# LockNote vs Diary Journal

The clearest difference is monetization model: LockNote at free against Diary Journal's free with in-app purchases. LockNote also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Diary Journal's advantage is ratings volume (367 vs 13). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LockNote sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Diary Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. 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 4.7 for Diary Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary Journal has 367 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 67% positive.

LockNote ships an update monthly, Diary Journal every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LockNote | Diary Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/locknote-encrypted-notepad/id1078636442/reviews)** | [4.7 (367 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **367** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 86 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pingtan Maque Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078636441) | [Heyou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480358223) |

## 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 |


### Diary Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395)

This app provides a secure and private digital space for recording thoughts, memories, and dreams. It encourages self-reflection and personal growth through daily journaling, ensuring all entries are kept confidential.

**Highlights:** Secret diary entries, Log life events and progress, Record emotions and feelings, Password protection for privacy, Encourages self-reflection, Modern journal interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diary Pro 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Password protection and privacy features
- 📹 Video diary functionality highly valued
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 📸 Ability to add photos and videos to entries
- 🎙️ Audio recording capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Limited free version (one entry per day)
- 💰 Premium features behind paywall
- 🔐 Password recovery impossible if forgotten
- 📱 Data transfer issues between devices
- ☁️ Backup to cloud not working reliably

**Reported bugs**

- Video uploads fail and crash repeatedly
- Long video entries don't save properly
- Data doesn't transfer to new phone despite cloud backup
- Import from ZIP file causes app to close
- App crashes when importing exported data

**Requested features**

- Timestamp for each journal entry
- Password reset or recovery option
- Multiple entries per day in free version
- Font customization (size, bold, italics, underline)
- Location tagging for entries


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LockNote free?

LockNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Diary Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LockNote or Diary Journal?

LockNote is rated higher. LockNote averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Diary Journal averages 4.7 from 367 ratings.

### Do LockNote or Diary Journal have ads?

Neither LockNote nor Diary Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LockNote or Diary Journal?

LockNote ships an update monthly, and Diary Journal every 6 weeks. Most recently, LockNote was updated on September 10, 2026 and Diary Journal on September 13, 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.*