# Diary! SmartDiary vs JotJournal

The clearest difference is update cadence: JotJournal at weekly against Diary! SmartDiary's every 3 months. JotJournal also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Diary! SmartDiary's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (93% vs 78%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary! SmartDiary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and JotJournal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Diary! SmartDiary holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Diary! SmartDiary's written reviews are positive against 78% of JotJournal's.

Diary! SmartDiary ships an update every 3 months, JotJournal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary! SmartDiary | JotJournal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-smartdiary/id1381186388/reviews)** | [4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jotjournal-private-diary/id1575315251/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **93.3% of reviews** | 78.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hideki Okuno](https://appshunter.io/developer/1234067922) | [Naohito Muraoka](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509204317) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary! SmartDiary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-smartdiary/id1381186388)

Record daily life with photos and track your mood and schedule on a calendar. Secure your entries with a passcode and easily access past memories. Customize your diary with various settings for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Record memories with photos, Track daily mood and schedule, Passcode lock with biometric support, iCloud backup and data migration, Customizable calendar and diary settings, Input forgetting notifications

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### JotJournal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jotjournal-private-diary/id1575315251)

This app offers a simple and intuitive journaling experience with an SNS-style interface. Create a private timeline to record your thoughts and emotions without complicated settings. It's designed for users seeking an easy-to-use, visually appealing daily diary.

**Highlights:** SNS style diary, Simple and beautiful design, Easy to use interface, Private timeline creation, Stress-free diary management

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $5.99 | per year |
| Premium outright purchase | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary! SmartDiary free?

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

### Is JotJournal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Diary! SmartDiary or JotJournal?

Diary! SmartDiary is rated higher. Diary! SmartDiary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while JotJournal averages 4.4 from 14 ratings.

### Do Diary! SmartDiary or JotJournal have ads?

Both Diary! SmartDiary and JotJournal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary! SmartDiary or JotJournal?

Diary! SmartDiary ships an update every 3 months, and JotJournal weekly. Most recently, Diary! SmartDiary was updated on October 25, 2026 and JotJournal on October 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.*