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Penzu

Penzu

Secure Diary & Private Journal

2.5K ratings
436 reviews
🌟 Lifestyle
📊 Productivity
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

Released
September 14, 2011
Updated
May 5, 2026

Developer

Penzu Inc.
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Penzu screenshot #1 for iPhone
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Penzu screenshot #4 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
🧾$18.99
In-App Purchase↘︎
📌Ready
Reviews summary↘︎
⭐436
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About

This app provides a secure and private space for journaling, note-taking, and storing personal thoughts. It offers robust security features like password and PIN locks, encryption, and cloud syncing across devices. Users can also add photos and tags to their entries, making it a comprehensive digital diary.

✓Unlimited journaling
✓Cloud sync for free
✓Password and PIN locks
✓Journal encryption
✓Add photos to entries
✓Search and tag entries
✓Offline writing
Show original description

What users say about Penzu

Reviews of Penzu are mixed: the Productivity app is rated 4.2/5 from 2.5K App Store ratings. What users like most: easy to use, secure and private. Top complaints: frequent crashes and bugs, password issues and lockout problems. Summarized from real user reviews.

Positive things

  • 🚀Easy to use
  • 🔒Secure and private
  • 📝Convenient journaling on the go
  • 🗓️Helpful reminders and date tracking
  • 💻Syncs across devices

Negative things

  • 🐛Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔑Password issues and lockout problems
  • 📁Syncing and data loss issues
  • 📱Limited functionality on mobile app
  • 💰Expensive premium subscription
See all reviews

What's New in Penzu

3.20

May 5, 2026

Fixes a bug with journal sorting for users with multiple journals so that the latest journal updated is always first. Fixes a crash some users were experiencing when tapping on links into the app or push notifications.

More
3

Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

Penzu Pro Subscription

1 year subscription to Penzu Pro

$19.991 Year
How to cancel Penzu subscription ⁉️

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Ok. Not great.

Used it for years. Unfortunately, it’s developed a bad habit updating and syncing at yet weekend so anything written on the phone app overwrites anything you’ve written in the preceding week online via the laptop. An app that can’t do in-play syncing isn’t any good for journaling between devices.
EEgremont07

Pro member since 2013

This is one of my most important apps. I have the pro version so I can have multiple journals. I love it. I love seeing my notes over the years.
GgoCubsgoChicagoGirl

Love Penzu, so simple!

I’ve been using Penzu alongside my masters studies and it’s helped me so much!
Mmiddleagedwoman

Great product!

I’ve used Penzu for a decade and I love it! It’s simple to use and exactly what I need.
MMomalot.com

Great App

I have used this app since 2017 and I love the functionality that I can create different journals for different purposes.
ZZapgal
See 431 more reviews

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User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

3 issues

Keyboard disappearing during use

Bug

Entries not saving or syncing properly

Bug

Inability to access account after updates

Bug
✨

Requested Features

4 requests

More customization options for fonts, themes, and layouts

Feature

Ability to export/backup journal entries

Feature

Improved mobile app stability and features

Feature

Better customer support and communication

Feature

FAQ

What is Penzu?

Penzu is a popular free diary, journal, and notepad application designed to keep your private thoughts safe and secure. It allows you to write entries, sync them across devices via the Penzu cloud, and offers various security features to protect your personal information.

What are the key features of Penzu?

Key features include unlimited journaling, free cloud syncing, customizable journal covers, password and encryption locks for journals, the ability to add photos, app-level PIN lock, search functionality, tagging, and offline writing capabilities.

How much does Penzu cost?

The app is free to download and use with a free Penzu account. Optional upgrades to Penzu Pro are available via a monthly subscription ($4.99 USD) or a yearly subscription ($19.99 USD) for enhanced features. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled.

Is Penzu available on multiple platforms?

Yes, Penzu syncs to the web and other mobile platforms for free. This means you can access your journals and diary from any web browser and other devices, ensuring your notes are always accessible.

How does Penzu ensure privacy and security?

Penzu prioritizes privacy by allowing you to lock your journals with a password or encryption, ensuring only you can read them. Additionally, you can lock the entire app with a PIN to prevent unauthorized access to your device.