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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

I am vs Mantra

I am 4.8★ · Free to download 60
Winner Mantra
Mantra 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75

Mantra offers a more reliable and less intrusive experience, despite some paywall limitations, making it a better choice for consistent positive affirmations.

Full reviews: I am · Mantra

While both apps aim to provide daily affirmations, I am struggles with excessive notifications, billing issues, and technical glitches. Mantra, though having some paywall complaints, generally delivers a more stable and user-friendly experience with effective affirmations.

Head to head

Affirmation Quality and Variety edge: MantraR1R2R3R7
I am Users praise 'I am' for its powerful, timely, and genuinely helpful affirmations that improve self-perception and mental health R2. However, some find affirmations repetitive, vague, or even negative and misgendering R1R3R7.
Mantra Mantra users appreciate its realistic, non-cheesy, and effective affirmations that genuinely make them feel good . Many find the daily mantras uplifting and helpful for a positive mindset . Some note repetition or irrelevance if not paying for premium .
Notifications and User Experience edge: MantraR1R4R6R9
I am 'I am' is heavily criticized for excessive, annoying, and often misleading notifications, especially regarding streak maintenance R1R4R6R9. Users also report intrusive pop-ups to share content R9R15.
Mantra Mantra users generally find the app's notifications and reminders helpful and not too intrusive . Some initial pop-ups for reviews or features are noted .
Reliability and Bugs edge: MantraR6R12R15R18
I am 'I am' has numerous reports of bugs, including streak tracking issues R6R12R15, widgets not working R31R37R51R57, app not updating affirmations R31R37, and persistent notifications even after uninstallation . Some users also report audio glitches .
Mantra Mantra has some reported bugs, such as widgets not working or refreshing inconsistently , themes and text randomly changing , categories not saving , and the app crashing when adding personal affirmations . One user reported losing voice recordings, favorites, and collections after an update .
Pricing and Value tieR10R13R19R21
I am 'I am' is criticized for being too costly, with many features behind an expensive paywall R19R21. There are significant complaints about being charged incorrectly, even after canceling free trials or subscriptions, with charges ranging from $35.99 to $75 R10R13.
Mantra Mantra is also noted for having many features locked behind a paywall R64R78R80R84. Some users feel it's not worth the price, and there are reports of incorrect charges, such as being charged yearly ($32) after selecting a weekly option . One user reported still getting ads despite paying for premium .
Customization and Features edge: MantraR11R18R24R26
I am Users appreciate the ability to have affirmations on their lock screen and use widgets R11R26. However, some recent updates have removed the ability to pick specific topics R24 and users desire more control over notification settings R18. The inability to add widgets is a common complaint R51.
Mantra Mantra offers features like background music, organizing liked affirmations into albums, and custom affirmations . Users wish for more customization options like color wheels, custom backgrounds, and font choices for lock screens .
Pick I am if

Pick 'I am' if you are looking for a wide variety of affirmations that can be very impactful for mental health, and you are willing to tolerate frequent notifications and potential billing issues R2.

Pick Mantra if

Pick Mantra if you prioritize a more stable app experience with fewer intrusive notifications and appreciate features like background music and the ability to organize affirmations, even if some customization options are limited to paid tiers .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of positive reviews, but recent negative reviews for 'I am' highlight recurring issues with notifications, billing, and technical bugs. Mantra's negative reviews are fewer and often focus on paywalls or minor glitches, suggesting a generally more reliable user experience.

