# Personal Diary (Journal) App vs Secure Daily Diary

Personal Diary (Journal) App and Secure Daily Diary both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Personal Diary (Journal) App's written reviews are positive against 71% of Secure Daily Diary's. Personal Diary (Journal) App also leads on device support (5 vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). Secure Daily Diary's advantage is ratings volume (456 vs 106). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Personal Diary (Journal) App sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Secure Daily Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Personal Diary (Journal) App against 4.6 for Secure Daily Diary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 106 and 456 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Personal Diary (Journal) App's written reviews are positive against 71% of Secure Daily Diary's.

Personal Diary (Journal) App ships an update every 5 weeks, Secure Daily Diary every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Personal Diary (Journal) App | Secure Daily Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/personal-diary-journal-app/id1052570257/reviews) | **[4.6 (456 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-daily-diary/id1207570913/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 106 | **456** |
| Positive reviews | **87.4% of reviews** | 71.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wern Jie Lim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1032934247) | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) |

## What reviewers say

### Personal Diary (Journal) App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/personal-diary-journal-app/id1052570257)

This app provides a simple and secure digital space for journaling. It offers passcode and biometric protection, iCloud sync across devices, and the ability to add photos, moods, and weather to your entries. It's designed to be an accessible and ad-free journalling experience.

**Highlights:** Passcode & biometric protection, iCloud sync across devices, Import photos into entries, Set mood and weather, Daily writing reminders, VoiceOver support, Dark Mode

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Continuous Tip | $1.99 | per month |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Secure with passcode/Touch ID
- 🌤️ Ability to track mood and weather
- 📸 Option to add photos
- 🔍 Useful search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🗓️ Lack of calendar view to easily navigate entries
- 🔍 Search functionality could be improved
- 📁 Issues with syncing and backing up data
- 🤖 Automatic mood/weather detection not always accurate

**Reported bugs**

- Entries sometimes disappear or fail to load
- Passcode/Touch ID not working reliably
- Syncing issues between devices
- Unexpected crashes when opening the app

**Requested features**

- Add ability to password protect individual entries
- Implement calendar view for better navigation
- Allow adding videos and other media types
- Improve search capabilities with advanced filters
- Provide better data backup and export options


### Secure Daily Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-daily-diary/id1207570913)

Capture your thoughts and memories securely with a private journal. Protect your entries with a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID. Enjoy a customizable experience with various themes and icons, all stored locally and synced via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID protection, Local storage and iCloud sync, No third-party servers or sign-ups, 20+ color themes, Multiple app icons

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Diary | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Password protection keeps entries secure
- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- ✍️ Allows long, detailed diary entries
- 🎨 Customizable background colors
- 📋 Clean, condensed entry list view

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Severely limited free storage (only 5 entries)
- 💸 Expensive paid upgrade ($4.99-$7.99)
- 🐛 Entries not saving or disappearing after updates
- 🔐 Password protection fails to work on app restart
- 🆘 Poor developer communication and support

**Reported bugs**

- Entries disappear after app update or reinstall
- Entries fail to save properly
- Password protection bypassed when reopening app
- Search function causes app to freeze/lock up
- Paid upgrade not registering - asks to repay

**Requested features**

- Photo/image upload and attachment capability
- Touch ID or biometric authentication
- Better background customization and decoration options
- Ability to write entries for past dates
- More creative design and styling options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Personal Diary (Journal) App free?

Personal Diary (Journal) App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Secure Daily Diary free?

Secure Daily Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Personal Diary (Journal) App or Secure Daily Diary?

Secure Daily Diary is rated higher. Personal Diary (Journal) App averages 4.4 out of 5 from 106 ratings, while Secure Daily Diary averages 4.6 from 456 ratings.

### Do Personal Diary (Journal) App or Secure Daily Diary have ads?

Neither Personal Diary (Journal) App nor Secure Daily Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Personal Diary (Journal) App or Secure Daily Diary?

Personal Diary (Journal) App ships an update every 5 weeks, and Secure Daily Diary every 3 weeks. Most recently, Personal Diary (Journal) App was updated on November 2, 2026 and Secure Daily Diary on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*