Rosebud vs Stoic
We give Rosebud a 3.0 GPA and Stoic a 3.4, out of 4.0. Stoic grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Rosebud
AI journal that replies with reflections and follow-up questions
Stoic
Guided journal with morning and evening reflections and mood tracking
How we grade them
| 3.0GPARosebudVery good | 3.4GPAStoicVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBloom is $12.99 a month, or $107.99 a year, which works out at $8.99 a month. That's nearly double a typical journaling app, and it still comes with a weekly AI usage limit. A bigger budget means Thrive, listed at $24.99 and $59.99 in the mobile apps. | BStoic Premium is listed on the US App Store at $6.99 to $39.99, monthly or yearly, with no label on which is which. That range is about typical for a journaling app. The AI tier runs $12.99 to $99.99, and Lifetime Premium is a steep $299.00. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's no free plan now. Rosebud's help centre says it was retired on September 30, 2026, even though the homepage still calls Rosebud free to use. Bloom has a free trial, but the pricing section doesn't say how long it lasts. | BFree gets daily prompts, quotes and affirmations, basic guided journals and a few breathing and meditation exercises. But the mood and habit tracker, widgets, iCloud sync and the app lock are all Premium. The 7-day trial is on the annual plan only. |
| Features | ADig Deeper adds a perspective and a follow-up question as you write. There are morning and evening check-ins, guided journals drawing on CBT and ACT, hands-free voice entries, a weekly report of moods and themes, and Ask Rosebud, which answers questions from your own journal. | AMorning and evening reflections, a new prompt each day, guided journals on gratitude, stress and relationships, mood and trend charts, plus meditation and breathing. The top tier adds AI mentors that write prompts and look through past entries for patterns. |
| Ease of use | A4.9 from about 3,300 App Store ratings. You write or just talk, and the AI keeps the conversation going, so you're never stuck for what to say next. Responses can be read back aloud too. | A4.8 from about 35,900 App Store ratings. The day is laid out for you: prepare in the morning, reflect at night, answer the prompt in between. You never face an empty page. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android and the web. But the web app is a companion: custom journals, photos, handwriting scans and the choice of AI model are mobile-only. No integrations or API are listed, and the Thrive tiers are sold only in the mobile apps. | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android and the web, so it's on most things. But the only connections on record are Apple Health and Siri Shortcuts, and sync runs through iCloud, which means Apple devices only. Stoic itself says the newer Android app has fewer features. |
| Best for | a journal that asks you questions back | a morning and evening journaling routine |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Rosebud and Stoic. How we grade
Where they differ
- Rosebud starts at $8.99 per month, billed annually ($107.99 per year). Stoic starts at $6.99 (lowest US App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown).
- Stoic has a free plan. Rosebud does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Stoic lists a macOS app.
- Rosebud also covers dictation and goals.
- Stoic also covers templates and habit tracking.
At a glance
| Rosebud | Stoic | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8.99 per month, billed annually ($107.99 per year) | $6.99 (lowest US App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown) |
| Free plan | None | Daily prompts, quotes and affirmations, basic guided journals and a limited selection of breathing and meditation exercises. |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on Rosebud Bloom; its length is not stated on the pricing section. | 7-day free trial of Stoic Premium or 3-day trial of Premium + AI, on the annual plan only and once per Apple ID. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Just Imagine, Inc. | Stoic app inc. |
| Price read from | rosebud.app | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Rosebud
- People who want an AI that asks follow-up questions as they write
- Speaking entries aloud instead of typing them
- Weekly summaries of moods, themes and patterns across entries
Stoic
- People who want a structured morning and evening journaling routine
- Apple users who want entries kept on-device and in their own iCloud
- Combining journaling with mood tracking, meditation and breathing exercises
Worth knowing
Rosebud
- The help center says the free plan was retired on September 30, 2026, although the homepage still calls Rosebud free to use.
- AI features run on a weekly usage limit; at 100% Dig Deeper is blocked until the limit resets.
- The web app is a companion: custom journals, photos, handwriting scans and AI model choice are mobile-only.
- Thrive tiers with larger usage budgets are sold only through the iOS and Android apps.
Stoic
- No price list is published; subscription prices appear in the app and on app store listings.
- The help center lists the mood and habit tracker, custom templates, widgets, iCloud sync and the app lock under Premium.
- The Android app is newer and, by the vendor's own account, has fewer features than the iOS app.
- Free trials apply only to the annual plan and can be used once per Apple ID.
