There are dozens of Stoic apps on the App Store. Most of them do the same thing: show you a quote, ask you to journal, and charge you $50/year for the privilege.
We tested seven of them to find out which ones are actually worth your time. We looked at five things that matter: daily Stoic content (quotes, challenges), widget support (lock screen and home screen), AI features, app size and performance, and pricing transparency.
The Comparison Table
| Feature | stoic. | Stoa | Stoic Mind | Stoic Phone | StoicMentor | Stojo | StoicNow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price/year | $49.99 | $59.99 | ~$30 | ~$20 | ~$20 | ~$20 | $19.99 |
| Lifetime option | Removed | No | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | $39.99 |
| Free trial | 3 days | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days | 3 days | 7 days |
| App size | 174 MB | 82 MB | ~40 MB | 35 MB | ~25 MB | ~30 MB | <15 MB |
| Lock screen widget | Broken* | — | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Home screen widget | Broken* | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Memento Mori grid | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Daily challenges | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| AI mentor | Basic | — | — | — | Basic | — | ✓ |
| Journaling | Core | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Audio/meditations | ✓ | Core | — | — | — | — | — |
*stoic.’s widgets were reported broken by multiple users after a 2025 update. Status may have changed since.
1. stoic. (by MindTools)
stoic.
The Market Leader
The largest Stoic app, with over 4 million users and Apple Editors’ Choice status. Originally a simple Stoic journal, it has expanded into general mental health with AI journaling, CBT exercises, mood tracking, meditations, and breathing exercises.
What it does well
- Polished morning/evening journaling structure
- Thoughtful daily prompts, 120-second session format
- Mature, stable interface since 2019
- Strong streak tracking
Where it falls short
- Drifted from Stoicism into general wellness
- Widgets broken after recent update
- $49.99/year with only 3-day trial
- Lifetime option removed
- 174 MB app size
Best for
People who want a guided journaling habit with Stoic flavoring. If journaling is your primary goal, it’s well-made.
2. Stoa
Stoa
The Meditation App
A Stoicism-focused meditation and education app with over 100 hours of audio content — guided meditations, philosophy lessons, and interviews with modern Stoic thinkers.
What it does well
- High-quality audio, deep philosophical content
- Structured courses (anger, anxiety, intro to Stoicism)
- Community features and podcast
Where it falls short
- $59.99/year — most expensive Stoic app
- Audio bugs when screen is locked
- No widgets, challenges, or Memento Mori
Best for
People who want to study Stoicism through audio. If you want philosophy depth in app form, Stoa delivers.
3. Stoic Mind
Stoic Mind
The Life Calendar App
A Stoic quotes and life calendar app with biographies. Standout feature: a Memento Mori “Life Calendar” divided into age stages (Childhood, Young Adult, Middle Years, Elder).
What it does well
- Life Calendar with age-stage labels — unique touch
- Philosopher biographies add context
- Clean, minimal interface
Where it falls short
- Changing life expectancy requires premium
- Black screen bug reported on birth date change
- No challenges, AI, or lock screen widget
Best for
People who want a Memento Mori visualization with context. The life stage labels are a nice touch no one else has.
4. Stoic Phone
Stoic Phone
The Widget + Challenge App
A focused app built around lock screen widgets and daily Stoic challenges. 100+ challenges categorized by difficulty.
What it does well
- Clean widget implementation (lock + home)
- Challenge tiers: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
- “Stoic Phone Mode” concept is compelling
- Small app size
Where it falls short
- Limited content library
- Repetitive notifications
- Infrequent updates
- No AI, Memento Mori, or journaling
Best for
People who primarily want Stoic content on their lock screen and a daily challenge. Simple and focused.
5. StoicMentor
StoicMentor
The AI Chat App
An AI-first Stoic app where the central feature is chatting with an AI mentor styled as a Stoic philosopher.
What it does well
- Strong concept — Marcus Aurelius-style AI responses
- Natural iMessage-like chat interface
Where it falls short
- AI responses feel generic and repetitive
- Keyboard blocks navigation on several screens
- Hasn’t been updated since mid-2025
- No widgets, Memento Mori, or challenges
Best for
People curious about AI + Stoicism as a concept. The execution needs work, but the idea has potential.
