# Memory vs Journal

The clearest difference is rating: Memory at 5.0 against Journal's 4.6. Memory also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Journal's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 8). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Memory sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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.

Memory holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Journal has 1.5K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Memory's written reviews are positive against 90% of Journal's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Memory | Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memory-event-countdown/id1615097227/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-and-planner/id6443840608/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 89.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Qing Gao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570711102) | [受杰 柯](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634142370) |

## What reviewers say

### Memory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memory-event-countdown/id1615097227)

Easily track important dates and count down to special occasions like anniversaries, vacations, and holidays. Never miss a significant day again with this intuitive event reminder and day counter.

**Highlights:** Countdown to events, Count up from past events, Widgets for countdown and calendar, Customizable event icons, Add notes to events, iCloud sync across devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Memory Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


### Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-and-planner/id6443840608)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Version | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Memory free?

Memory 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, Memory or Journal?

Memory is rated higher. Memory averages 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Journal averages 4.6 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Memory or Journal have ads?

Both Memory and Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Memory or Journal?

Memory ships an update every 6 weeks, and Journal every 6 weeks. Most recently, Memory was updated on October 7, 2026 and Journal on October 13, 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.*