# Grid Diary vs Thinky

The clearest difference is monetization model: Thinky at free with in-app purchases against Grid Diary's subscription. Thinky also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 26.0). Grid Diary's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (963 vs 95). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Grid Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Thinky sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Grid Diary against 4.7 for Thinky. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Grid Diary has 963 ratings behind it against 95, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Grid Diary's written reviews are positive against 84% of Thinky's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grid Diary | Thinky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (963 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-diary-journal-planner/id1392523148/reviews) | **[4.7 (95 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinky-mindful-journal/id1484067196/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **963** | 95 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 80 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sumi Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/597077264) | [Thinky Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484067195) |

## What reviewers say

### Grid Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-diary-journal-planner/id1392523148)

This app offers a guided journaling experience to foster personal development and mindfulness. It helps users build positive habits, manage stress, and enhance various aspects of their lives through customizable prompts and unique layouts.

**Highlights:** Prompted journaling with custom questions, Unique grid and mandala layouts, Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly planning, Supports various journaling methods, Mindfulness and self-care focus, Stress and anxiety alleviation techniques

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent journaling app
- 📚 Customizable templates and prompts
- 🧠 Helps with self-reflection and mental health
- 🗓️ Organized grid layout
- 🔍 Useful search and timeline features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues and data loss
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Lack of account deletion or data export options
- 🤔 Confusing onboarding and upgrade process
- 🕰️ Slow loading times and app freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Entries disappearing or not syncing properly
- Password reset functionality not working
- Subscription issues and inability to access premium features
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Pencil support
- Improve sync reliability across devices
- Provide more customization options for layouts and fonts
- Integrate with other productivity apps and calendars
- Implement a one-time purchase option


### Thinky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinky-mindful-journal/id1484067196)

This app offers a secure and simple way to journal your thoughts and feelings. It automatically classifies your mood, provides writing prompts, and allows for cloud backup. Track your emotional patterns with visual graphs and set reminders to build a consistent journaling habit.

**Highlights:** Automatic mood classification, End-to-end encryption, Writing prompts, Cloud backup and sync, Photo attachments, Daily reminders, Visual mood graph

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee-sized tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sandwich-sized tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pizza-sized tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| A very generous tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- ✨ Visually appealing design
- 🧠 Helps with self-reflection
- 🔒 Passcode protection available
- 💡 Tracks moods effectively

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📝 Strict word limit (250 characters)
- 🤔 Difficulty navigating to past dates
- 📱 No iPad specific version
- 🔔 Reminders not always working
- ❓ Privacy key issues preventing login

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when navigating to past dates
- Privacy key not working for login
- Wind down and bedtime alerts not working

**Requested features**

- Increase word limit
- Ability to export entries
- Tagging entries for search
- Add a return button for new lines
- Bullet points feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grid Diary free?

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

### Is Thinky free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Grid Diary or Thinky?

Thinky is rated higher. Grid Diary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 963 ratings, while Thinky averages 4.7 from 95 ratings.

### Do Grid Diary or Thinky have ads?

Thinky shows ads; Grid Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Grid Diary or Thinky?

Grid Diary ships an update every 2 weeks, and Thinky every 2 weeks. Most recently, Grid Diary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Thinky on October 20, 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.*