# Diary Book vs Journal X

The clearest difference is rating: Diary Book at 4.6 against Journal X's 4.2. Diary Book also leads on ratings volume (314 vs 31). Journal X's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary Book sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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.

Diary Book holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary Book has 314 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Diary Book's written reviews are positive against 83% of Journal X's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Diary Book ships an update every 3 months, Journal X fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary Book | Journal X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (314 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-book-mood-diary/id1620651765/reviews)** | [4.2 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-x-play-diary/id1670558413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **314** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 76 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [俊柯 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618672666) | [珍 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663138478) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary Book

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-book-mood-diary/id1620651765)

This app allows users to privately record their daily life, moods, and memories. It offers tools for creative journaling with customizable covers, stickers, and dynamic themes. Users can track their feelings over time and revisit past entries.

**Highlights:** Mood tracking with calendar expressions, Customizable handbook covers, Graphic stickers and collage materials, Daily diary entries with pictures, Dynamic home page themes, Calendar date querying

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Subscription quarter | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro version | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very cute and adorable app
- ✍️ Good for drawing and writing
- 💖 Useful for messy or non-existent diaries
- ✨ Helpful in life
- 🤩 Obsessively cute design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 VIP is expensive
- 💰 High cost for frames
- 🚫 VIP is a no-no
- 🤔 VIP is really expensive, please make it cheaper
- ⚠️ App glitches and deletes unsaved writing

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when accessing music notes
- App glitches and deletes unsaved writing

**Requested features**

- Make VIP cheaper
- Add a password option


### 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 Diary Book free?

Diary Book 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, Diary Book or Journal X?

Diary Book is rated higher. Diary Book averages 4.6 out of 5 from 314 ratings, while Journal X averages 4.2 from 31 ratings.

### Do Diary Book or Journal X have ads?

Both Diary Book and Journal X show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary Book or Journal X?

Diary Book ships an update every 3 months, and Journal X fortnightly. Most recently, Diary Book was updated on October 30, 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.*