# Secret Diary vs Journal Lock

The clearest difference is update cadence: Secret Diary at every 2 weeks against Journal Lock's every 3 months. 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 Journal Lock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secret Diary ships an update every 2 weeks, Journal Lock every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secret Diary | Journal Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-with-lock/id1507194395/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **112** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nawal Amallou](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507194394) | [asim samuel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871947223) |

## 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


### Journal Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-lock/id6758279529)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secret Diary free?

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

### Is Journal Lock free?

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

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

Neither Secret Diary nor Journal Lock shows ads.

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

Secret Diary ships an update every 2 weeks, and Journal Lock every 3 months. Most recently, Secret Diary was updated on November 7, 2026 and Journal Lock on October 25, 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.*