# My Diary vs Buddy Journal

The clearest difference is update cadence: My Diary at every 8 days against Buddy Journal's every 2 months. My Diary also leads on ratings volume (134 vs 14) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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 and Buddy Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for My Diary against 4.7 for Buddy Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: My Diary has 134 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

My Diary ships an update every 8 days, Buddy Journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | My Diary | Buddy Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-diary-private-notes/id1621005308/reviews) | **[4.7 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-journal-cute-diary/id6502621629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **134** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | 32 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) | [瑞媚 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731046721) |

## 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 |


### Buddy Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-journal-cute-diary/id6502621629)

This app provides a user-friendly space to record daily thoughts, moods, and memories. It offers extensive customization options with backgrounds and stickers to personalize your entries and is accessible on mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Intuitive interface for easy journaling, Personalized backgrounds and stickers, Add text and images to entries, Record daily moods and memories, Mobile convenience for on-the-go use, iPad compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Quarterly | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro version | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is My Diary free?

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

### Is Buddy Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, My Diary or Buddy Journal?

Buddy Journal is rated higher. My Diary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while Buddy Journal averages 4.7 from 14 ratings.

### Do My Diary or Buddy Journal have ads?

Both My Diary and Buddy Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, My Diary or Buddy Journal?

My Diary ships an update every 8 days, and Buddy Journal every 2 months. Most recently, My Diary was updated on October 2, 2026 and Buddy Journal on September 19, 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.*