Comparison

LockNote vs Simple Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LockNote

Securely store notes, financial records, to-do lists, and card information with this encrypted application. It offers rich media support, offline access, and automatic synchronization across devices. Personalize your experience with custom skins and fonts.

Highlights
  • Encrypted note storage
  • Financial accounting records
  • Checklist management
  • Card package storage
  • Rich media support
  • Offline access and cloud backup
  • Automatic synchronization
Features
Read full description

Ta is an encrypted note-taking software that supports recording [Notes, accounting, checklist, card package] 【Notepad function】 -Can be encrypted or hidden. -Can be used offline, or selectively backed up to Lock Cloud, iCloud, or local. -Can mix graphics, pictures, videos, audios, event reminders, and rich text editing. -Export long pictures, PDFs, etc. -Automatic synchronization 【Accounting Book Function】 -Support multi-book type records -Rich and definable types -One second shorthand -Automatic synchronization 【List function】 -Support multiple list type records -Automatic synchronization [Card package function] -Automatic synchronization [My iCloud] -Manage your own data backup 【other】 -Tourist mode -File management, can transfer files to and from the computer -Personalized password settings. -Customizable skin fonts, etc.

About

Simple Diary

This app provides a simple and convenient way to journal your thoughts and experiences. It allows you to add images, secure your entries with a passcode, and customize the app's appearance. Data backup and search functions ensure your memories are safe and easily accessible.

Highlights
  • Insert images into entries
  • Secure passcode lock (Face ID/Touch ID)
  • Customizable theme colors and app icon
  • Data backup to iTunes/PC and cloud services
  • Tag-based search for entries
  • Adjustable text font size and color
  • Daily reminder notifications
Features
Read full description

Simple Diary is a simple, easy-to-use free diary app where you can save photos along with your entries. Use it for daily journaling, baby milestones, travel memories, a record of your pet's growth, or a secret diary just for you. Clean, simple screens help you keep going, even if diaries never stuck before. No account registration. Download it and start writing. Your diary stays on your device, and the app works offline. [Features] ■ Add Photos to Entries (Up to 10 per Entry) Like a blog, insert images between paragraphs. Attach photos from your camera roll. ■ Secure Passcode Lock Protect your diary with a passcode. Supports Face ID and Touch ID for quick, secure access. ■ 22 Font Styles Change the look of your diary with 22 font styles, from cute to classic serif. (Some fonts are premium.) ■ Theme Colors and App Icons Choose from 19 theme colors, from cute to cool. You can also change the app icon. (Requires the latest iOS version.) ■ Data Export Export your diary as PDF, HTML, RTFD, or TXT files (premium service). Open them on a computer to reread your diary on a bigger screen, or print entries on paper. ■ Turn an Entry into an Image or PDF Save an entry as one image or a PDF to post to social media, send to family, or print. ■ Data Backup Back up your data to iCloud or your computer. RTFD export (premium service) lets you move your entries to your notes app or cloud storage. ■ iCloud Backup Back up your diary to iCloud and restore it on another device (premium service). It is a manual backup, not automatic sync: back up on your iPhone, then restore on your iPad. ■ Calendar and List Views Look back at your diary on a calendar or as a list. Tap a date to reread that day. ■ Tag Search Use the built-in search to find entries quickly. Write a tag such as "#travel" in the text, and searching for it brings up just those entries. ■ Font Settings Adjust text size, contrast, and line spacing. Great if you prefer larger text. ■ Reminders Set a reminder time and get a push notification, so you don't forget to write. ■ Multiple Entries Per Day Write one entry per day, or add several for memos, work records, or passing thoughts. Change an entry's date and time to write about past days. There is no limit on entry length. [Pricing] The core diary features are all free: entries, photos, passcode lock, search, and reminders. The free version shows ads. The premium service removes all ads and unlocks iCloud backup, data export, all theme colors, and all font styles. Premium is available as a monthly plan, a yearly plan, or a one-time purchase, all with the same features, and covers both your iPhone and iPad under the same Apple Account. [Your Data] Your diary is stored on your device and is not synced to the cloud automatically. To protect your data, use the premium iCloud backup or Apple's iPhone backup. There is no feature to publish your diary or share it with other users. To show someone an entry, turn it into an image and send it. A backup moves your data to a new iPhone. Data transfer to or from other operating systems is not supported. [Perfect For] ■ Students A secret diary for your day, your feelings, and your crushes. Writing out what you can't post online helps you feel lighter. ■ Parents Record your pregnancy and your baby's growth as a photo diary. Write several entries a day, and share special pages with family as images. ■ Anyone Who Wants to Keep a Record Travel journals, reading and movie notes, food diaries, dream journals, daily work logs, or your pet's growth. Simple Diary fits whatever you want to remember, one day at a time. [Help, Feedback] For help, go to "Help / FAQ" in the app settings. Still have questions? Tap "Feedback" on the settings screen to contact us for faster support. Terms of Use: https://komorebi-studio.com/tos_en.html Privacy Policy: https://komorebi-studio.com/policyredirect.html

Screenshots

LockNote4 screens
Simple Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: LockNote at none against Simple Diary's shown. LockNote also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Simple Diary's advantage is ratings volume (908 vs 13) and review sentiment (78% vs 67%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. LockNote sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Simple Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for LockNote against 4.8 for Simple Diary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Diary has 908 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of LockNote's written reviews are positive against 78% of Simple Diary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LockNote ships an update monthly, Simple Diary every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
LockNote versus Simple Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLockNoteSimple Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13 ratings)4.8 (908 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13908 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB206 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPingtan Maque Information Technology Co., Ltd.Komorebi Inc.

Customer experience

LockNote

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Simple Diary

All ratings908 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews415 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral9.9%
Negative11.8%

Bugs and requests

LockNote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Simple Diary

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Some characters not displaying properly
  • Calendar dates not always accurate
  • Deleted entries not recoverable

Requested features

5 requests
  • Automatic iCloud/Google Drive sync
  • More font and theme customization options
  • Video recording and embedding
  • Ability to add tags or categories to entries
  • One-tap access to previous day's entry

In-app purchases

10 purchases

LockNote

One-time10
  • 全部记事可备份/恢复/删除次数今日无限制$0.99
  • VIP服务一个月$0.99
  • VIP服务七天$0.99
Show 7 more
  • 去除水印$1.99
  • 记事可备份图片/视频/语音等多媒体文件(永久)$3.99
  • 关闭广告永久$3.99
  • VIP服务三个月$3.99
  • VIP服务半年$7.99
  • VIP服务一年$12.99
  • 锁事内所有功能免费$14.99
3 purchases

Simple Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Service (Lifetime)$69.99

Questions

Is LockNote free?
LockNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Diary free?
Simple Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LockNote or Simple Diary?
LockNote and Simple Diary are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13 and 908 ratings respectively.
Do LockNote or Simple Diary have ads?
Simple Diary shows ads; LockNote does not.
Which is updated more often, LockNote or Simple Diary?
LockNote ships an update monthly, and Simple Diary every 2 months. Most recently, LockNote was updated on September 10, 2026 and Simple Diary on September 26, 2026.

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