# Simple Short Diary vs Secret Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Secret Diary at none against Simple Short Diary's 1. Secret Diary also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (85% vs 67%). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Short Diary sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Secret Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Simple Short Diary against 4.7 for Secret Diary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secret Diary has 98 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Simple Short Diary's written reviews are positive against 85% of Secret Diary's.

Simple Short Diary ships an update every 6 weeks, Secret Diary every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Short Diary | Secret Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-short-diary/id1506363607/reviews)** | [4.7 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-diary-with-lock/id6468484543/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **98** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EasterEggs](https://appshunter.io/developer/553389214) | [Trang Le Thi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1531252314) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Short Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-short-diary/id1506363607)

A straightforward journaling app that encourages brief daily entries using single words and icons. It aims to make recording your day easy and sustainable, serving as a companion to enrich your experiences.

**Highlights:** Single-word daily entries, Icon-based recording, Easy and quick to use, Enriches daily life, Sustainable journaling habit

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan | $0.99 | per month |


### Secret Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-diary-with-lock/id6468484543)

Securely record your thoughts, daily events, and journeys with this private diary app. It offers robust security features like Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode lock, and allows for extensive personalization with themes, fonts, and backgrounds. All entries are stored locally for maximum privacy.

**Highlights:** Face ID, Touch ID, passcode lock, iCloud backup and restore, Unlimited editing options, Add photos, backgrounds, fonts, Personalize with artistic themes, Local data storage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Cute and friendly design
- 🔒 Secure with passcode/lock
- ✍️ Allows dictation and writing feelings
- ✨ No in-app purchases
- 🎨 Customizable fonts, sizes, and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Background theme selection issues
- 🐛 Lock screen appears after entries
- 🐛 App crashes in airplane mode
- 🐛 Difficulty remembering/recovering passcode
- 🐛 Passcode not always visible/functional

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot get back to previous background themes
- Lock screen appears after entries are visible
- App crashes when phone is on airplane mode
- Difficulty entering or recovering passcode
- Passcode not visible or functional at times

**Requested features**

- Allow autocorrect while typing
- Ensure lock screen appears first
- Recover passcode when forgotten
- Add backup feature
- Enable Face ID/Touch ID for login


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Short Diary free?

Simple Short Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Secret Diary free?

Secret Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simple Short Diary or Secret Diary?

Simple Short Diary is rated higher. Simple Short Diary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Secret Diary averages 4.7 from 98 ratings.

### Do Simple Short Diary or Secret Diary have ads?

Simple Short Diary shows ads; Secret Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Short Diary or Secret Diary?

Simple Short Diary ships an update every 6 weeks, and Secret Diary every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simple Short Diary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Secret Diary on October 23, 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.*