# LockNote vs Simple Diary

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | LockNote | Simple Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/locknote-encrypted-notepad/id1078636442/reviews) | [4.8 (908 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-daily-journal/id1388195923/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **908** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **78.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 86 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pingtan Maque Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078636441) | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) |

## What reviewers say

### LockNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/locknote-encrypted-notepad/id1078636442)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

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


### Simple Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-daily-journal/id1388195923)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Service (Lifetime) | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📷 Ability to add photos
- 🔒 Password protection
- 🗓️ Organized by calendar view
- 🔍 Effective search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 📁 Limited photo upload capacity
- 💰 Paywall for some features
- 🔄 Inconvenient manual backup/restore process
- 🎨 Limited font and theme options in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Some characters not displaying properly
- Calendar dates not always accurate
- Deleted entries not recoverable

**Requested features**

- 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


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