Private Journal vs Instead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Private Journal
This app offers a secure and private journaling experience with a simple, user-friendly design. It focuses on helping users track their moods and daily experiences to foster happiness and positivity. All data is stored locally or in private iCloud, with no ads or logins required.
- Simple and intuitive design
- Secure local and iCloud storage
- Face ID/Touch ID protection
- No login or ads
- Supports accessibility features
- Fair and transparent pricing
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Punkt is the German word for punctuation mark. Punkt makes journaling secure, private, easy and fun. But the best of starting a journal now is that you become a happier person. Here's what makes Punkt special: * EASY TO USE * Punkt's focus is on a simple design. Your stories are the most important part of the app, so why should we distract you with any other complicated stuff? * SECURE AND PRIVATE * Punkt saves your stories on your local device and in your private iCloud. No one but you can read your stories. You can also protect your stories with Face ID or Touch ID. * NO LOGIN, NO ADS * Punkt works without sharing any personally identifiable information. The app is focused on simplicity and privacy. There is no login, no Facebook or Google SDKs, no analytics tracking, no server connection. Everything you do in Punkt is truly private and secure. * ACCESSIBILITY * Punkt supports dynamic type, voice-over and voice control. It is designed to be used by everyone. I would welcome any feedback regarding accessibility as this is truly important to me. * FAIR PRICING * Punkt is developed just by one developer, therefore I want to make really fair and transparent pricing. If Punkt makes you just a little bit happier, you can help to contribute that the app stays independent and does not need to display ads or require personal data. --------------- Why did I start building this app? I'm a startup founder myself and I've been through very rough but also hyper exciting and happy times. That's tough by itself, but if one of your loved ones is helpless in pain and suffers then your world stops spinning. Bad times in business and private life made me think about how I can get out of this and become more positive and happier in the end. I've researched a lot and came across the one-sentence journaling technique. Long story short, I've started tracking my days in a Google Sheet. With just a few clicks I could make myself smile again by reading stories about happy days. But also the other way round, looking at rough times makes you appreciate even more what you have in your life. Now I want to help other people with this app. If you have any feedback you can reach out at https://punktapp.me or gregor@punktapp.me ============ Should you choose to support the development of this app and unlock all premium features of Punkt, payments will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period and cancellation of the current active subscription period is not allowed. Auto-renewal may be turned off in your Account Settings in iTunes after purchase. You can read our privacy policy at https://punktapp.me/privacy-policy You can read our terms of use at https://punktapp.me/terms App Preview Music: www.bensound.com
Instead
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Instead helps you replace bad habits with good ones. When you skip a bad habit like smoking, record what you did instead and track your progress. Features: • Track time filled and money redirected • Filter by day, week, month, year, or all time • Simple, distraction-free interface • All data stored locally How it works: 1. Set your target bad habit (e.g., Smoking) 2. When you skip it, tap "Instead, I..." 3. Record what you did instead 4. Watch your progress grow
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Instead at none against Private Journal's 6. Private Journal's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Private Journal sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Instead asks for nothing beyond the download.
Private Journal ships an update weekly, Instead every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Private Journal | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (542 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 542 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gregor Pichler | Takayuki Nakamura |
Bugs and requests
Private Journal
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when exporting journal
- Inconsistent behavior when writing late at night
- Restore purchases not working on iPad
Requested features
6 requests- Add iPad and macOS app support
- Allow editing of past entries
- Expand mood/reason options
- Provide more detailed analytics and data visualization
- Add ability to change entry dates
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- Implement iCloud/cloud sync support
Instead
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Private Journal
- Punkt Premium Monthly$1.491 Month
- Punkt Premium Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Punkt Premium Monthly3 Days trial$3.491 Month
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- Punkt Premium Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Punkt Premium Lifetime Special$19.99
- Punkt Premium Lifetime$49.99
Instead
No in-app purchases









