# Diary Journal vs Diary

The clearest difference is rating: Diary Journal at 4.7 against Diary's 4.0. Diary Journal also leads on ratings volume (368 vs 1). Diary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Diary Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary Journal has 368 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Diary Journal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Diary's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Diary Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, Diary fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary Journal | Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (368 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-mood-tracker/id1641270031/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **368** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 57 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Heyou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480358223) | [Tien Dat Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540394030) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-mood-tracker/id1641270031)

Record your thoughts, memories, and emotional states in a secure and private journal. This app allows you to write entries, add photos, and easily browse or search your past records. It offers PIN and biometric protection to keep your personal reflections safe.

**Highlights:** Write diary entries, Record memories and journeys, Track moods, Add photos to entries, PIN and biometric security, Browse and search diary timeline

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary Journal free?

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

### Is Diary free?

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

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

Diary Journal is rated higher. Diary Journal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 368 ratings, while Diary averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Diary Journal or Diary have ads?

Neither Diary Journal nor Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary Journal or Diary?

Diary Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, and Diary fortnightly. Most recently, Diary Journal was updated on October 20, 2026 and Diary on September 24, 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.*