Comparison

Simple Diary vs Diary, Private Journal

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

Diary, Private Journal

Securely record your thoughts and memories in a private digital journal. Create personalized entries and protect them with a passcode for peace of mind. Start your daily journaling habit with this easy-to-use application.

Highlights
  • Personalized diaries
  • Add notes
  • Passcode protection
  • Daily journaling
  • Secure entries
Features
Read full description

Capture your thoughts and memories with ease using our Diary app. Create personalized diaries, add notes, and secure your entries with a passcode. Start journaling today! You may purchase an auto-renewing subscription through an In-App Purchase. • Auto-renewable subscription • 1 year, with 7 days trial ($29.99) duration Terms of Use: https://majestica-dev.github.io/public/diary/terms Privacy Policy: https://majestica-dev.github.io/public/diary/privacy

Screenshots

Simple Diary4 screens
Diary, Private Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Diary, Private Journal at none against Simple Diary's shown. Diary, Private Journal also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Simple Diary's advantage is ratings volume (908 vs 41). On price, rating, 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 Diary, Private Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Simple Diary against 4.9 for Diary, Private Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Diary has 908 ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Simple Diary's written reviews are positive against 100% of Diary, Private Journal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, Diary, Private Journal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Simple Diary versus Diary, Private Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple DiaryDiary, Private Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (908 ratings)4.9 (41 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings908 — better41
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKomorebi Inc.Majestica Lab LLC

Customer experience

Simple Diary

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

Diary, Private Journal

All ratings41 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.4%
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

Diary, Private Journal

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
1 purchases

Diary, Private Journal

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Annual, 3 days free3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Simple Diary free?
Simple Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Diary, Private Journal free?
Diary, Private Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Diary or Diary, Private Journal?
Diary, Private Journal is rated higher. Simple Diary averages 4.8 out of 5 from 908 ratings, while Diary, Private Journal averages 4.9 from 41 ratings.
Do Simple Diary or Diary, Private Journal have ads?
Simple Diary shows ads; Diary, Private Journal does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Diary or Diary, Private Journal?
Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Diary, Private Journal fortnightly. Most recently, Simple Diary was updated on September 23, 2026 and Diary, Private Journal on September 18, 2026.

Other comparisons