# Meals vs Journal X

The clearest difference is rating: Meals at 4.5 against Journal X's 4.2. Journal X's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Meals sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and Journal X sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Meals holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 31 respectively.

Meals ships an update monthly, Journal X fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meals | Journal X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meals-diet-tracker/id1620114460/reviews)** | [4.2 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **31** |
| Positive reviews | — | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 91 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.2** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [随香 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618597588) | [珍 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663138478) |

## What reviewers say

### Meals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meals-diet-tracker/id1620114460)

This app allows you to easily journal your meals with photos, stickers, and custom covers. Track your daily food intake, review eating habits, and maintain a healthy diet.

**Highlights:** Photo food journaling, Customizable journal covers and names, Rich sticker and background library, Text, photo, and sticker editing, Daily meal and snack recording, Healthy diet habit tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $4.49 | per month |
| Quarterly Version | $8.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $9.99 | one-time |


### Journal X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413)

This app allows users to create beautiful and practical journals, diaries, and notes using a variety of stickers, themes, and text options. It offers convenient sharing features and robust privacy protection with password support. Regularly updated materials keep your creative options fresh.

**Highlights:** Flexible editing with stickers, themes, and text, Regularly updated exquisite materials, One-click picture generation for sharing, Password protection for privacy, Monthly, quarterly, and permanent subscription options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Version Quarterly | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meals free?

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

### Is Journal X free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Meals or Journal X?

Meals is rated higher. Meals averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Journal X averages 4.2 from 31 ratings.

### Do Meals or Journal X have ads?

Both Meals and Journal X show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meals or Journal X?

Meals ships an update monthly, and Journal X fortnightly. Most recently, Meals was updated on October 24, 2026 and Journal X on October 24, 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.*