# ZATE vs Lately Journal

The clearest difference is rating: Lately Journal at 5.0 against ZATE's 3.5. Lately Journal also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). ZATE's advantage is ratings volume (36 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Lately Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZATE has 36 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ZATE ships an update every 2 weeks, Lately Journal every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZATE | Lately Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zate/id1527144792/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lately-journal/id6787215868/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **36** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 69.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 66 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Zate Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1590919639) | [Blake Marsee](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787215870) |

## What reviewers say

### ZATE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zate/id1527144792)

Discover people and activities based on your interests. Find friends, dates, or companions for spontaneous outings. Create your own events or join existing ones to connect with others.

**Highlights:** Discover people and activities, Create custom plans and events, Filter by personal preferences, Connect with interested users, Message first to initiate contact, Curated local experiences

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Lately Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lately-journal/id6787215868)

Document your life's moments, emotions, and aspirations. Enhance entries with up to five photos and guided prompts. Choose to share your private thoughts with friends or keep them exclusively for yourself.

**Highlights:** Life update journaling, Emotional tracking, Future aspiration logging, Photo uploads (up to 5), Reflective prompts, Private or friend sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZATE free?

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

### Is Lately Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ZATE or Lately Journal?

Lately Journal is rated higher. ZATE averages 3.5 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Lately Journal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do ZATE or Lately Journal have ads?

Neither ZATE nor Lately Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ZATE or Lately Journal?

ZATE ships an update every 2 weeks, and Lately Journal every 4 days. Most recently, ZATE was updated on October 7, 2026 and Lately Journal on October 6, 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.*