# Private diary vs Diary Journal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Private diary at 100% against Diary Journal's 67%. Private diary also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Diary Journal's advantage is ratings volume (368 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Diary Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private diary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary Journal has 368 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Private diary's written reviews are positive against 67% of Diary Journal's.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private diary | Diary Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-diary-notes-emotions/id1536300029/reviews)** | [4.7 (368 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **368** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | — | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 39 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MAKSIM VOLOSHINSKII](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492639578) | [Heyou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480358223) |

## What reviewers say

### Private diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-diary-notes-emotions/id1536300029)

A private digital journal to securely record your thoughts and memories. Track your daily mood with a variety of emojis and access your entries offline. Protect your personal reflections with a password.

**Highlights:** Password protection, Mood tracking with emojis, Offline note editing, Secure memory keeping

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diary premium — 1 month | $1.49 | per month |
| Diary premium — 3 months | $3.49 | per 3 months |
| Diary premium — 1 year | $5.99 | per year |


### Diary Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395)

This app provides a secure and private digital space for recording thoughts, memories, and dreams. It encourages self-reflection and personal growth through daily journaling, ensuring all entries are kept confidential.

**Highlights:** Secret diary entries, Log life events and progress, Record emotions and feelings, Password protection for privacy, Encourages self-reflection, Modern journal interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diary Pro 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Password protection and privacy features
- 📹 Video diary functionality highly valued
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 📸 Ability to add photos and videos to entries
- 🎙️ Audio recording capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Limited free version (one entry per day)
- 💰 Premium features behind paywall
- 🔐 Password recovery impossible if forgotten
- 📱 Data transfer issues between devices
- ☁️ Backup to cloud not working reliably

**Reported bugs**

- Video uploads fail and crash repeatedly
- Long video entries don't save properly
- Data doesn't transfer to new phone despite cloud backup
- Import from ZIP file causes app to close
- App crashes when importing exported data

**Requested features**

- Timestamp for each journal entry
- Password reset or recovery option
- Multiple entries per day in free version
- Font customization (size, bold, italics, underline)
- Location tagging for entries


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private diary free?

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

### Is Diary Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Private diary or Diary Journal?

Private diary is rated higher. Private diary averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Diary Journal averages 4.7 from 368 ratings.

### Do Private diary or Diary Journal have ads?

Neither Private diary nor Diary Journal shows ads.

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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.*