Comparison

DrawerJournal vs Loc'd In

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

Head to head
About

DrawerJournal

This app offers a private journaling experience, allowing users to record thoughts, photos, and voice memos in a timeline format. It prioritizes user privacy with on-device storage and robust locking options. Premium features enhance functionality with video clips, cloud sync, and advanced export capabilities.

Highlights
  • Timeline-based entries
  • Add photos and voice memos
  • Secure lock with Face ID/Touch ID
  • Search and tagging functionality
  • Apple Watch and widget support
  • Optional iCloud sync (Premium)
  • Export journal (Premium)
Features
Read full description

A private journal that feels like texting yourself. Jot down a thought, add a photo, or record a voice memo in seconds. Every entry is time-stamped, so your day reads like a timeline. Lock your journal with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. Stored on this device. Never sent to us. We can't read it. No account needed. No blank page to fill. Write one line when something happens: on the bus, at lunch, at 2 a.m. Then scroll back and find the small moments you'd otherwise forget. QUICK POSTS ON A TIMELINE • Write as many entries a day as you like • Time stamps are added for you, and you can change the date and time anytime PHOTOS, VOICE, AND VIDEO • Up to 6 photos per entry • Record a voice memo with any entry • The Media tab shows the photos, videos, and voice memos from all your entries in one grid • Short video clips with Premium FIND ANYTHING AGAIN • Tags group entries across dates • Calendar view to jump to any day • Search every entry, with matches highlighted • Memories brings back entries from the past LOCK AND PRIVACY • Lock the app with a 4-digit passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID • Your entries are stored on this device. They're never sent to us, and we can't read them • No account, no sign-up • Back up and restore your journal as a ZIP file • Want your journal on more than one device? Turn on iCloud sync (Premium) and your entries are kept in your own iCloud APPLE WATCH AND WIDGETS • Post from your wrist with voice dictation on Apple Watch, plus complications • Home Screen widgets for today and today's entries • Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Apple silicon MAKE IT YOURS • A selection of free themes and fonts • Entry text gets larger when you increase your device's text size • Share a day as an image PREMIUM (OPTIONAL) Everything above is free unless it's marked Premium. The free version shows ads. Premium is an optional paid upgrade, available as a subscription or a one-time purchase. It adds: • Video clips up to 15 seconds each, up to 3 a day: record or choose from your library, then trim (photos and videos share the 6 slots per entry) • iCloud sync between iPhone, iPad, and Mac (iOS 17 or later) • Print your journal or save it as a PDF • Export entries as text (TXT) • Detailed statistics • All 31 themes, handpicked fonts, and premium app icons • More widgets: photo, one-line, and tag widgets • Drawer mode on iPad and Mac, with your tags side by side as columns • Choose the quality of attached photos, videos, and voice memos • All Memories cards (the free version shows 2), a filter for untagged entries, and the option to hide entries in shared images • No ads WHY "DRAWER"? In Japanese, the app is called 引き出し日記, "drawer diary": a drawer to keep your thoughts in. It's popular in Japan and Korea. Open the drawer, drop in a line, close it. Privacy Policy: https://toastplanet.com/drawerjournal/privacy Terms of Use: https://toastplanet.com/drawerjournal/terms

About

Loc'd In

Features
Read full description

Loc'd In is the care companion built for your loc journey, from the first few weeks to freeform years down the line. Twists, braids, or beards? Add your own routines and it keeps track of those too. Track your retwists, washes, and ACV detoxes with a schedule that adjusts to your stage, not a generic calendar. Log sessions in seconds, see what's due next, and get a gentle heads up if you're doing something like deep conditioning or styling too often. WHAT'S INSIDE Your Rhythm Recommended retwist, wash, and detox timing based on your loc stage, with plain-language reasons why, not just numbers. Set any interval you like, down to the day, or switch off a routine you don't do. Custom Routines Add your own recurring routines, like a two-strand refresh, braid take-down, protein treatment, trim, or beard conditioning. Each one gets its own icon, color, interval, progress ring, and reminders. Templates make it quick, and two are free. Care Log A full history of every session, grouped by month, with optional cost tracking so you know what you're actually spending on your hair. Spending Insights (Pro) See what your hair care really costs, with a month-by-month chart and a breakdown by routine, built from the costs you log. DIY Recipe Library 15 loc-safe recipes for moisture, detox, scalp health, and styling, with a suggestion after you log a session. Journey Photos Take or import photos to watch your locs grow. Milestone badges celebrate 3 months, 6 months, your first locversary, and beyond, with a then-and-now comparison and a shareable card for the moments worth celebrating. Find a Stylist Search nearby loc specialists and locticians with Apple Maps, ranked ahead of generic salons, with directions and calling built in. Reminders Local notifications for upcoming and overdue care, plus a celebration the day you reach a milestone, so nothing slips. A Look Worth Opening Midnight Cocoa dark mode and Ivory Gold light mode, with progress rings, a floating tab bar, and gold milestone medals. It follows your phone, or pick one in Settings. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything you log stays on your device. Location is only used to search for stylists nearby and is never stored. Loc'd In is free to download, and every recipe is free. Loc'd In Pro is an optional one-time purchase that unlocks unlimited custom routines and spending insights. No subscriptions, and no ads. If you bought Loc'd In when it was a paid app, thank you. You keep every feature for life.

Screenshots

DrawerJournal4 screens
Loc'd In4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Loc'd In at none against DrawerJournal's shown. DrawerJournal's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Both are free to download. DrawerJournal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Loc'd In sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DrawerJournal ships an update every 8 days, Loc'd In every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DrawerJournal versus Loc'd In: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawerJournalLoc'd In
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (75 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings75 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperToastPlanet Inc.ANTHONY RAMSAY

Bugs and requests

DrawerJournal

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or data loss when editing entries
  • Background music playback issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to add videos or audio recordings
  • Cloud sync and backup across devices
  • More customization options for fonts, colors, and layouts
  • Thread-like functionality to connect related entries
  • Improved image handling and editing tools

Loc'd In

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

DrawerJournal

Subscriptions2
  • DrawerJournal Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • DrawerJournal Premium Annual7 Days trial$20.991 Year
One-time1
  • DrawerJournal One-Time$59.99
1 purchases

Loc'd In

One-time1
  • Loc'd In Pro$2.99

Questions

Is DrawerJournal free?
DrawerJournal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loc'd In free?
Loc'd In is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DrawerJournal or Loc'd In have ads?
DrawerJournal shows ads; Loc'd In does not.
Which is updated more often, DrawerJournal or Loc'd In?
DrawerJournal ships an update every 8 days, and Loc'd In every 6 weeks. Most recently, DrawerJournal was updated on November 11, 2026 and Loc'd In on October 31, 2026.

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