6. Stojo
Stojo
The Modern Interpretation App
A quotes app that pairs each Stoic quote with a “modern interpretation” explaining what it means in today’s context.
What it does well
- Modern interpretations are genuinely useful
- Personalization touches (“Good morning, Michael”)
- Distinctive warm beige aesthetic
Where it falls short
- Crashes during onboarding reported
- No iPhone SE support
- Reports of misleading trial terms
- No widgets, AI, challenges, or Memento Mori
Best for
People new to Stoicism who want quotes that are actually explained. Stojo’s interpretations add real value.
7. StoicNow — Our App
StoicNow
Widgets + Challenges + AI Mentor
A Stoic practice app built around three pillars: daily quotes + challenges (active practice), Memento Mori grid (mortality awareness), and an AI Stoic mentor (personalized guidance). Designed as a focused alternative to bloated wellness apps.
What it does well
- Widget-first design — Lock screen and home screen widgets that actually work
- Memento Mori grid — 52×80 week grid with stats, shareable as image. Current week pulses.
- 150 daily challenges — Physical, mental, social, discipline. Three difficulty tiers.
- AI Stoic Mentor — Specific quotes with sources and concrete daily actions. Not generic.
- 210+ quotes with depth — Context, modern meaning, practical application for each
- Under 15 MB — Designed for people who don’t want another 174 MB app
- Honest paywall — “Continue with Free Version” is visible and prominent. No dark patterns.
Where it falls short
- iOS only — No Android, no web app yet
- No journaling — By design. If journaling is primary, use stoic. or Stojo.
- No meditation/audio — If you want that, Stoa is the right pick.
- New app — Smaller community, fewer reviews, less track record
- No Apple Watch companion yet — In development
Best for
People who want daily Stoic practice through widgets, challenges, and a quality AI mentor — without the bloat. If your ideal Stoic app lives on your lock screen, StoicNow is built for that.
See for yourself
Try StoicNow — Free on iOSHow to Choose
Here’s the simplest decision tree:
No single app does everything. The right one depends on how you want to practice. The best app is the one you’ll actually open tomorrow morning.
What About The Daily Stoic App?
Ryan Holiday’s Daily Stoic doesn’t have a standalone app — their content lives in a book, email newsletter, podcast, and online store. If you want Daily Stoic’s approach digitally, subscribe to their email (free) and supplement with one of the apps above for widgets, challenges, or AI features.
There are a few other apps with “Daily Stoic” in their name on the App Store, but they’re not affiliated with Ryan Holiday and tend to be lower quality — some haven’t been updated in years and are loaded with ads.
FAQ
What is the best free Stoic app?
StoicNow offers the most features for free: one lock screen widget, daily quotes, daily challenges with streak tracking, a Memento Mori grid, and 3 AI mentor conversations per day. stoic. (by MindTools) also has a usable free tier focused on journaling. Most other Stoic apps gate core features behind a paywall.
Is the stoic. app (getstoic) worth paying for?
At $49.99/year, stoic. is premium-priced. It’s worth it if you specifically want AI-guided journaling with morning and evening prompts. It’s less worth it if you want widgets (which have had reliability issues), Stoic challenges, or a focused philosophy experience. The 3-day trial is short; test thoroughly before committing.
Do I need an app to practice Stoicism?
No. You can practice Stoicism with a physical copy of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and a notebook. An app is useful for three things: consistency (push notifications and streaks), convenience (quotes on your lock screen), and access to features like Memento Mori grids or AI mentors that would be impractical on paper. But the philosophy itself requires zero technology.
Which Stoic app has the best widgets?
As of 2026, StoicNow and Stoic Phone have the most reliable widget implementations. stoic. (getstoic) previously had good widgets but user reports suggest they broke after a recent update. Most other Stoic apps don’t offer widgets at all.
Is there a Stoic app for Android?
stoic. (getstoic) recently expanded beyond Apple-only, but most dedicated Stoic apps remain iOS-focused. StoicNow is currently iOS only with Android planned. For Android users, the best current options are stoic. or using a browser-based resource like Daily Stoic’s email newsletter combined with a general journaling app.
