# Simple Diary vs Text Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Text Diary at none against Simple Diary's 3. Simple Diary's advantage is ratings volume (908 vs 7) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Text Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Diary has 908 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Diary | Text Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (908 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-daily-journal/id1388195923/reviews)** | [4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-diary-journal-notebook/id1620144716/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **908** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 206 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) | [FugaPiyo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497887610) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-daily-journal/id1388195923)

This app provides a simple and convenient way to journal your thoughts and experiences. It allows you to add images, secure your entries with a passcode, and customize the app's appearance. Data backup and search functions ensure your memories are safe and easily accessible.

**Highlights:** Insert images into entries, Secure passcode lock (Face ID/Touch ID), Customizable theme colors and app icon, Data backup to iTunes/PC and cloud services, Tag-based search for entries, Adjustable text font size and color, Daily reminder notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Service (Lifetime) | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📷 Ability to add photos
- 🔒 Password protection
- 🗓️ Organized by calendar view
- 🔍 Effective search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 📁 Limited photo upload capacity
- 💰 Paywall for some features
- 🔄 Inconvenient manual backup/restore process
- 🎨 Limited font and theme options in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Some characters not displaying properly
- Calendar dates not always accurate
- Deleted entries not recoverable

**Requested features**

- Automatic iCloud/Google Drive sync
- More font and theme customization options
- Video recording and embedding
- Ability to add tags or categories to entries
- One-tap access to previous day's entry


### Text Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-diary-journal-notebook/id1620144716)

A free and simple text-based journaling app that allows unlimited entries. Organize your thoughts with folders, colors, and tags, and easily search or filter your past entries. Enjoy a comfortable user experience with quick startup and dark mode.

**Highlights:** Unlimited daily diary entries, Organize by folder, color, tag, Searchable diary entries, Filter by date or tag, Quick startup and comfortable operation, Dark mode support, Completely free to use

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Diary free?

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

### Is Text Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple Diary or Text Diary?

Simple Diary is rated higher. Simple Diary averages 4.8 out of 5 from 908 ratings, while Text Diary averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

### Do Simple Diary or Text Diary have ads?

Both Simple Diary and Text Diary show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Diary or Text Diary?

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Text Diary every 2 months. Most recently, Simple Diary was updated on October 29, 2026 and Text Diary 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.*