# Card Diary vs Grid Diary

The clearest difference is monetization model: Card Diary at free with in-app purchases against Grid Diary's subscription. Card Diary also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 48%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Card Diary sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Grid Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Card Diary against 4.6 for Grid Diary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 963 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Card Diary's written reviews are positive against 48% of Grid Diary's.

Card Diary ships an update every 5 days, Grid Diary every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Card Diary | Grid Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-diary-journal-diary/id1295506659/reviews)** | [4.6 (963 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-diary-journal-planner/id1392523148/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 963 |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 48.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 421 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dreamkit Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1295506658) | [Sumi Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/597077264) |

## What reviewers say

### Card Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-diary-journal-diary/id1295506659)

This app offers a simple and beautiful way to journal your daily experiences. Easily record thoughts, emotions, and memories with text or photos, making each day feel meaningful. Customize your entries with backgrounds, fonts, and tags.

**Highlights:** Decorate cards with photos or colors, Record multiple diaries per day, Calendar view, Add photos and videos, Track weather and emotions, Tag entries and add locations, Automatic iCloud backup and sync

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| 1 Year | $5.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |
| Thanks Coffee | $12.99 | one-time |
| Thanks Beer | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
- 💎 Beautiful and minimalist design
- 📸 Ability to add photos and videos
- 🔒 Secure with password/Touch ID protection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🖍️ Lack of rich text formatting options
- 🗓️ Difficulty navigating between months/years
- 💰 Some key features locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Entries not saving properly or disappearing after updates
- Calendar view not displaying entries correctly on certain dates
- Issues with iCloud sync causing data loss or inconsistencies

**Requested features**

- Add ability to rearrange photo order in entries
- Implement a 'On This Day' feature to view past entries
- Allow syncing across multiple devices with a user account
- Introduce more customization options for fonts, colors, etc.
- Integrate with other services like Dropbox for backup/export


### Grid Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-diary-journal-planner/id1392523148)

This app offers a guided journaling experience to foster personal development and mindfulness. It helps users build positive habits, manage stress, and enhance various aspects of their lives through customizable prompts and unique layouts.

**Highlights:** Prompted journaling with custom questions, Unique grid and mandala layouts, Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly planning, Supports various journaling methods, Mindfulness and self-care focus, Stress and anxiety alleviation techniques

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent journaling app
- 📚 Customizable templates and prompts
- 🧠 Helps with self-reflection and mental health
- 🗓️ Organized grid layout
- 🔍 Useful search and timeline features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues and data loss
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Lack of account deletion or data export options
- 🤔 Confusing onboarding and upgrade process
- 🕰️ Slow loading times and app freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Entries disappearing or not syncing properly
- Password reset functionality not working
- Subscription issues and inability to access premium features
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Pencil support
- Improve sync reliability across devices
- Provide more customization options for layouts and fonts
- Integrate with other productivity apps and calendars
- Implement a one-time purchase option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Card Diary free?

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

### Is Grid Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Card Diary or Grid Diary?

Card Diary is rated higher. Card Diary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Grid Diary averages 4.6 from 963 ratings.

### Do Card Diary or Grid Diary have ads?

Neither Card Diary nor Grid Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Card Diary or Grid Diary?

Card Diary ships an update every 5 days, and Grid Diary every 2 weeks. Most recently, Card Diary was updated on November 3, 2026 and Grid Diary on November 2, 2026.

---

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