# Secret Diary vs Diary

The clearest difference is rating: Secret Diary at 4.8 against Diary's 4.0. Secret Diary also leads on ratings volume (112 vs 1). Diary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Secret Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secret Diary has 112 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of Secret Diary's written reviews are positive against 100% of Diary's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secret Diary | Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-with-lock/id1507194395/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-mood-tracker/id1641270031/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **112** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 20 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nawal Amallou](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507194394) | [Tien Dat Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540394030) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-mood-tracker/id1641270031)

Record your thoughts, memories, and emotional states in a secure and private journal. This app allows you to write entries, add photos, and easily browse or search your past records. It offers PIN and biometric protection to keep your personal reflections safe.

**Highlights:** Write diary entries, Record memories and journeys, Track moods, Add photos to entries, PIN and biometric security, Browse and search diary timeline

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secret Diary free?

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

### Is Diary free?

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

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

Secret Diary is rated higher. Secret Diary averages 4.8 out of 5 from 112 ratings, while Diary averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Secret Diary or Diary have ads?

Neither Secret Diary nor Diary shows ads.

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

Secret Diary ships an update fortnightly, and Diary fortnightly. Most recently, Secret Diary was updated on October 27, 2026 and Diary 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.*