Comparison

Simple Diary vs Diary Up

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 Up

Features
Read full description

DiaryUp is your private, beautifully crafted diary — a calm, secure place to write about your day, capture how you feel, and revisit the moments that matter. PRIVATE DIARY WITH LOCK Keep your story yours alone. Protect your diary with a PIN passcode, unlock it in a tap with Face ID or Touch ID, and recover your access with a security question in case you ever forget it. RICH MULTIMEDIA ENTRIES Go beyond plain text. Add photos and videos from your library, record voice notes, and attach files. Choose from flow, grid, or list layouts to make each page feel just right. A BEAUTIFUL WRITING CANVAS Style every entry to match your mood — font, size, color, and alignment — then personalize with backgrounds, stickers, and themes, including a calm night mode for quieter writing. DRAW YOUR IDEAS Sketch and doodle on a built-in drawing canvas and drop your artwork straight into an entry. CHECKLISTS & TASKS Add to-do lists inside a diary to plan your day, track your goals, and check them off as you go. ORGANIZE WITH TAGS Label entries with tags — travel, work, memories, and more — and search to find any entry in seconds. TRACK YOUR MOOD Log how you feel each day with an intuitive mood picker and watch your trends unfold over time with a clear mood chart. BUILD A STREAK Stay consistent with daily streaks and a rich statistics screen — mood trends, top tags, and totals at a glance. A CALENDAR YOU'LL LOVE See every entry on a clean monthly calendar and jump straight to the moments that stand out. KEEP YOUR MEMORIES SAFE Back up and restore privately through your own iCloud Drive, and restore a backup file anytime. Your diary lives on your device first. EXPORT & SHARE EASILY Export entries as PDF, TXT, or CSV — perfect for printing or archiving — and filter by date, mood, or tag. STAY ON TRACK Set a gentle daily reminder at a time you choose to build a lasting journaling habit. WHAT YOU GET • PIN lock with Face ID / Touch ID and a security question • Photos, videos, voice notes, and file attachments • Font styles, colors, backgrounds, stickers, and themes • Drawing canvas, checklists, and to-do lists • Mood tracking with trends, streaks, and statistics • Monthly calendar, tags, and search • iCloud Drive backup and restore • PDF, TXT, and CSV export • Daily reminders Download DiaryUp today — your story deserves a private, beautiful place to live.

Screenshots

Simple Diary4 screens
Diary Up4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Diary Up at every 10 days against Simple Diary's every 2 months. Simple Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Up sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, Diary Up every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Simple Diary versus Diary Up: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple DiaryDiary Up
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (909 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings909 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKomorebi Inc.立强 张

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 Up

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
3 purchases

Diary Up

Subscriptions2
  • Remove Ads Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Remove Ads Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Simple Diary free?
Simple Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Diary Up free?
Diary Up is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simple Diary or Diary Up have ads?
Both Simple Diary and Diary Up show ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Diary or Diary Up?
Simple Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Diary Up every 10 days. Most recently, Simple Diary was updated on November 11, 2026 and Diary Up on October 29, 2026.

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