# Hearty Journal vs Journal X

The clearest difference is rating: Hearty Journal at 4.9 against Journal X's 4.2. Hearty Journal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (92% vs 83%). Journal X's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hearty Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.49 per month and Journal X sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hearty Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Hearty Journal's written reviews are positive against 83% of Journal X's.

Hearty Journal ships an update every 3 months, Journal X fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hearty Journal | Journal X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearty-journal-diary-notes/id1423459636/reviews)** | [4.2 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | **92.1% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hearty Creative Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423459635) | [珍 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663138478) |

## What reviewers say

### Hearty Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearty-journal-diary-notes/id1423459636)

Capture and preserve precious memories through diary writing. Personalize entries with text, stickers, photos, and a variety of fonts. Securely back up your journal across devices with cloud synchronization.

**Highlights:** Ad-free writing experience, Cross-platform journaling, 4-digit passcode security, Cloud backup and sync, Export posts as PNG or text, Customizable book and post titles, Over 1,000 stickers and 20+ fonts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 溫度日記 VIP版 | $4.49 | per month |


### Journal X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413)

This app allows users to create beautiful and practical journals, diaries, and notes using a variety of stickers, themes, and text options. It offers convenient sharing features and robust privacy protection with password support. Regularly updated materials keep your creative options fresh.

**Highlights:** Flexible editing with stickers, themes, and text, Regularly updated exquisite materials, One-click picture generation for sharing, Password protection for privacy, Monthly, quarterly, and permanent subscription options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Version Quarterly | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hearty Journal free?

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

### Is Journal X free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hearty Journal or Journal X?

Hearty Journal is rated higher. Hearty Journal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Journal X averages 4.2 from 31 ratings.

### Do Hearty Journal or Journal X have ads?

Journal X shows ads; Hearty Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hearty Journal or Journal X?

Hearty Journal ships an update every 3 months, and Journal X fortnightly. Most recently, Hearty Journal was updated on October 23, 2026 and Journal X on October 24, 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.*