# Perfect Journal vs MODE Notes lite

The clearest difference is price: Perfect Journal at Free against MODE Notes lite's $3.99. Perfect Journal also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). MODE Notes lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Perfect Journal is free to download; MODE Notes lite costs $3.99 up front. Perfect Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. MODE Notes lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

Perfect Journal ships an update monthly, MODE Notes lite every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Perfect Journal | MODE Notes lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kouichi Abe](https://appshunter.io/developer/295852950) | [ImagineSpark Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1517195068) |

## What reviewers say

### Perfect Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perfect-journal/id1460577819)

A simple yet powerful diary app for daily event recording. It allows users to attach multiple photos, record voice notes, tag entries, and manage cash flow. Security features like passcode and biometric locks are included for privacy.

**Highlights:** Attach multiple photos, 60-second voice notes, Tagging/Labeling, Location recording, Cashflow management, Passcode & biometric lock, Intuitive tap-only UI

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hamster | $0.49 | per month |
| Turtle | $4.49 | per year |
| Phoenix | $12.99 | one-time |


### MODE Notes lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mode-notes-lite-local-notes/id1531285808)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Perfect Journal free?

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

### Is MODE Notes lite free?

MODE Notes lite costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Perfect Journal or MODE Notes lite have ads?

Neither Perfect Journal nor MODE Notes lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Perfect Journal or MODE Notes lite?

Perfect Journal ships an update monthly, and MODE Notes lite every 2 months. Most recently, Perfect Journal was updated on October 8, 2026 and MODE Notes lite on October 1, 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.*