# Diary vs PassCards

The clearest difference is rating: Diary at 4.5 against PassCards's 1.0. Diary also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 1). PassCards's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PassCards sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.90 per 7 days. Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Diary ships an update every 5 months, PassCards monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary | PassCards |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-password/id1259894631/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passcards/id6760205924/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aurel Criste](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190603157) | [Ibrahim Ali](https://appshunter.io/developer/1847683291) |

## 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


### PassCards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passcards/id6760205924)

Easily create and manage digital versions of your physical cards, including boarding passes, event tickets, and loyalty cards. Add barcodes by scanning, manual entry, or importing from photos. Your data remains private within your iCloud account.

**Highlights:** Create scannable digital passes, Boarding pass, ticket, and loyalty card support, Add barcodes via camera scan or manual entry, Modern, elegant design, Add passes to device wallet, Full Arabic and English support, Private iCloud data storage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.90 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $4.90 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.90 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary free?

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

### Is PassCards free?

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

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

Diary is rated higher. Diary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while PassCards averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Diary or PassCards have ads?

Diary shows ads; PassCards does not.

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

Diary ships an update every 5 months, and PassCards monthly. Most recently, Diary was updated on November 6, 2026 and PassCards on November 5, 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.*