# Lemon Diary vs Journal X

The clearest difference is rating: Lemon Diary at 4.6 against Journal X's 4.2. Lemon Diary also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 31). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lemon Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Journal X sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lemon Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lemon Diary has 1.2K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Lemon Diary's written reviews are positive against 83% of Journal X's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lemon Diary | Journal X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lemon-diary-journaling-app/id1583714500/reviews)** | [4.2 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [晓庆 韩](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164060252) | [珍 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663138478) |

## What reviewers say

### Lemon Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lemon-diary-journaling-app/id1583714500)

This app allows you to record your daily life through a digital journal. It offers a variety of decorative materials like stickers and fonts to personalize entries. Secure your private thoughts with password protection and easily share your journal entries.

**Highlights:** Exquisite material library (stickers, backgrounds, fonts), Text and picture entries, Calendar browsing, Password protection for privacy, Multiple font selections, One-click diary sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plus Version | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Plus Version | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Love it
- 🤩 Amazing
- 👍 Good
- 🎨 Calming and fun
- 📝 Allows expression of feelings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Wants free sticker
- 🤔 Needs work
- 🙃 Can't see stickers and stuff
- 🤯 Can't place pictures

**Reported bugs**

- Logged out when trying to place picture
- Ads disrupt journaling

**Requested features**

- Password protection
- Font customization


### Journal X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413)

This app allows users to create beautiful and practical journals, diaries, and notes using a variety of stickers, themes, and text options. It offers convenient sharing features and robust privacy protection with password support. Regularly updated materials keep your creative options fresh.

**Highlights:** Flexible editing with stickers, themes, and text, Regularly updated exquisite materials, One-click picture generation for sharing, Password protection for privacy, Monthly, quarterly, and permanent subscription options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Version Quarterly | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lemon Diary free?

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

### Is Journal X free?

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

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

Lemon Diary is rated higher. Lemon Diary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Journal X averages 4.2 from 31 ratings.

### Do Lemon Diary or Journal X have ads?

Both Lemon Diary and Journal X show ads.

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

Lemon Diary ships an update fortnightly, and Journal X fortnightly. Most recently, Lemon Diary was updated on November 7, 2026 and Journal X on November 3, 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.*