entry at random, and a thought you'd forgotten becomes something that helps you today. PRIVACY Your entries stay on your device and in your own iCloud. There is no social sharing, and nothing leaves the app unless you export it yourself. Nothing is analyzed or scored by AI—and that is deliberate. PRO PLAN For a more comfortable experience, we offer a Pro Plan that removes ads and unlocks all features. One-time purchase with no monthly subscription. • Ad-free experience • Significantly more image attachments (from 2 to 8 per entry) • Unlimited tags (10 on the free plan) • Pin up to 6 frequently used tags • Unlimited "Rediscovery" • PDF and text export (by date range or tag) Before purchasing the Pro Plan, please review: Privacy Policy: https://giversthankapp.com/privacy-policy-for-reflection-journal-en/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/us/terms.html When you need to think it through, get it off your chest, or figure yourself out— Clear your head with "Brain Dump Journal".

Screenshots

Anew4 screens
Brain Dump Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Anew at none against Brain Dump Journal's shown. Anew also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). Brain Dump Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases 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. Anew sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Brain Dump Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Anew ships an update monthly, Brain Dump Journal every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Anew versus Brain Dump Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnewBrain Dump Journal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander HurskiRYOTA SUZUKI

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Anew

Subscriptions3
  • Anew Premium Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Anew Premium Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Anew Premium Annual3 Days trial$69.991 Year
1 purchases

Brain Dump Journal

One-time1
  • Pro$12.99

Questions

Is Anew free?
Anew is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Brain Dump Journal free?
Brain Dump Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Anew or Brain Dump Journal have ads?
Brain Dump Journal shows ads; Anew does not.
Which is updated more often, Anew or Brain Dump Journal?
Anew ships an update monthly, and Brain Dump Journal every 5 days. Most recently, Anew was updated on November 6, 2026 and Brain Dump Journal on October 26, 2026.

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