# Diary vs Diary Book

The clearest difference is update cadence: Diary at every 2 months against Diary Book's every 3 months. Diary also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 313). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Diary Book sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Diary against 4.6 for Diary Book. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary has 1.6K ratings behind it against 313, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Diary's written reviews are positive against 80% of Diary Book's.

Diary ships an update every 2 months, Diary Book every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary | Diary Book |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1590102229/reviews) | **[4.6 (313 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-book-mood-diary/id1620651765/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 313 |
| Positive reviews | 77.6% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [智文 许](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570825478) | [俊柯 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618672666) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1590102229)

This app allows you to record your daily thoughts, moods, and experiences in a private digital journal. It offers a visually appealing way to document memories and review your emotional journey over time.

**Highlights:** Write journal entries, Record daily moods, Rich visual materials, Mood review feature, Private notebook

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.49 | per month |
| Quarterly Plus | $4.49 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for staying on track
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable experience
- 👍 Great for OC diaries
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing
- 👍 Calming and relaxing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 💰 Paywall for certain features like password protection
- 🤔 Some language barriers for non-Chinese users
- 🤔 Ads can be intrusive
- 🤔 Limited customization options without premium version

**Reported bugs**

- Deleted user entries
- Sticker issues causing data loss
- Compatibility problems on older devices

**Requested features**

- Password protection or locking feature for free users
- More plain text editing options
- Ability to enlarge text
- Improved syncing and backup functionality
- Expanded language support


### Diary Book

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-book-mood-diary/id1620651765)

This app allows users to privately record their daily life, moods, and memories. It offers tools for creative journaling with customizable covers, stickers, and dynamic themes. Users can track their feelings over time and revisit past entries.

**Highlights:** Mood tracking with calendar expressions, Customizable handbook covers, Graphic stickers and collage materials, Daily diary entries with pictures, Dynamic home page themes, Calendar date querying

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Subscription quarter | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro version | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very cute and adorable app
- ✍️ Good for drawing and writing
- 💖 Useful for messy or non-existent diaries
- ✨ Helpful in life
- 🤩 Obsessively cute design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 VIP is expensive
- 💰 High cost for frames
- 🚫 VIP is a no-no
- 🤔 VIP is really expensive, please make it cheaper
- ⚠️ App glitches and deletes unsaved writing

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when accessing music notes
- App glitches and deletes unsaved writing

**Requested features**

- Make VIP cheaper
- Add a password option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary free?

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

### Is Diary Book free?

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

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

Diary Book is rated higher. Diary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Diary Book averages 4.6 from 313 ratings.

### Do Diary or Diary Book have ads?

Both Diary and Diary Book show ads.

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

Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Diary Book every 3 months. Most recently, Diary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Diary Book on October 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*