Comparison

Diary vs Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Diary

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
Read full description

Everyone's mood has good or bad, you can use this hand ledger software to keep a diary Do hand ledger, record the mood. Use a journal when every moment is worth recording Or in the form of a hand ledger, if you look back, you'll see that It's a flashback Here are the features we have for you: "Write a book" Exquisite form style, with rich expressions to express the mood of every day. 'Rich material' Rich materials, let you record beautiful at the same time both visual beauty. "Keep a Journal" Simply record the good things that happen every day in the form of a journal. "Mood Review" When you open the record, full of mood review, let yourself more Know yourself. We sincerely hope that you can find yourself here, happy life. This subscription will be automatically renewed through your iTunes account, with the renewal fee deducted from your plan within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel automatic renewal at the Account Settings office at least 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. If your trial does not end, the remaining days will automatically expire after you start your subscription. To open a subscription, you agree to the following terms: The terms of service:https://zhiwenriji.github.io/posts/zhiwen/fuwu Privacy policy:https://zhiwenriji.github.io/posts/zhiwen/privacy

About

Journal

This app allows users to create a personal diary with a variety of cute stickers and backgrounds. It offers automatic saving of drafts, password protection for privacy, and the ability to insert photos. The app is also optimized for iPad use.

Highlights
  • Customizable stickers and backgrounds
  • Automatic draft saving
  • Password protection for privacy
  • iPad support with Apple Pencil
  • Photo insertion for diary entries
Features
Read full description

Journal, record the unrepeatable moments carefully. Journal is a diary designed for journal enthusiasts. You can use cute stickers and backgrounds as your Journal. As an interesting journaling app, Journal looks forward to recording warm times with you! [Journal Features] -Super many materials: stickers and backgrounds are updated regularly, and there are new surprises every time you make a diary. -Drafts: Save the content of your Journal automatically, so you can no longer be afraid of losing your journal. -Security privacy: You can set a password for the app to protect your secret space. -Support for iPad: It is easier to edit journals with a large screen and an apple pencil. -Photo record: The diary supports inserting photos to retain beautiful moments. This subscription will be automatically renewed through your iTunes account, and the renewal fee will be deducted according to your package within 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel the automatic renewal at the Account Settings Department. To cancel the automatic renewal, you must at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. If your trial has not ended, the remaining days will automatically expire after you start subscribing. To open the subscription, you need to agree to the following terms: Terms of Service: https://keshoujie.github.io/posts/keshoujie/fuwu Privacy terms: https://keshoujie.github.io/posts/keshoujie/privacy

Screenshots

Diary4 screens
Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

Diary and Journal both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Journal's written reviews are positive against 78% of Diary's. Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Diary against 4.6 for Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Diary's written reviews are positive against 90% of Journal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Diary ships an update every 2 months, Journal every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Diary versus Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDiaryJournal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.6K ratings)4.6 (1.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.6% of reviews89.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K1.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer智文 许受杰 柯

Customer experience

Diary

All ratings1,382 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral6.2%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews223 reviews
Positive77.6%
Neutral6.7%
Negative15.7%

Journal

All ratings1,523 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral4.5%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews243 reviews
Positive89.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.1%

User reviews

Diary

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Journal

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💖 Cute and aesthetic design
  • 📚 Helpful for journaling and planning
  • 🎨 Customizable backgrounds and stickers
  • 👍 Easy to use and organize
  • 🥰 Fun and enjoyable experience

Room to improve

  • 💰 Limited free features, many paid options
  • 🔑 Issues with login/access
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 📝 Limited font/formatting options

Bugs and requests

Diary

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Journal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when trying to reopen saved pages
  • Stickers not displaying properly in some cases
  • Sync issues causing data loss

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more free stickers and customization options
  • Improve syncing and backup functionality
  • Allow creating custom backgrounds and stickers
  • Introduce a dark mode option

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Plus Version3 Days trial$2.491 Month
  • Quarterly Plus3 Days trial$4.493 Months
One-time1
  • Pro Version$4.99
3 purchases

Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Plus Version3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Plus Version3 Days trial$4.993 Months
One-time1
  • Pro Version$8.99

Questions

Is Diary free?
Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Journal free?
Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Diary or Journal?
Journal is rated higher. Diary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Journal averages 4.6 from 1.8K ratings.
Do Diary or Journal have ads?
Both Diary and Journal show ads.
Which is updated more often, Diary or Journal?
Diary ships an update every 2 months, and Journal every 6 weeks. Most recently, Diary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Journal on October 24, 2026.

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