Clearful vs Reflection

Clearful

• People who want prompts and guided templates instead of a blank page
• Journaling across phone, tablet, Mac and browser with one account
• Free text journaling with unlimited entries and no ads

Reflection

• People who want follow-up questions from an AI coach as they write
• Journaling by voice, including spoken back-and-forth conversations
• Following guided programs on gratitude, anxiety or relationships

Clearful

• Photos in entries, AI Reviews, custom templates, themes and locked entries need Clearful Pro, and the free plan connects only two devices.
• There is no bulk import: the help center says no CSV, Day One or one-click migration tool exists.
• The interface is English only, and audio journaling with transcription is still marked as coming soon.
• The vendor's site lists no prices. The App Store description gives $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, while its in-app list also shows $14.99 and $89.99.

Reflection

• The free plan allows one photo per entry and limited syncing; multiple photos, rich text, PDF export and unlimited cross-device sync need Premium.
• Entries are encrypted at rest and in transit, not end-to-end, and the AI features are powered by Google Gemini.
• Voice Call is listed for iPhone, iPad and Android only, not for the Mac or web apps.
• No Windows or Linux app is listed; on those systems the journal is used in a browser.

Clearful

Guided journals library

More than 400 guided journals, prompts and templates cover topics from gratitude to work decisions, with a Discover Daily question each day. Some guided journals are reserved for Pro.

Flow Editor

A rich-text editor with 14+ formatting options, including headings, bulleted and numbered lists, checklists, quotes, dividers, links and text styles.

Rediscover

Past entries resurface from set points such as 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years ago, so you can look back at how things have changed.

AI-Enhanced Reviews

Weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly and yearly reviews use AI to summarize themes, moments and patterns from your own entries. AI Reviews are a Pro benefit.

Privacy controls

The vendor says entries are encrypted on the device, in transit and at rest. Face ID or Touch ID locks the app, a device manager revokes sign-ins, and Pro adds a lock for single entries.

Sync across devices

One account syncs the journal between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and the web app. The free plan supports up to two connected devices and Pro removes the limit.

Reflection

AI Coach

While you journal, the coach asks a follow-up question based on the entry you just wrote. All AI features can be turned off with a single toggle while the rest of the app keeps working.

Voice Call and voice journaling

Speak an entry and have it transcribed, or start a Voice Call for a spoken back-and-forth that is saved to the journal as a transcript. Voice Call runs on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Ask Your Journal

Ask about patterns, people or how you felt at a given time, and the app searches your history and answers in plain language. Unlimited AI search and insights are part of Premium.

Guided Journeys and templates

More than 100 guided programs from wellness and personal growth experts lead you one prompt at a time, and templates give structure for gratitude, goals and reviews.

Reviews and insights

Weekly, monthly and annual reviews recap what you wrote, and an Insights page charts sentiment, emotions and life domains across a chosen time range.

Privacy, export and MCP

Entries are encrypted at rest and in transit and are not used to train AI models. You can export to PDF, JSON or CSV, and Premium includes a beta MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.

Clearful

• Free$0

  Unlimited entries, the rich-text editor, prompts and templates, Rediscover, streaks, reminders and text or PDF export, on up to two connected devices.

• Clearful Pro (monthly)$9.99

  per month

  Photos in entries, Pro guided journals, unlimited devices, AI Reviews, personal templates, locked entries, analytics and themes. The in-app list also shows a $14.99 monthly entry.

• Clearful Pro (annual)$59.99

  per year

  The same Pro benefits billed annually. The US App Store in-app purchase list also shows a yearly entry at $89.99.

Reflection

• Free Forever$0

  Unlimited private entries, prompts, reminders, search, guided monthly and annual reviews, import and export, one photo per entry and limited syncing.

• Premium (monthly)$8

  per month

  Unlimited AI-enhanced search and insights, AI writing support, unlimited cross-device sync, custom templates and tags, multiple photos, rich text and PDF export.

• Premium (yearly)$5.75

  per month, billed annually ($69 per year)

  The same Premium features on yearly billing, shown with the $8 monthly price crossed out and a Save 30% label.

Clearful

• Annual discount

  Annual billing costs about half of monthly

  The US App Store description gives Clearful Pro as $9.99 billed monthly or $59.99 billed annually. Twelve monthly payments come to $119.88, so the annual plan saves about 50%.

Reflection

• Annual discount

  Save 30% with yearly billing

  Reflection's Premium page lists $8 a month on monthly billing or $5.75 a month billed annually, labelled as a 30% saving. The US App Store lists the annual plan at $69.00.

• Lifetime license

  Premium (Lifetime) for a one-time $249.99

  The US App Store lists a Premium (Lifetime) in-app purchase at $249.99 as an alternative to the monthly and annual subscriptions.