# Picking List vs Daily Journal

The clearest difference is price: Daily Journal at Free against Picking List's $0.99. Daily Journal also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). Picking List's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Daily Journal is free to download; Picking List costs $0.99 up front. Daily Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Picking List asks for nothing beyond the download.

Picking List ships an update every 8 months, Daily Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Picking List | Daily Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (5.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-journal-diary-with-lock/id1605113008/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **5.7K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 93.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Herring](https://appshunter.io/developer/1024071214) | [SimpleInnovation LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1479770962) |

## What reviewers say

### Picking List

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picking-list/id1502437204)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Daily Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-journal-diary-with-lock/id1605113008)

This app serves as a private digital journal to record daily experiences, emotions, and memories. Secure your entries with password, fingerprint, or face ID, and enhance them with photos. Track your moods and use built-in reminders to cultivate a consistent journaling habit.

**Highlights:** Password, fingerprint, and face ID security, Add photos to journal entries, Mood and emotion tracking, Calendar view for memories, Daily journaling reminders, Simple and beautiful interface

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Journal for 1 month - 30% OFF | $1.99 | per month |
| Daily journal for 1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| Cute notes for 1 year DISCOUNT | $12.99 | per year |
| Cute notes for 1 year | $17.99 | per year |
| Secret diary with lock Forever | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Secure with password and biometric lock
- 📝 Allows easy journaling and expression of feelings
- 🎨 Customizable themes and backgrounds
- 📊 Mood tracking and insights
- 🆓 Free to use with no ads or subscriptions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔑 Limited free features, many premium options
- 🖼️ Inability to use own photos as backgrounds
- 🕰️ No reminders to write daily entries

**Reported bugs**

- Password recovery not working for some users
- Occasional app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More free stickers and fonts
- Ability to organize entries by categories
- Option to add videos or audio recordings
- Sync across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Picking List free?

Picking List costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Daily Journal free?

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

### Do Picking List or Daily Journal have ads?

Daily Journal shows ads; Picking List does not.

### Which is updated more often, Picking List or Daily Journal?

Picking List ships an update every 8 months, and Daily Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Picking List was updated on October 27, 2026 and Daily Journal on November 8, 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.*
