# Diarly vs PencilDiary

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Diarly at 1.5K against PencilDiary's 41. Diarly also leads on device support (4 vs 2). PencilDiary's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 85%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diarly sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PencilDiary sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. 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 Diarly against 4.8 for PencilDiary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diarly has 1.5K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Diarly's written reviews are positive against 100% of PencilDiary's.

Diarly ships an update fortnightly, PencilDiary every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diarly | PencilDiary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diarly-diary-private-journal/id1387167765/reviews) | **[4.8 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildiary-notes-pdf-markup/id6739626574/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | 84.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 281 MB | 214 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Krzysztof Nowak](https://appshunter.io/developer/738037787) | [RABBITEYE LAB LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482497034) |

## What reviewers say

### Diarly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diarly-diary-private-journal/id1387167765)

A private journaling app that allows users to record daily thoughts, moods, and memories. It offers features like mood tracking, journal prompts, and secure password protection. The app helps users build a personal timeline of their life, one entry at a time.

**Highlights:** Private journaling and diary, Mood tracking and insights, Journal prompts and templates, Password protection and encryption, iCloud sync across Apple devices, Photo, video, and audio attachments

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly AI+ | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Journal – Yearly Plan | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🔒 Password protection and encryption
- 👍 Customizable themes and fonts
- 👍 Seamless syncing across devices
- 👍 Helpful journaling prompts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and syncing issues
- 🔒 Premium features require subscription
- 👎 Limited options for image handling
- 👎 Lack of ability to edit entry dates

**Reported bugs**

- Entries disappearing after app updates
- Inability to password protect individual journals

**Requested features**

- Ability to add reminders and notifications
- Option to organize entries into folders
- Support for Markdown formatting and backlinking
- Improved export and backup functionality


### PencilDiary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildiary-notes-pdf-markup/id6739626574)

This app provides a daily handwritten journal experience with a new page automatically generated each day, organized by date. It offers seamless light and dark mode adaptation with smart color inversion for optimal readability and a minimalist design for focused reflection.

**Highlights:** New page generated daily, organized by date, Automatic light and dark mode with color inversion, Pure handwriting input with Apple Pencil support, Minimalist and distraction-free interface, Ideal for personal growth and reflection, No manual sorting or folder management

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $29.99 | one-time |
| LifeTime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $49.99 | one-time |
| LifeTime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diarly free?

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

### Is PencilDiary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Diarly or PencilDiary?

PencilDiary is rated higher. Diarly averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while PencilDiary averages 4.8 from 41 ratings.

### Do Diarly or PencilDiary have ads?

Neither Diarly nor PencilDiary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diarly or PencilDiary?

Diarly ships an update fortnightly, and PencilDiary every 2 weeks. Most recently, Diarly was updated on November 10, 2026 and PencilDiary on November 4, 2026.

---

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