# Diary vs Daynote

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Diary at none against Daynote's 8. Diary also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Daynote's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Daynote sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Daynote holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 555 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Diary's written reviews are positive against 89% of Daynote's.

Diary ships an update every 5 months, Daynote every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary | Daynote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-password/id1259894631/reviews) | **[4.8 (555 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daynote-diary-and-journal-lock/id6743121115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 555 |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | **88.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aurel Criste](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190603157) | [ERTECH YAZILIM VE BILGI TEKNOLOJILERI LIMITED SIRKETI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626101839) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-password/id1259894631)

This app provides a secure and beautiful space to record your thoughts, plans, and life moments. Protect your entries with a password and enjoy a customizable interface with features like image support and PDF export.

**Highlights:** Password protection with PIN, Add/edit/remove images, Search functionality, Export entries to PDF, Customizable color and font styles, Reminders, Auto-lock for privacy

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome app
- 🔒 Password protected
- 👍 Customizable font, color, and theme
- 💡 Ability to add photos
- 💡 Ability to set reminders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Entries disappear without warning
- 🐛 Password issues, unable to reset
- 🐛 Scrolling/jumping text when writing longer entries
- 🔋 Excessive ads
- 🐛 Unable to recover deleted entries

**Reported bugs**

- Password not working consistently
- Entries disappearing or not saving properly
- Scrolling/jumping text when writing longer entries
- Inability to recover deleted entries

**Requested features**

- Backup and sync across devices
- More customization options (fonts, colors, backgrounds)
- Ability to export entries
- Night mode/dark theme
- Voice-to-text entry


### Daynote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daynote-diary-and-journal-lock/id6743121115)

This secure diary app helps you preserve everyday moments with advanced privacy features like fingerprint and face recognition. Customize your journal with themes and fonts, back up entries to the cloud, and export them easily. It offers offline access, habit challenges, and mood tracking to enhance self-awareness.

**Highlights:** Fingerprint, passcode, and face recognition lock, Customizable themes and fonts, Cloud backup (Google Drive & iCloud), Export notes as PDF or TXT, Offline access, Mood tracking and analysis, Multimedia support (videos, audio, photos)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Daynote Weekly Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium Memebership | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Daynote Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Daynote Annual Campaign | $14.99 | per year |
| Daynote Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Daynote Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Daynote Lifetime Campaign | $29.99 | one-time |
| Daynote Lifetime Premium | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary free?

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

### Is Daynote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Diary or Daynote?

Daynote is rated higher. Diary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Daynote averages 4.8 from 555 ratings.

### Do Diary or Daynote have ads?

Both Diary and Daynote show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary or Daynote?

Diary ships an update every 5 months, and Daynote every 3 days. Most recently, Diary was updated on November 6, 2026 and Daynote on November 8, 2026.

---

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