# Secret Diary vs Diary with Lock

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Secret Diary at 91% against Diary with Lock's 0%. Secret Diary also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Diary with Lock's advantage is monetization model (freemium vs subscription). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secret Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Diary with Lock sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secret Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secret Diary has 112 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Secret Diary's written reviews are positive against 0% of Diary with Lock's.

Secret Diary ships an update fortnightly, Diary with Lock every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secret Diary | Diary with Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-with-lock/id1507194395/reviews)** | [4.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-with-lock-idiary/id1625609721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **112** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **90.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 20 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nawal Amallou](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507194394) | [Heyou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480358223) |

## What reviewers say

### Secret Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-with-lock/id1507194395)

Securely record your daily thoughts, memories, and secrets. This app allows you to add photos and track your moods, all protected by a passcode. Personalize your journal with themes and easily search past entries.

**Highlights:** Save memories, notes, and ideas, Add photos and mood emojis, Unlimited photo storage, Personalize UI with themes, Passcode protection and data encryption, Powerful search and filter functions

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Plan | $17.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Good for keeping secrets
- ❤️ Love the app
- ✍️ Great for writing thoughts
- 💯 Free to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Some features are pricey
- 💸 Advanced stuff is locked
- 😩 Too many ads
- 🤔 Unclear if entries are private
- 💸 Have to pay for certain things

**Reported bugs**

- Forgot password not working
- Password glitch
- App shuts out sometimes
- App cuts out and needs restarting
- Password input issues (0-9 vs 1-4)

**Requested features**

- Make fingerprint ID free
- Make advanced features free
- More color options
- More features


### Diary with Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-with-lock-idiary/id1625609721)

Capture and cherish life's moments in a secure, beautifully designed digital journal. Add text, photos, and videos, track your mood and weather, and protect your entries with a passcode. Back up your memories to iCloud and export them as PDFs.

**Highlights:** Photo and text diary entries, Lock screen passcode protection, iCloud backup, Mood and weather tracking, Font customization, Intruder snapshots, PDF export

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iDiary Pro | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secret Diary free?

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

### Is Diary with Lock free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Secret Diary or Diary with Lock?

Secret Diary is rated higher. Secret Diary averages 4.8 out of 5 from 112 ratings, while Diary with Lock averages 4.3 from 20 ratings.

### Do Secret Diary or Diary with Lock have ads?

Neither Secret Diary nor Diary with Lock shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Secret Diary or Diary with Lock?

Secret Diary ships an update fortnightly, and Diary with Lock every 3 months. Most recently, Secret Diary was updated on October 14, 2026 and Diary with Lock on October 11, 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.*