# Simple Diary vs Mindful Check

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mindful Check at none against Simple Diary's 3. Mindful Check also leads on ads (none vs shown). Simple Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, Mindful Check every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Diary | Mindful Check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (909 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-daily-journal/id1388195923/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **909** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 206 MB | 5 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) | [Shane Bunting](https://appshunter.io/developer/1809382657) |

## 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


### Mindful Check

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-check-in/id6758107607)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Diary free?

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

### Is Mindful Check free?

Mindful Check is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Simple Diary or Mindful Check have ads?

Simple Diary shows ads; Mindful Check does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Diary or Mindful Check?

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Mindful Check every 3 months. Most recently, Simple Diary was updated on November 2, 2026 and Mindful Check on October 25, 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.*