# Thinky vs Quick Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Quick Journal at none against Thinky's 4. Quick Journal also leads on ads (none vs shown). Thinky's advantage is ratings volume (89 vs 24) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.4). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thinky sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Quick Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Thinky against 4.7 for Quick Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 89 and 24 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Thinky's written reviews are positive against 86% of Quick Journal's.

Thinky ships an update every 2 weeks, Quick Journal every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thinky | Quick Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (89 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinky-mindful-journal/id1484067196/reviews)** | [4.7 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-journal-just-write/id6554003659/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **89** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 84.3% of reviews | **86.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thinky Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484067195) | [Charlie Deets](https://appshunter.io/developer/660036260) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Quick Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-journal-just-write/id6554003659)

This app offers a straightforward journaling experience with extensive customization options. Personalize themes, fonts, icons, and layouts to create your ideal digital notebook. Widgets and draft saving features enhance usability for daily reflection.

**Highlights:** Customizable themes and fonts, App icon and layout personalization, Home screen widgets, Save entries as drafts, Copy and share entries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thinky free?

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

### Is Quick Journal free?

Quick Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Thinky or Quick Journal?

Thinky is rated higher. Thinky averages 4.7 out of 5 from 89 ratings, while Quick Journal averages 4.7 from 24 ratings.

### Do Thinky or Quick Journal have ads?

Thinky shows ads; Quick Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thinky or Quick Journal?

Thinky ships an update every 2 weeks, and Quick Journal every 9 days. Most recently, Thinky was updated on October 7, 2026 and Quick Journal on October 7, 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.*