2026-11-08 · anicca-ios · 1,482 words · 3 citations
By Anicca · November 2026
In this guide
- The two apps at a glance
- Anicca: daily affirmations on your Lock Screen
- I am: the biggest affirmation library
- Which app should you choose?
- Feature comparison
- Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
- Anicca puts one new affirmation on your iPhone Lock Screen every day, as short swipeable cards. It is free to download; Anicca Premium is $59.99 a year or $59.99 lifetime (US App Store, checked 8 November 2026).
- I am has by far the biggest affirmation library and the most ratings of any affirmation app (4.8 stars from 1,243,596 ratings, US App Store, checked October 2026). The free version shows a lot of ads; Premium costs $60 a year.
- Pick Anicca if you want one calm line a day where you will actually see it. Pick I am if you want a large library, reminders through the day, an Apple Watch app and Android support.
We make Anicca, so both apps are described from the same public App Store data, checked on the dates shown. Prices change — check the store before you subscribe. For the full field, see our tested roundup of the best affirmation apps for iPhone.
The two apps at a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Price/yr | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anicca | One affirmation a day on your Lock Screen | iPhone | Free to download | $59.99 (or $59.99 lifetime) | 5.0 out of 5 (US, 1 rating) |
| I am | Biggest library | iPhone, iPad, Android | With ads | $60 | 4.8 out of 5 |
Prices: US App Store. Anicca checked 8 November 2026; I am checked October 2026.
The two apps
Anicca: Best for daily affirmations on your Lock Screen (our app)
Best for: anyone who wants one new affirmation on the Lock Screen every day, read as simple visual cards at your own pace.
Not for: Android or iPad users, or people who want a journal or vision board in the same app.
Price (US App Store, checked 8 November 2026): Free; the subscription is titled Anicca Premium (Weekly / Monthly / Annual / Lifetime) on the store page. The in-app purchases listed are $59.99 per year (Annual Premium), $14.99 per month (Anicca Monthly), $6.99 per week (Weekly Premium) and Lifetime $59.99.
Free trial: not stated on the store page · Rating: 5.0 stars · Ratings: 1 (US store, checked 8 November 2026); the Japan store shows 4.5 stars from 48 ratings. Version: 1.9.8.
Anicca puts a new affirmation on your Lock Screen every day. Pick your focus for self-love and confidence, and read the day's affirmations as swipeable cards at your own pace. Save the words you want to revisit in your favourites, copy a quote, or share a card as an image with someone who could use it.
Choose from 8 background themes, and allow notifications to receive gentle reminders through the day; home-screen and lock-screen widgets keep a line in view. Anicca supports English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish, and needs iOS 16.6 or later. The store listing does not split features between the free version and Premium, so this comparison does not claim a split. Our setup guide walks through the Lock Screen part step by step: How do you put a daily affirmation on your iPhone Lock Screen?
Pros
- A new affirmation on your Lock Screen every day
- Short swipeable cards, favourites, copy and share as image
- 8 background themes, widgets and gentle reminders
- Lifetime option at the same price as one year ($59.99)
- 6 languages
Considerations
- iPhone only (no iPad or Android app)
- Very few ratings so far (1 in the US store)
- No journal, vision board or Apple Watch app
Verdict: The calmest way to keep one affirmation in view all day, with Anicca Premium at $59.99 a year and a lifetime option at the same price.
I am: Best for the biggest affirmation library
Best for: ready-made affirmations in many categories, delivered as reminders all day.
Not for: anyone who dislikes ads and does not want to pay for Premium.
Price (US App Store, checked October 2026): Free with ads; Premium $60 per year, $15 per month or $150 lifetime.
Free trial: 3 days · Rating: 4.8 stars · Ratings: 1,243,596.
I am, by Monkey Taps, has been on the App Store since 2014 and has by far the most ratings of any app in this comparison. You pick intentions and categories, and the app sends matching affirmations as reminders through the day; widgets, an Apple Watch app and many themes keep them in view. It is also available on Android.
The free version shows a lot of ads; Premium removes them and unlocks all categories, themes and more reminders.
Pros
- Very large library across many categories
- Reminders, widgets and Apple Watch
- AI affirmations
- iPhone, iPad and Android
Considerations
- Many ads in the free version
- Highest yearly price in this comparison ($60), and $150 lifetime
- No journal
Verdict: The best-known affirmation app with a very large library; plan on Premium if ads bother you.
Which app should you choose?
Start with how you want to practise every day, then pick the matching app. Price and platform are in the quick table at the top.
| If you want… | Choose |
|---|---|
| One new affirmation a day on your Lock Screen, as calm visual cards | Anicca |
| A lifetime purchase that costs the same as one year | Anicca |
| A huge ready-made library across many categories | I am |
| Reminders through the day, Apple Watch and Android | I am |
Feature comparison: Anicca vs I am
| App | Lock Screen daily affirmation | Custom affirmations | AI affirmations | Widgets | Apple Watch | Journal | Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anicca | yes | not stated in the listing | no | yes | no | no | no |
| I am | widgets, not stated as a daily Lock Screen line | limited or paid only | yes | yes | yes | no | yes |
Based on each app's US App Store listing (Anicca checked November 2026, I am checked October 2026) and the same rubric as our full affirmation app roundup.
How we compare
We compared the two apps on the same criteria: price and ads, ease of use, the affirmation library, reminders and widgets, extras such as Apple Watch support, and platforms. The facts come from each app's public US App Store listing, checked on the dates shown. We make Anicca; where I am is the better fit for a specific need, we say so.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best affirmation app, Anicca or I am?
It depends on the habit you want. Anicca is the better fit if you want one new affirmation on your Lock Screen every day, read as short cards, with a lifetime option at $59.99. I am is the better fit if you want the biggest library, reminders through the day, Apple Watch and Android. Both are free to download; I am's free version shows ads.
How much does Anicca cost compared with I am?
On the US App Store (Anicca checked 8 November 2026, I am checked October 2026), Anicca Premium is $59.99 a year, $14.99 a month or $6.99 a week, with Lifetime at $59.99. I am Premium is $60 a year, $15 a month or $150 lifetime. The yearly prices are almost the same; the lifetime prices are not.
Which affirmation apps have Lock Screen widgets?
Both apps offer widgets. Anicca is built around one new affirmation on your Lock Screen every day. I am offers widgets alongside reminders and an Apple Watch app. Six of the eight apps in our full roundup have home-screen widgets; see the feature comparison in the roundup.
Do affirmation apps actually work?
Affirmations can help, but they are not magic. Studies on self-affirmation, where you reflect on values that matter to you, show lower stress and more openness to change (Cohen & Sherman, 2014) and activity in brain regions linked to self-related processing and reward (Cascio et al., 2016). Repeating overly positive statements can backfire for people with low self-esteem (Wood, Perunovic & Lee, 2009). Affirmations that are specific and believable, practised daily and tied to action work best, and an app helps mainly by keeping them in front of you.
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An Anicca comparison. Facts are from each app's public US App Store listing, checked on the dates shown. Source of truth lives at this URL; all other channels mirror back here.
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