# My Diary vs Mini journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mini journal at none against My Diary's 4. My Diary's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (134 vs 36). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. My Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Mini journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for My Diary against 4.7 for Mini journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 134 and 36 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of My Diary's written reviews are positive against 94% of Mini journal's.

My Diary ships an update every 8 days, Mini journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | My Diary | Mini journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-diary-private-notes/id1621005308/reviews) | **[4.7 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-journal-cute-diary/id6476841474/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **134** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 93.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 47 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [晋荣 梁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620342223) | [新群 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701840990) |

## What reviewers say

### My Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-diary-private-notes/id1621005308)

This app serves as a digital notebook for recording daily life and creative thoughts. It offers powerful editing tools, customizable backgrounds, and a decision-making turntable to help with everyday choices. Enhance your entries with unique fonts and special effects.

**Highlights:** Journal editing with cute maps and pattern fonts, Decision turntable for daily choices, Brush function with Apple Pencil support, Theme special effects for vivid entries, Customizable stationery backgrounds

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 月度订阅 | $3.49 | per month |
| 季度订阅 | $7.49 | per 3 months |
| Year Version | $13.49 | per year |
| 永久会员 | $7.99 | one-time |


### Mini journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-journal-cute-diary/id6476841474)

This app offers a cute and simple way to journal your thoughts and memories. Customize your entries with a variety of stickers and backgrounds, and even create your own unique designs. Share your creations easily with friends and enjoy a seamless journaling experience on any device.

**Highlights:** Cute stickers and backgrounds, Concise and fast editing, DIY sticker creation, One-click sharing, iPad large screen support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ So fun and enjoyable
- 💖 Very cute and aesthetic
- 🎨 Great for creativity and imagination
- 📚 Useful for journaling and note-taking
- 🎁 Lots of free stickers and content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Some features require payment
- 🐛 Glitching and annoying issues
- 🖱️ Stressful to move stickers
- ⚠️ Some stickers can't be used
- 🚫 Pop-ups when clicking unusable stickers

**Reported bugs**

- Notebooks deleted
- Kept glitching out
- Doesn't automatically save
- Cannot purchase VIP

**Requested features**

- Add more stickers
- Add a free lock or password to the journal
- Make password protection free, not pro
- Add more free sticker options
- Improve sticker package availability without payment


## Frequently asked questions

### Is My Diary free?

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

### Is Mini journal free?

Mini journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, My Diary or Mini journal?

Mini journal is rated higher. My Diary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while Mini journal averages 4.7 from 36 ratings.

### Do My Diary or Mini journal have ads?

Both My Diary and Mini journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, My Diary or Mini journal?

My Diary ships an update every 8 days, and Mini journal every 2 months. Most recently, My Diary was updated on October 2, 2026 and Mini journal on October 15, 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.*