# JotJournal vs Years Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Years Journal at none against JotJournal's 4. JotJournal's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. JotJournal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Years Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

JotJournal ships an update weekly, Years Journal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JotJournal | Years Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jotjournal-private-diary/id1575315251/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **14** | — |
| Positive reviews | **78.2% of reviews** | 72.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 101 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Naohito Muraoka](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509204317) | [Yutaro Kido](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723812412) |

## What reviewers say

### JotJournal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jotjournal-private-diary/id1575315251)

This app offers a simple and intuitive journaling experience with an SNS-style interface. Create a private timeline to record your thoughts and emotions without complicated settings. It's designed for users seeking an easy-to-use, visually appealing daily diary.

**Highlights:** SNS style diary, Simple and beautiful design, Easy to use interface, Private timeline creation, Stress-free diary management

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $5.99 | per year |
| Premium outright purchase | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium outright purchase | $24.99 | one-time |


### Years Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/years-journal/id6475282813)

This app allows you to record your daily thoughts and emotions, and revisit past entries for the same date. You can attach photos, search your history, and enjoy a visually organized calendar view. Automatic backups and multi-device support ensure your memories are always accessible.

**Highlights:** Write and display journal entries, Attach photos to entries, Calendar view of entries, Search past entries, Automatic data backup, Multi-device viewing and editing, Dark mode and theme customization

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JotJournal free?

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

### Is Years Journal free?

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

### Do JotJournal or Years Journal have ads?

Both JotJournal and Years Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, JotJournal or Years Journal?

JotJournal ships an update weekly, and Years Journal every 2 weeks. Most recently, JotJournal was updated on November 7, 2026 and Years Journal on November 4, 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.*