Key features
Rosebud
- Dig Deeper
- While composing an entry you can ask the AI to go deeper: Interactive mode adds a perspective and one follow-up question, and Focused mode offers three questions to choose from.
- Guided journals and daily check-ins
- Morning intention and evening reflection check-ins sit beside guided journals developed with mental health professionals, drawing on methods such as CBT and ACT.
- Voice journaling
- Entries can be spoken with voice transcription and a hands-free mode, and responses can be read back aloud. A glossary keeps up to 10 names or words transcribed accurately.
- Weekly report
- Each week Rosebud summarizes your entries with writing stats, mood trends, key themes and the people mentioned, including up to five key insights.
- Long-term memory and Ask Rosebud
- Bloom recalls earlier entries for continuity, and Ask Rosebud answers questions about your life from your journal, with links to the related entries.
- Privacy and export
- Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, the app can be locked with Face ID, Touch ID or a PIN, and entries can be exported to Markdown.
Stoic
- Morning and evening reflections
- Each day starts with a short preparation and ends with a reflection, with mood check-ins in between. Personalizing the two reflections is listed as a Premium feature.
- Guided journals and daily prompts
- A new prompt appears each day under a weekly theme, alongside guided journals on topics such as gratitude, stress and relationships. The full library needs Premium.
- Mood and trend tracking
- Log your mood and the factors that influence it, then view trends for mood, emotions, sleep, health and writing. The help center lists the mood and habit tracker under Premium.
- Meditation and breathing exercises
- Guided or unguided meditation sessions and breathing exercises sit beside the journal. The free plan includes a limited selection.
- AI mentor and entry analysis
- On Premium + AI, a chosen mentor style writes custom prompts, analyzes past entries for patterns in mood and themes, and times reminders to your routine.
- On-device storage with iCloud sync
- Entries are kept on your devices; the help center says Stoic has no servers of its own. Premium adds iCloud sync and backup across Apple devices and a passcode or Face ID lock.
Plans
Rosebud
Rosebud Bloom$12.99
per month, or $107.99 per year ($8.99 per month)
Interactive journaling with Dig Deeper, entry reflections, weekly reports, Ask Rosebud and long-term memory on web and mobile, within a weekly AI usage limit.
Rosebud Thrive 2x$24.99
US App Store; also listed at $199.99, periods not labeled
The same features as Bloom with a larger weekly usage budget and access to more advanced AI models. Sold through the mobile apps only.
Rosebud Thrive 5x$59.99
US App Store; also listed at $499.99, periods not labeled
The same features and models as Thrive 2x with a still larger usage budget. Sold through the mobile apps only.
Stoic
Free$0
Daily prompts, quotes and affirmations, basic guided journals and a limited selection of breathing and meditation exercises.
Stoic Premium$6.99 to $39.99
monthly or yearly; the US App Store does not label each price
Full library of guided journals and exercises, custom templates, mood and habit tracker, widgets, iCloud sync and app lock. Listed at $6.99, $17.99, $26.99 and $39.99.
Stoic Premium + AI$12.99 to $99.99
monthly or yearly; the US App Store does not label each price
Everything in Premium plus AI mentors, Dig Deeper analysis of entries and AI-tuned notifications. Listed at $12.99, $69.99 and $99.99.
Stoic Lifetime Premium$299.00
one-time purchase
A single in-app purchase listed on the US App Store as an alternative to the Premium subscription.
Ways to pay less
Rosebud
- Annual discount
Save 30% with annual billing
Rosebud's pricing section marks the annual Bloom plan as a 30% saving: $107.99 a year, shown against $155.99 for twelve monthly payments.
- Education
40% off Bloom for students
Enrolled students can apply by email for 40% off Rosebud Bloom, valid for one year and renewable. It applies only to subscriptions created in the web app.
- Other savings
40% off for seniors and people with disabilities
The same 40% discount on Bloom covers people aged 65 and older and people with a documented disability, for subscriptions created in the web app.
- Other savings
40% off for military and veterans
Active service members and honorably discharged veterans can apply for 40% off Rosebud Bloom on subscriptions created in the web app.
Stoic
- Education
Student discount on application
Stoic's help center says students can apply for a Student Discount through a form linked from its website. The size of the discount is not stated.
- Lifetime license
Stoic Lifetime Premium for $299.00
Stoic's terms describe a Lifetime purchase that grants ongoing access to Stoic Premium for as long as the app remains available. The US App Store lists it at $299.00.
