# Daily Note vs Buddy Journal

Daily Note and Buddy Journal both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Buddy Journal's written reviews are positive against 40% of Daily Note's. Daily Note's advantage is ratings volume (68 vs 17) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Daily Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and Buddy Journal 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 — 4.7 for Daily Note against 4.8 for Buddy Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 68 and 17 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Daily Note's written reviews are positive against 100% of Buddy Journal's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Daily Note | Buddy Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-note-day-one-diary/id1591539376/reviews) | **[4.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-journal-cute-diary/id6502621629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 51 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [熹超 温](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570588023) | [瑞媚 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731046721) |

## What reviewers say

### Daily Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-note-day-one-diary/id1591539376)

This app allows users to create a personal journal with a wide variety of decorative materials and customizable notebook covers. It offers a secure password feature to protect private entries and aims to provide a healing and creative journaling experience.

**Highlights:** Massive material library, Simulation notebook cover, Secure password protection, Record mood and life events, Customizable journal entries, Healing and creative experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $4.49 | per month |
| Quarterly Plus Version | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $11.99 | one-time |


### Buddy Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-journal-cute-diary/id6502621629)

This app provides a user-friendly space to record daily thoughts, moods, and memories. It offers extensive customization options with backgrounds and stickers to personalize your entries and is accessible on mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Intuitive interface for easy journaling, Personalized backgrounds and stickers, Add text and images to entries, Record daily moods and memories, Mobile convenience for on-the-go use, iPad compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Quarterly | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro version | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Daily Note free?

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

### Is Buddy Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Daily Note or Buddy Journal?

Buddy Journal is rated higher. Daily Note averages 4.7 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Buddy Journal averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.

### Do Daily Note or Buddy Journal have ads?

Both Daily Note and Buddy Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Daily Note or Buddy Journal?

Daily Note ships an update every 2 months, and Buddy Journal every 2 months. Most recently, Daily Note was updated on November 3, 2026 and Buddy 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.*