Comparison

Monologue vs A Lemon Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Monologue

A minimalist journaling app for private reflection. It offers secure cloud synchronization, powerful search, and versatile data export options to preserve your thoughts and memories across devices.

Highlights
  • Minimalist writing interface
  • iCloud data synchronization
  • Text search functionality
  • Multiple data export formats (txt, md, pdf, json)
  • Touch ID/Face ID privacy protection
  • Image export of text
  • Customizable font settings
Features
Read full description

A private space for your thoughts, in words and in your own voice. Monologue keeps the focus on personal expression. Save the small moments, passing ideas and feelings you would rather keep to yourself. Write when a thought arrives, or record the voice and emotion behind it. Come back later to read or listen again. FEATURES [Write and search] Create and edit personal notes. Search the text of all your written records to find a thought you remember. [Archive and revisit] Browse notes by year and month, see record counts, search within a month and filter with the calendar. Sort from newest to oldest or the other way around. [Export and import notes] Export a date range as TXT, Markdown, PDF or JSON. JSON note backups exported by the current version can be imported again. Review a validated preview before importing; duplicate records are skipped and existing notes are not overwritten. [Voice recording] Record, pause, resume and listen before saving. Edit your recording’s title. During playback, view the waveform, seek to a moment, skip 15 seconds forward or back, and choose speeds from 0.5x to 2x. Recording pauses when you leave the app. [Organize and export audio] Browse recent recordings by date, archive by year and month, search titles and filter dates. Export one recording, a selection or your entire library as M4A files, or a ZIP organized by year and month, for safekeeping or sharing. [Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets] Rediscover a random note from your past. Choose medium or large Home Screen widgets, or a rectangular Lock Screen excerpt. Switch to another note on the Home Screen and tap the text to open the original. [iCloud note sync — membership] Sync written records between devices using the same Apple Account. Restore notes already synced to iCloud after changing phones or reinstalling the app. [Face ID / Touch ID app lock — membership] Require the biometric authentication supported by your device to enter the app and access your notes and recordings. [Notes as images] Turn written records into images and save them to Photos, ready to keep or share. [Your reading preferences] Choose from built-in fonts, adjust the number of preview lines in the list and follow the system's light or dark appearance. [Batch management] Touch and hold a record or use the More menu to select and delete multiple notes or recordings. When iCloud note sync is enabled, deleting notes also syncs those deletions to iCloud. Check your selection before deleting. MEMBERSHIP iCloud note sync and the Face ID / Touch ID app lock require a one-time in-app purchase. There is no automatic renewal. DATA AND PRIVACY Voice recording is enabled by default. Hide its tab in Settings; saved recordings remain available when you turn it back on. Audio is stored only on this device. It is not synced with iCloud or included in system device backups. Export important recordings yourself; deleting the app deletes local audio. JSON backup and import are for written notes. Exported audio is for safekeeping and playback outside the app; audio reimport is not currently supported. Widgets display random past notes on the Home Screen or Lock Screen. The app lock does not hide widget text. If your notes contain text you do not want others to see, do not add widgets, or remove those already added. A world of your own. Words for yourself, and a voice you can return to.

About

A Lemon Diary

This text-only diary app allows users to create multiple themed journals for organized event recording. Customize diary covers with unlimited color and emoji sticker combinations. Easily export entries as screenshots or CSV files for sharing and backup.

Highlights
  • Topic-based diary creation
  • Customizable cover colors and emoji stickers
  • Screenshot export
  • CSV file import/export
  • Offline functionality
  • iCloud Drive automatic backups
Features
Read full description

A Lemon Diary is a special text-only diary app where users can create different topics diaries using it, separating daily events by topics for clearer and more organized recording and referencing. The cover color of the diary books can have unlimited combinations with emoji stickers to cater to different user preferences. Additionally, we offer a highly convenient screenshot export feature, making it easy for users to edit and share their daily or monthly experiences with their loved ones. ----------- A Lemon Diary is a standalone application that does not require an internet connection. All diary data is stored on the user's own device. We also support automatic backups to the user's iCloud Drive. Since we do not have servers or an account system, please enable the automatic backup function for the database or manually backup your database regularly. In addition to providing database backup functionality, we also offer CSV file export and import capabilities, making it easier for users to manage their data effectively. ----------- EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Monologue4 screens
A Lemon Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: A Lemon Diary at fortnightly against Monologue's every 2 months. A Lemon Diary also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 26.0). Monologue's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Monologue sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and A Lemon Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monologue ships an update every 2 months, A Lemon Diary fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Monologue versus A Lemon Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonologueA Lemon Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer书旗 莫ZIZICICI LIMITED

Customer experience

Monologue

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

A Lemon Diary

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Monologue

One-time1
  • VIP$1.99
1 purchases

A Lemon Diary

One-time1
  • Lemon Pro Lifetime$3.99

Questions

Is Monologue free?
Monologue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is A Lemon Diary free?
A Lemon Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Monologue or A Lemon Diary have ads?
Neither Monologue nor A Lemon Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monologue or A Lemon Diary?
Monologue ships an update every 2 months, and A Lemon Diary fortnightly. Most recently, Monologue was updated on November 3, 2026 and A Lemon Diary on November 3, 2026.

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