# Travel Diary vs Shine

The clearest difference is rating: Travel Diary at 5.0 against Shine's 4.0. Travel Diary also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (14 vs 4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shine sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Travel Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Travel Diary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Travel Diary ships an update weekly, Shine every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Travel Diary | Shine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/travel-diary-map-based-diary/id1553552760/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shine-timeline-diary/id1673213224/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 22 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.3** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yu Qi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553552762) | [晓松 高](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507839334) |

## What reviewers say

### Travel Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/travel-diary-map-based-diary/id1553552760)

Record travel memories with a map-based diary.  Organize experiences using image cards and location markers for an intuitive journey log. Share your adventures easily with friends.

**Highlights:** Map-based travel logging, Swipeable image cards, Location markers, Diary sharing, Import functionality

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Travel Diary free?

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

### Is Shine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Travel Diary or Shine?

Travel Diary is rated higher. Travel Diary averages 5.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Shine averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Travel Diary or Shine have ads?

Neither Travel Diary nor Shine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Travel Diary or Shine?

Travel Diary ships an update weekly, and Shine every 5 days. Most recently, Travel Diary was updated on November 3, 2026 and Shine on November 3, 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.*