Frequently asked

What are the main complaints about 'I am'?
'I am' receives frequent complaints about excessive and misleading notifications, particularly regarding streak maintenance, and numerous reports of incorrect billing, with users being charged between $35.99 and $75 even after canceling free trials or subscriptions R4R6R10R13.
Does Mantra have a free version?
Yes, Mantra is free to download and use, but many features, including additional affirmation categories and customization options, are locked behind a paywall R64R78R80R84.
Are there any issues with widgets for either app?
Yes, users of 'I am' frequently report that widgets do not work or require constant reactivation R31R37R51R57. Mantra users also report issues with widgets not refreshing consistently or working as expected .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] I am 1/5 · US Why: I am confused people.Why have you made an app that only writes positive things every single day.To me it is only another annoying app that makes notification
  2. [R2] I am 5/5 · US Grateful: I am actuall extremely impressed with how majorly and so positively this app has genuinely improved my self perception + my self-conscious + my self-image; I would like to thank each of the creators of the I am - Daily Affirmations app personally if possible but this is close enough ! haha thank you all so much !!
  3. [R3] I am 3/5 · US A few bad apples: Love this app! AND there are a few harmful affirmations. Today’s: “Instead of finding the one I’m gonna go to the gym and become the one.” Sheesh! That’s super gross. This isn’t the first I’ve seen like that. Please review your affirmations. Thx for care & attention :)
  4. [R7] I am 2/5 · US misgendering: it’s hard to give myself affirmations when they’re calling me she/her even when the gender is male 👎 literally why even ask what my gender is
  5. [R4] I am 1/5 · US Notifications: There is absolutely no reason why I should receive 5 separate notifications from this app back to back.. less than a minute went by & all of these separate notifications just decided to randomly pop up. App has got to go ✌🏾✌🏾
  6. [R6] I am 3/5 · US Annoying lying notifications: I’m about to delete this app, it’s driving me nuts. Recently within the last couple months I’ve started getting notifications throughout the day about ‘losing my streak’ even though I’ve already checked the app. Now I’m getting about 6 notifications a day about ‘losing my streak’, ‘only one freeze available’ and now ‘start a new streak’ which came an hour after a ‘
  7. [R9] I am 3/5 · US Stop with the pop ups to share: I like the affirmations but getting a pop up saying “boost someone’s day” to share the affirmation disrupts the flow and is super annoying. Stop it
  8. [R12] I am 3/5 · US Great app: The app will alert me about my streak as if I never went on the app when I did. So that’s definitely a bug.
  9. [R15] I am 3/5 · US Ok but could use work: I’m well into 400+ days solid using this as a paid subscription and I’m not sure it’s really helping. I still get notices that pop up some days after re I’ve gone in the app even several times that I don’t have any streak freezes left and to not let this be the day I lose my streak. I am also annoyed by the things that pop up for me to share the affirmation while I’m in the
  10. [R18] I am 3/5 · US Kinks to work out: Conceptually good but feature/function of the app needs work. Can’t snooze the notification , can’t set the number of seconds for the notification to play so it goes on and on and on if I’ve left my phone with someone.
  11. [R10] I am 1/5 · US Horrible: I sighed up for a free trial that said it would alert me when it was time to be charged it didn’t and it charged me 75$
  12. [R13] I am 1/5 · US Please stop trying to charge me: Please stop trying to charge me for the year. I can’t download any other apps because it keeps trying to get me to pay $56.99 a year or something like that and I don’t have the money and I can’t download free apps. Please excuse me from that. Thank you.
  13. [R19] I am 1/5 · US Comment: I wish everything was free
  14. [R21] I am 3/5 · US Wonderful but costly: I love the affirmations it provides. It does help with improving a positive thinking mindset, but it is way too costly for individuals who are low income.
  15. [R11] I am 5/5 · US Love this!: I love this app! I’ve recommended it to so many others and they all agree. I love having the little affirmations on my lock screen and it’s a great app to help with the doom scroll itch as well! It just makes me happy
  16. [R24] I am 3/5 · US New update: I love this app and have used it for years, but I am not loving the new update. I preferred when I could just pick a topic and that was what would show up. I also made the mistake of clicking on affirmations for May. It is now June and I’m still getting affirmations from May which annoys me.
  17. [R26] I am 5/5 · US love it: Having this on my lockscreen just changes so much. It's not the typical affirmations "Im enough" "I'm strong", it's affirmations that genuinely hit and are so needed
  18. [R64] Mantra 1/5 · US I am app BETTER: Basically every single option on this app is locked I think you can get random affirmations during
  19. [R78] Mantra 3/5 · GB It’s good: You have to buy if the affirmations.
  20. [R80] Mantra 4/5 · US I love mantra but: I don’t like how many things you need a subscription for
  21. [R84] Mantra 3/5 · GB Good but sneaky: I think it takes the mick that you have to pay in order to get the other categories
  22. [R31] I am 1/5 · US Affirmations App Malfunction: app keeps malfunctioning and not updating my affirmations. they only show the ones i already loved, no new affirmations and the widget does not work. it keeps asking me to ‘tap to activate widget’ every single day. this app was so much better a few years ago. please fix or i’ll have to delete it and find another affirmations app. thanks!
  23. [R37] I am 2/5 · US What happened?: I really loved this app. I had a year long streak going, add my own affirmations, and had the widget on my Home Screen. Now it is perpetually loading. I deleted it thinking a new download would help but that only deleted my steak and all my own affirmations and likes. It seems there’s too much going on in the app for it to sufficiently work.
  24. [R51] I am 3/5 · GB Great quotes but isn’t letting me add any widgets?: This app is amazing, very inspirational and affective however, It doesnt give me the option to add a widget. Like I create the widget design on the app but then I got to add it by clicking the + icon, the choice on picking I am is never there? This is in fact quite annoying as it would be nice to have this feature but it just wont let me. Disappo
  25. [R57] I am 3/5 · GB Glitchy and ad riddled (even for subscribers): Widget doesn’t work 99% of the time, super unclear how to create own affirmations, and the experience is riddled with spammy ads even as a paid subscriber. Had to delete even though my subscription is valid till April because the app is THAT annoying. Avoid.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store