# EMMO vs Shine

The clearest difference is rating: EMMO at 4.8 against Shine's 4.0. EMMO also leads on ratings volume (29K vs 4). Shine's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. EMMO sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Shine sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

EMMO holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EMMO has 29K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of EMMO's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

EMMO ships an update every 3 weeks, Shine every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EMMO | Shine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emmo-mood-tracker-and-diary/id1508326506/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shine-timeline-diary/id1673213224/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **29K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 78.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 227 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EMMO Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507868195) | [晓松 高](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507839334) |

## What reviewers say

### EMMO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emmo-mood-tracker-and-diary/id1508326506)

This app offers a unique way to journal by allowing users to create custom expressions and record their moods. It provides a private space to document life's moments, from happy to sad, with features like iCloud backup, reminders, and personalized themes.

**Highlights:** Custom expression creation, Mood tracking, iCloud backup, To-do list functionality, Exportable entries, Personalized themes and fonts, Calendar and timeline view, Photo wall

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Plus Annual Membership | $39.99 | per year |
| Emmo Mood - Little clouds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Emmo Mood - Bear Pudding | $0.99 | one-time |
| Emmo Mood - Hamster Bobo | $0.99 | one-time |
| Emmo Mood - Rabbit Rabbit | $0.99 | one-time |
| 红宝石60 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 红宝石200 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 红宝石400 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 红宝石1288 | $44.99 | one-time |
| EMMO PRO | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cute and aesthetically pleasing design
- 💡 Ability to draw and share custom emojis
- 👍 Helpful for tracking mood and emotions
- 👍 Affordable one-time premium purchase
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🌐 Incomplete English translations
- 💰 Some features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Difficulty deleting or editing custom emojis
- 🔒 Inability to change location of entries

**Reported bugs**

- Entries not saving properly when app is closed
- Inability to see other users' artwork
- Typing issues causing app crashes

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved English translations
- Ability to edit and delete custom emojis
- Option to change location of entries
- Private/hidden journal entries


### Shine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shine-timeline-diary/id1673213224)

This app allows you to create a personalized journal with customizable themes, colors, and tags. Record your daily thoughts, track your mood, and even add location and weather data to your entries. Export your diary in PDF or HTML format for easy sharing.

**Highlights:** Customizable themes and colors, Location and weather tracking, PDF and HTML export, Calendar and gallery views, Voice diary recording, Rich emotional expressions with emojis, WebDAV and iCloud sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 连续包月 | $0.99 | per month |
| 连续包年 | $6.99 | per year |
| 买断 | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EMMO free?

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

### Is Shine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, EMMO or Shine?

EMMO is rated higher. EMMO averages 4.8 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while Shine averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do EMMO or Shine have ads?

EMMO shows ads; Shine does not.

### Which is updated more often, EMMO or Shine?

EMMO ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shine every 5 days. Most recently, EMMO was updated on October 30, 2026 and Shine on September 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.*