Comparison

Simple Diary vs First diary, Theme Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Diary

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
Read full description

Simple Diary is a simple, easy-to-use free diary app where you can save photos along with your entries. Use it for daily journaling, baby milestones, travel memories, a record of your pet's growth, or a secret diary just for you. Clean, simple screens help you keep going, even if diaries never stuck before. No account registration. Download it and start writing. Your diary stays on your device, and the app works offline. [Features] ■ Add Photos to Entries (Up to 10 per Entry) Like a blog, insert images between paragraphs. Attach photos from your camera roll. ■ Secure Passcode Lock Protect your diary with a passcode. Supports Face ID and Touch ID for quick, secure access. ■ 22 Font Styles Change the look of your diary with 22 font styles, from cute to classic serif. (Some fonts are premium.) ■ Theme Colors and App Icons Choose from 19 theme colors, from cute to cool. You can also change the app icon. (Requires the latest iOS version.) ■ Data Export Export your diary as PDF, HTML, RTFD, or TXT files (premium service). Open them on a computer to reread your diary on a bigger screen, or print entries on paper. ■ Turn an Entry into an Image or PDF Save an entry as one image or a PDF to post to social media, send to family, or print. ■ Data Backup Back up your data to iCloud or your computer. RTFD export (premium service) lets you move your entries to your notes app or cloud storage. ■ iCloud Backup Back up your diary to iCloud and restore it on another device (premium service). It is a manual backup, not automatic sync: back up on your iPhone, then restore on your iPad. ■ Calendar and List Views Look back at your diary on a calendar or as a list. Tap a date to reread that day. ■ Tag Search Use the built-in search to find entries quickly. Write a tag such as "#travel" in the text, and searching for it brings up just those entries. ■ Font Settings Adjust text size, contrast, and line spacing. Great if you prefer larger text. ■ Reminders Set a reminder time and get a push notification, so you don't forget to write. ■ Multiple Entries Per Day Write one entry per day, or add several for memos, work records, or passing thoughts. Change an entry's date and time to write about past days. There is no limit on entry length. [Pricing] The core diary features are all free: entries, photos, passcode lock, search, and reminders. The free version shows ads. The premium service removes all ads and unlocks iCloud backup, data export, all theme colors, and all font styles. Premium is available as a monthly plan, a yearly plan, or a one-time purchase, all with the same features, and covers both your iPhone and iPad under the same Apple Account. [Your Data] Your diary is stored on your device and is not synced to the cloud automatically. To protect your data, use the premium iCloud backup or Apple's iPhone backup. There is no feature to publish your diary or share it with other users. To show someone an entry, turn it into an image and send it. A backup moves your data to a new iPhone. Data transfer to or from other operating systems is not supported. [Perfect For] ■ Students A secret diary for your day, your feelings, and your crushes. Writing out what you can't post online helps you feel lighter. ■ Parents Record your pregnancy and your baby's growth as a photo diary. Write several entries a day, and share special pages with family as images. ■ Anyone Who Wants to Keep a Record Travel journals, reading and movie notes, food diaries, dream journals, daily work logs, or your pet's growth. Simple Diary fits whatever you want to remember, one day at a time. [Help, Feedback] For help, go to "Help / FAQ" in the app settings. Still have questions? Tap "Feedback" on the settings screen to contact us for faster support. Terms of Use: https://komorebi-studio.com/tos_en.html Privacy Policy: https://komorebi-studio.com/policyredirect.html

About

First diary, Theme Diary

This app helps you journal your daily experiences with themes, emotions, and media. Record events with photos, videos, and location, and organize them privately. Premium features offer unlimited entries and media.

Highlights
  • Themed event recording
  • Emotion and level tracking
  • Add photos and videos
  • Location information
  • Secret themes and events
  • Passcode and biometric protection
  • iCloud sync
Read full description

A themed diary app that allows you to write as many times as you like in a day. In addition to images, videos, and location information, you can also record your emotions at the time. Recommended as a first diary --- theme --- Write down events based on the theme. Since the theme is decided, there is no need to worry about what to write. theme example ·family ·child ·pets ·work ·study ·hobby ·gourmet ·trip ·love affair You can add accents with emojis and colors. You can change the display order by long-pressing the list. You can hide it by setting it to a secret theme. --- event --- Since it is written in short sentences (150 characters or less), it is easy to write and lasts a long time. You can also write in long sentences. (Premium feature) Since I write about events by theme, I don't have to worry about not having anything to write about. You can write as many times as you like in a day, so it can also be used to keep track of time. You can add up to 4 photos or videos. (Expandable with premium features) You can also add location information, which is useful for recording your food trips and travels. You can add tags and display events with the same tag across themes. You can hide it by setting it as a secret event. --- Photos and videos --- Photos and videos are loaded and displayed from the photo library. You can rest assured that the storage data capacity of the app will not increase even if you add many photos and videos. If you delete it from your photo library, you will no longer be able to view it from the app, but the thumbnail will remain. Photos taken from the app are saved in the photo library, so Please set permissions for full access to your photo library. --- Emotions and Levels --- You can record emotions (moods and feelings) and their levels in events. The same emotion can be expressed in different degrees, such as being happy or very happy. It is displayed in emojis and meters for easy viewing and understanding. --- Privacy --- You can hide themes and events by making them "secret." You can rest assured that it will not be seen by anyone who does not know how to display it. You can also hide the display method description itself. You can protect the entire app by setting a passcode. Your passcode is securely stored in your keychain. It also supports biometric authentication such as Face ID and Touch ID. --- iCloud --- Data is saved in iCloud, so there is no need for backup operations. You can sync with multiple devices such as iPhone and iPad. --- Premium Features --- - No character limit - No limit on number of images - Hide advertisements - Shows current weather and temperature Please see below for terms and conditions regarding subscription and use of paid features. 1. Privacy Policy: https://gsoft.jp/privacypolicy/ 2. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Simple Diary4 screens
First diary, Theme Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First diary, Theme Diary at 100% against Simple Diary's 78%. First diary, Theme Diary also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Simple Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Simple Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and First diary, Theme Diary sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 2 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, First diary, Theme Diary every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Simple Diary versus First diary, Theme Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple DiaryFirst diary, Theme Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (908 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings908 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKomorebi Inc.G-SOFT

Customer experience

Simple Diary

All ratings908 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews415 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral9.9%
Negative11.8%

First diary, Theme Diary

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Simple Diary

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Some characters not displaying properly
  • Calendar dates not always accurate
  • Deleted entries not recoverable

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

First diary, Theme Diary

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Simple Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Service (Lifetime)$69.99
7 purchases

First diary, Theme Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Show weather$0.992 Months
  • Hide ads$0.991 Month
One-time5
  • Number of images$1.99
  • Character limit$1.99
  • Show weather$3.99
Show 2 more
  • Hide ads (Unlimited)$9.99
  • Unlock passcode$19.99

Questions

Is Simple Diary free?
Simple Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is First diary, Theme Diary free?
First diary, Theme Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simple Diary or First diary, Theme Diary have ads?
Both Simple Diary and First diary, Theme Diary show ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Diary or First diary, Theme Diary?
Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, and First diary, Theme Diary every 3 weeks. Most recently, Simple Diary was updated on September 23, 2026 and First diary, Theme Diary on June 1, 2026.

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