# Best Journal vs Riff

The clearest difference is rating: Best Journal at 3.9 against Riff's 2.0. Best Journal also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (52% vs 21%). Riff's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Riff sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Best Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Best Journal holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Best Journal has 30 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Best Journal's written reviews are positive against 21% of Riff's.

Best Journal ships an update every 2 months, Riff every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Best Journal | Riff |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-journal-diary-notebook/id1484929963/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riff-simple-sticker-maker/id6450873731/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **51.7% of reviews** | 21.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nanjing LeMeng Network Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1431596998) | [Hongmin Park](https://appshunter.io/developer/1554606727) |

## What reviewers say

### Best Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-journal-diary-notebook/id1484929963)

This app allows users to record their lives through a digital diary, notebook, and memo function. It offers a wide range of templates, stickers, and fonts to personalize entries, along with free typesetting and drawing tools. Privacy is a key focus, with all data stored locally and under user control.

**Highlights:** Digital diary and notebook, Exquisite templates, Massive materials (wallpapers, stickers, tapes), Free handwritten fonts, Free typesetting, Doodle and drawing tools, Privacy-focused local storage

**In-app purchases:** none


### Riff

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riff-simple-sticker-maker/id6450873731)

Easily create custom stickers from your photos by removing backgrounds. Use them in digital journaling apps or share them across various messaging platforms. Designed for iOS 17.

**Highlights:** Create stickers from photos, Remove backgrounds from objects, Use stickers in digital journaling, Share stickers across messaging apps, Designed for iOS 17

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $0.99 | per month |
| 20+ heart sticker | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 grocery stickers | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 stuffed toy stickers | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 office stickers | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Best Journal free?

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

### Is Riff free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Best Journal or Riff?

Best Journal is rated higher. Best Journal averages 3.9 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Riff averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Best Journal or Riff have ads?

Best Journal shows ads; Riff does not.

### Which is updated more often, Best Journal or Riff?

Best Journal ships an update every 2 months, and Riff every 3 weeks. Most recently, Best Journal was updated on October 23, 2026 and Riff 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.*