# Minimal Diary vs ALog

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ALog at 16.0 against Minimal Diary's 18.0. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Minimal Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and ALog sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ALog holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 77 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Minimal Diary's written reviews are positive against 97% of ALog's.

Minimal Diary ships an update fortnightly, ALog every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minimal Diary | ALog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-diary-life-timeline/id1568936702/reviews) | **[4.8 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alog/id6451082482/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 28 | **77** |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | **97.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 36 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Chaoyang Minimal Software Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1065436362) | [Tarbo Tech, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686569871) |

## What reviewers say

### Minimal Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-diary-life-timeline/id1568936702)

This app offers a simple way to capture daily thoughts, feelings, and moments. Organize entries with tags and revisit memories on a clear timeline. It's designed for quick, pressure-free journaling.

**Highlights:** Timeline journal organization, Minimalist design for focus, Tagging for memory organization, Quick date navigation, Private and secure entries

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $8.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro | $29.99 | one-time |


### ALog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alog/id6451082482)

Record your thoughts and life's moments using your phone's microphone. This app automatically transcribes your audio entries into text and provides AI-powered summaries for quick review. Share your memories effortlessly and securely.

**Highlights:** Audio diary recording, Voice-to-text transcription, AI-powered summaries, Seamless sharing, Secure on-device storage, Open source

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and elegant interface
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Accurate transcriptions
- 👍 Open source
- 👍 Good value for price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Date confusion on watch
- 🐛 Lower quality transcriptions after upgrade
- 🐛 Recordings only on device
- 🐛 Excessive taps for prompts
- 🐛 Awkward prompt workflow

**Reported bugs**

- Restore purchase not working
- Date confusion on watch
- Lower quality transcriptions after upgrade
- Watch app not working for some users

**Requested features**

- Customizable large models beyond OpenAI
- More export options (remote server, cloud drives, bulk to computer)
- Search function for older logs
- Foldable transcription content
- Summary export by time range (week, month)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Minimal Diary free?

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

### Is ALog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Minimal Diary or ALog?

ALog is rated higher. Minimal Diary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while ALog averages 4.8 from 77 ratings.

### Do Minimal Diary or ALog have ads?

Neither Minimal Diary nor ALog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Minimal Diary or ALog?

Minimal Diary ships an update fortnightly, and ALog every 2 weeks. Most recently, Minimal Diary was updated on October 27, 2026 and ALog on October 23, 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.*