# Journal! vs Simple Daily Diary

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Daily Diary at 4.5 against Journal!'s 4.0. Simple Daily Diary also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 50) and review sentiment (52% vs 43%). Journal!'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 50 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Daily Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Journal! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Daily Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Daily Diary has 1.3K ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Journal!'s written reviews are positive against 52% of Simple Daily Diary's.

Journal! ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple Daily Diary every 50 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal! | Simple Daily Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal/id1185496673/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-daily-diary/id1232014505/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **52.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 50 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jacob Hanna](https://appshunter.io/developer/1294610911) | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) |

## What reviewers say

### Journal!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal/id1185496673)

This app allows users to create a digital journal with daily notifications and custom hours. You can add titles and full text entries, ensure every day has a title, and set reminders for future dates. Entries can be shared with friends or transferred to other devices.

**Highlights:** Daily notifications with custom hours, Add titles and full text entries, Ensure daily title entries, Reminders for future dates, Share entries with friends, Transfer data to other devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simple Daily Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-daily-diary/id1232014505)

Capture your everyday moments with a fast, easy, and beautifully designed journaling app. Add custom titles, personalize with themes, and easily find past entries with smart search. Sync across devices and enjoy local backups for peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Add custom titles to entries, 20+ handpicked color themes, Smart search by date or keywords, Share thoughts and memories, iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad, Local device backup

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Diary | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Straightforward diary format
- 🚀 Clean and fast interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 No password or lock feature
- 📤 Limited storage space without paid upgrade
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with paid upgrade
- 🔄 Inability to edit/add past entries

**Reported bugs**

- Paid upgrade not working as expected
- Entries disappearing or not saving properly
- Freezing or crashing when using certain features

**Requested features**

- Add password/lock feature
- Increase storage space or make it truly unlimited
- Allow editing and adding of past entries
- Provide cloud backup/sync option
- Offer more customization options (colors, fonts, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal! free?

Journal! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Simple Daily Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Journal! or Simple Daily Diary?

Simple Daily Diary is rated higher. Journal! averages 4.0 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Simple Daily Diary averages 4.5 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Journal! or Simple Daily Diary have ads?

Neither Journal! nor Simple Daily Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Journal! or Simple Daily Diary?

Journal! ships an update every 3 weeks, and Simple Daily Diary every 50 months. Most recently, Journal! was updated on September 17, 2026 and Simple Daily Diary on September 24, 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.*