# Journal! vs Text Diary

The clearest difference is rating: Text Diary at 4.5 against Journal!'s 4.0. Journal!'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Text Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Journal! has 50 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Journal! ships an update every 3 weeks, Text Diary every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and July 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal! | Text Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal/id1185496673/reviews) | **[4.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-diary-journal-notebook/id1620144716/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 2 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jacob Hanna](https://appshunter.io/developer/1294610911) | [FugaPiyo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497887610) |

## 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


### Text Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-diary-journal-notebook/id1620144716)

A free and simple text-based journaling app that allows unlimited entries. Organize your thoughts with folders, colors, and tags, and easily search or filter your past entries. Enjoy a comfortable user experience with quick startup and dark mode.

**Highlights:** Unlimited daily diary entries, Organize by folder, color, tag, Searchable diary entries, Filter by date or tag, Quick startup and comfortable operation, Dark mode support, Completely free to use

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal! free?

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

### Is Text Diary free?

Text Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Journal! or Text Diary?

Text Diary is rated higher. Journal! averages 4.0 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Text Diary averages 4.5 from 6 ratings.

### Do Journal! or Text Diary have ads?

Text Diary shows ads; Journal! does not.

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

Journal! ships an update every 3 weeks, and Text Diary every 2 months. Most recently, Journal! was updated on September 17, 2026 and Text Diary on July 9, 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.*