Comparison

HolyDates vs Catholic Confession Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HolyDates

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Version 1.10 No Advertisements, No In-App Purchases Did you ever need to look-up when Easter Sunday or Passover will be this year? Even though many of the religious holydays occur on the same date of the Hebrew calendar every year you may not know the corresponding date on the Gregorian calendar. HolyDates provides a quick answer to these questions. HolyDates uses algorithms provided by Jean Meeus in his book, “Astronomical Algorithms” second edition. His methods have become a sort-of standard for these sorts of computations. The information and functionality provided by HolyDates is divided onto several screens. The Main Screen: The day and date for eleven holy days are shown on the main screen. • Passover • Easter • Unleavened Bread (aka .Matzo) – seven days in length • First Fruits (two methods for determining this date) • Shavuot (two methods for determining this date) • Pentecost • Rosh Hashanah (aka Yom Teruach, Feast of Trumpets, New Year Day) • Yom Kippur (aka Day of Atonement) • Sukkot (aka Feast of Booths, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Tabernacles) The Julian Day Number Screen: Julian Day Numbers are used by astronomers to keep track of dates or perform date-related computations. HolyDates provides a separate screen for converting between the two systems. You can: • convert Gregorian Dates to Julian Day Number • convert Julian Day Numbers to Gregorian Dates The Information Screen: This is the HolyDates help file that provides additional background information. The origin of the modern calendar system and how HolyDates works are discussed.

About

Catholic Confession Journal

This app helps faithful Catholics prepare for and engage in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It offers a private, encrypted journal for reflecting on sins and guided modes to ensure thorough preparation before confession.

Highlights
  • Private sin journaling
  • Guided confession mode
  • Automatic confession grouping
  • Biometric Face ID unlock
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Spiritual accountability tracker
Features
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Catholic Confession Journal (CCJ) is the Catholic confession app that helps you prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation — examine your conscience, journal privately, pray, and walk into the confessional with nothing forgotten. Whether you go to confession regularly, are preparing for your first confession, or are returning after years away, CCJ guides you step by step: examination of conscience → prayer → your confession, ready to bring to the priest. GUIDED CONFESSION MODE Prepare your heart one step at a time. CCJ walks you through a complete confession preparation — a guided examination of conscience, the prayers of the sacrament, and a clear, organized list of what you want to confess. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE A thorough, faithful examination of conscience guide rooted in Catholic tradition. Reflect honestly, recall what matters, and make sure nothing is left behind when you enter the confessional. PRIVATE CONFESSION JOURNAL Log sins, graces, and reflections in a secure, encrypted journal. Entries are automatically grouped for quick review before confession, so preparation takes minutes — not an hour of trying to remember. CATHOLIC PRAYER LIBRARY Every prayer you need for confession, in order of use — Prayer Before Confession, the Act of Contrition, and Prayer After Confession — plus the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Psalm 51 (Miserere), Come Holy Spirit, Prayer to St. Michael, Memorare, Anima Christi, Prayer for a Good Confession, and the Litany of Humility. PRIVACY BY DESIGN Your confessions are yours alone. Choose where they live: On this device only — never leaves your phone (most private) Encrypted cloud sync — private backup across your devices Everything is encrypted the moment you write. Your entries are never read, analyzed, or sold. Face ID lock keeps the app sealed, we collect no personal identifiers beyond an optional username, and you can delete everything at any time. A CALM, BEAUTIFUL NEW DESIGN Completely redesigned to feel like what it is: a quiet place to prepare your soul. Warm, simple, and distraction-free. More than a confession journal, CCJ is a companion for the spiritual life — a Catholic app for building a habit of regular confession, honest self-examination, prayer, and gratitude for God's mercy. Built by a small Catholic studio, for Catholics of every age and every stage of the journey back. CCJ PREMIUM (AUTO-RENEWING) Start with a 3-day free trial — every feature unlocked, no payment today. Then $39.99/year, or choose Lifetime for a one-time $99 (prices may vary by region). Payment is charged to your Apple ID upon confirmation. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period; manage or cancel in your App Store settings. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited upon purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.redbridgenetwork.com/Privacy-Policy-27fdfbcf9567803585e2c97b60f6c47d Terms of Use: https://www.redbridgenetwork.com/Terms-27fdfbcf9567801d830be5df26b53ec7 Licensed under Apple's standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Download Catholic Confession Journal today — and go to confession prepared, at peace, and ready for grace.

Screenshots

HolyDates4 screens
Catholic Confession Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Catholic Confession Journal at Free against HolyDates's $0.99. Catholic Confession Journal also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 34 months) and chart position (#180 vs unranked). HolyDates's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown).

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Catholic Confession Journal is free to download; HolyDates costs $0.99 up front. Catholic Confession Journal sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. HolyDates asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HolyDates ships an update every 34 months, Catholic Confession Journal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
HolyDates versus Catholic Confession Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHolyDatesCatholic Confession Journal
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—4.5 (87 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—76.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—87 — better
Update frequencyEvery 34 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#180 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.4 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTom StankeyRed Bridge Network Inc

In-app purchases

None

HolyDates

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Catholic Confession Journal

Subscriptions5
  • Confession Premium3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$6.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Confession Yearly Premium3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$79.99

Questions

Is HolyDates free?
HolyDates costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Catholic Confession Journal free?
Catholic Confession Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HolyDates or Catholic Confession Journal have ads?
Catholic Confession Journal shows ads; HolyDates does not.
Which is updated more often, HolyDates or Catholic Confession Journal?
HolyDates ships an update every 34 months, and Catholic Confession Journal every 2 weeks. Most recently, HolyDates was updated on October 25, 2026 and Catholic Confession Journal on October 30, 2026.

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