# Daily Journal vs Countdown Widget

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Daily Journal at 94% against Countdown Widget's 50%. Daily Journal also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Countdown Widget's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Daily Journal sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Countdown Widget sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Daily Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, Countdown Widget weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Daily Journal | Countdown Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-journal-diary-with-lock/id1605113008/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 143 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SimpleInnovation LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1479770962) | [Serhii Hodlevskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1742123107) |

## What reviewers say

### Daily Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-journal-diary-with-lock/id1605113008)

This app serves as a private digital journal to record daily experiences, emotions, and memories. Secure your entries with password, fingerprint, or face ID, and enhance them with photos. Track your moods and use built-in reminders to cultivate a consistent journaling habit.

**Highlights:** Password, fingerprint, and face ID security, Add photos to journal entries, Mood and emotion tracking, Calendar view for memories, Daily journaling reminders, Simple and beautiful interface

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Journal for 1 month - 30% OFF | $1.99 | per month |
| Daily journal for 1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| Cute notes for 1 year 30% OFF | $12.99 | per year |
| Cute notes for 1 year | $17.99 | per year |
| Secret diary Forever 30% OFF | $41.99 | one-time |
| Secret diary with lock Forever | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Secure with password and biometric lock
- 📝 Allows easy journaling and expression of feelings
- 🎨 Customizable themes and backgrounds
- 📊 Mood tracking and insights
- 🆓 Free to use with no ads or subscriptions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔑 Limited free features, many premium options
- 🖼️ Inability to use own photos as backgrounds
- 🕰️ No reminders to write daily entries

**Reported bugs**

- Password recovery not working for some users
- Occasional app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More free stickers and fonts
- Ability to organize entries by categories
- Option to add videos or audio recordings
- Sync across devices


### Countdown Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-eventflow/id6738911923)

Track upcoming life events with beautiful widgets and smart reminders. Personalize each countdown with custom colors, backgrounds, and photos. Organize all your special dates in one place to cherish memories and anticipate future moments.

**Highlights:** Countdown tracking, Home screen widgets, Smart event notifications, Full event customization, Full-screen countdown mode, Easy event organization

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $0.99 | per month |
| Weekly Plan | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Plan | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Daily Journal free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget free?

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

### Do Daily Journal or Countdown Widget have ads?

Daily Journal shows ads; Countdown Widget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Daily Journal or Countdown Widget?

Daily Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Countdown Widget weekly. Most recently, Daily Journal was updated on September 26, 2026 and Countdown Widget on September 16, 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.*