# Diary vs Onenote

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Diary at 66% against Onenote's 17%. Diary also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (904 vs 135). Onenote's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Onenote sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary has 904 ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Diary's written reviews are positive against 17% of Onenote's.

Diary ships an update every 4 months, Onenote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary | Onenote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (904 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-private-note-with-lock/id1454490013/reviews)** | [4.2 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onenote-a-good-note-app/id1632140492/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **904** | 135 |
| Positive reviews | **66.0% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 88 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [俊川 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458693881) | [Hangzhou Hongying Ketu Network Technology Co. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611337359) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-private-note-with-lock/id1454490013)

This app offers a private digital notebook for journaling, with customizable interfaces and dynamic effects. Secure your entries with a password and receive daily reminders to write. Add photos, text, and choose from various fonts and background stationery colors to make your entries vibrant.

**Highlights:** Dynamic interface themes, Timeline view, Customizable stationery colors, Add photos and text, Multiple font options, Password protection, Daily writing reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diary PLUS | $2.49 | per month |
| Diary Quarterly Plus | $6.49 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable and aesthetic
- 📝 Helps with routines and organization
- 🔒 Password protection (with premium)
- 📷 Ability to add photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Password not free
- 📃 Limited writing space
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Entries disappearing
- Inability to read/scroll through long entries
- Typos in app
- Freezing issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to scroll and read long entries
- More free font and customization options
- European time format
- Option to not include photos


### Onenote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onenote-a-good-note-app/id1632140492)

This digital notebook app offers a creative space for journaling, planning, and drawing with a vast collection of cute stationery, stickers, and brushes. It supports offline saving and flexible editing for a personalized note-taking experience.

**Highlights:** Abundant stationery, backgrounds, and stickers, Real-time offline saving, Flexible editing of pictures, text, and stickers, Graffiti and hand-painting tools, Customizable notebook covers

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Prremium | $0.99 | per month |
| One month VIP | $2.99 | per month |
| 年会员 | $2.99 | per year |
| One year VIP | $13.49 | per year |
| 1Sticker package | $0.99 | one-time |
| permanent VIP | $19.99 | one-time |
| 永久会员 | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary free?

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

### Is Onenote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Diary or Onenote?

Diary is rated higher. Diary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 904 ratings, while Onenote averages 4.2 from 135 ratings.

### Do Diary or Onenote have ads?

Both Diary and Onenote show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary or Onenote?

Diary ships an update every 4 months, and Onenote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Diary was updated on November 6, 2026 and Onenote on November 3, 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.*