# Diary Journal vs ExaCML

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ExaCML at none against Diary Journal's 1. Diary Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Diary Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, ExaCML every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary Journal | ExaCML |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (369 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **369** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 57 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Heyou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480358223) | [Roddney Colman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679640531) |

## 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


### ExaCML

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exacml/id6781216697)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary Journal free?

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

### Is ExaCML free?

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

### Do Diary Journal or ExaCML have ads?

Neither Diary Journal nor ExaCML shows ads.

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

Diary Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, and ExaCML every 3 weeks. Most recently, Diary Journal was updated on November 7, 2026 and ExaCML on November 6, 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.*