Clarity CBT Journal Alternative: Conviction vs Clarity (2026)
Clarity vs Conviction for CBT thought records on iPhone. Where Clarity is better, where Conviction differs, and current App Store pricing, checked Oct 2026.
This is self-help for people who journal between therapy or coaching sessions. It is not treatment, diagnosis, or a replacement for care from a licensed clinician. The author builds Conviction; he is not a therapist.
Clarity: CBT Self Help Journal is one of the most established thought-diary apps on the App Store. If you searched for a Clarity alternative, you probably like the idea of doing CBT thought work on your phone and are wondering whether something else fits you better. Here is an honest comparison from the person who builds the other app. I’m biased; I have tried to make the facts checkable.
Everything about Clarity below comes from its US App Store listing as I read it on 30 October 2026. Prices vary by country and change. Check the listing before you decide.
Quick comparison
| Clarity | Conviction | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free download. “Pro Mode is an optional subscription” (auto-renewing). US in-app prices listed from $9.99 to $69.99. | Free download. Pro is $3.99 one-time, not a subscription. |
| Thought work | ”Reframe your thoughts”, identify cognitive distortions | Reframe: a step-by-step thought record (situation, emotion, hot thought, distortions, evidence for/against, balanced thought, re-rate). Free. |
| Beyond CBT | Guided journals, mood and activity check-ins, AI chatbot, programs, meditation audio, breathwork, personality tests | DBT Check the Facts and Opposite Action, grounding (Safe Harbor), chain analysis (Pattern Lab), shadow work prompts, voice journaling |
| AI | AI-driven journaling questions and an AI chatbot | On-device Apple Intelligence features (distortion suggestions, pattern insights). No chatbot. |
| Storage | ”Journal entries are stored locally on your phone by default. Data backup is optional.” | Encrypted database on the iPhone. Optional encrypted iCloud backup (Pro). |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro. iOS 17+ | iPhone only. Requires Apple Intelligence: iPhone 15 Pro or later |
| Languages | English + 9 more | English and German |
| Ratings (US) | 4.8 from about 29,000 ratings | New: 1 rating (US, 30 Oct 2026) |
Where Clarity is better
- Track record. Tens of thousands of ratings over many years. Conviction is new and has almost none. That matters when you’re trusting an app with your worst thoughts.
- Breadth of content. Programs, guided journals, audio, assessments. If you want a library to work through, Clarity has far more of it.
- Devices and older iPhones. Clarity runs on iOS 17, iPad and Apple Watch. Conviction needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later. If your phone is older, Conviction is simply not an option.
- Languages. Clarity is available in ten languages. Conviction’s app is English and German only.
- Team. Clarity says it was built by a team with backgrounds in psychology and mental health research. Conviction is built by one independent developer (me), not a clinician.
Where Conviction is different
- Price model. One $3.99 purchase removes Conviction’s limits. There’s no renewal date to remember. The thought record itself is free without Pro.
- The thought record is the whole flow, not one feature among many. Reframe walks you through each column in order, starting with a “camera check” of the facts and ending with re-rating belief and emotion. If you mainly want to do thought records, there is less to click past.
- On-device AI. Conviction’s AI features run on the iPhone with Apple Intelligence instead of a cloud chatbot. That’s also the reason it needs a newer iPhone.
- Voice. Speak the hot thought instead of typing it. Transcription runs on the device.
- DBT and shadow work next to CBT. Check the Facts and Opposite Action sit beside Reframe. Shadow work prompts are there if you want to go further.
Which one should you pick?
- Older iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or you want a big guided library: Clarity.
- You want a focused thought record, no subscription, on-device processing and DBT tools alongside it, and you have an iPhone 15 Pro or later: try Conviction. The thought record is free, so you can check whether it fits before paying anything.
Either way, the method matters more than the app. If you want to try a thought record without any app first, there are free printable 7- and 5-column thought record PDFs. See how Conviction’s version works on the thought record app page.
Neither app is therapy. Clarity says so in its own listing, and so does Conviction. If you’re in crisis, contact your local emergency number.
Clarity is a trademark of its owner, Inquiry Health LLC. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Facts about Clarity were taken from its public App Store listing on 30 October 2026.