# Journal Moments vs Diary with Lock

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Diary with Lock at none against Journal Moments's 1. Diary with Lock also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1K vs 15). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Journal Moments sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Diary with Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Diary with Lock holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary with Lock has 1K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal Moments | Diary with Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-moments-private-notes/id1630682960/reviews) | **[4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-with-lock-diary-journal/id6497171567/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 95.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 34 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Leander Maguetas](https://appshunter.io/developer/534698918) | [Simple Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/1687443479) |

## What reviewers say

### Journal Moments

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-moments-private-notes/id1630682960)

This app allows users to privately record daily thoughts, feelings, and happy moments. It offers features like mood tracking, daily quotes, and passcode protection to ensure your entries remain secure and personal.

**Highlights:** Daily diary entries, Mood tracking, Daily motivation quotes, View past entries, Daily writing reminders, Passcode protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $0.99 | one-time |


### Diary with Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-with-lock-diary-journal/id6497171567)

Securely record daily thoughts, feelings, and memories with a customizable, password-protected digital journal. Enhance entries with photos, audio, and a mood tracker to understand your emotional journey. Offers prompts and themes for inspiration and organization.

**Highlights:** Password and Face ID protection, Multimedia entries (photos, audio), Mood tracking calendar, Customizable themes and fonts, Journal prompts, Tagging for organization, Cloud backup

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🩷 Lovely app
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🩷 Cute and colorful
- ✨ Helpful for expressing emotions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Limited customization options for password recovery

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- More background and font options
- Ability to move photos freely
- Draw own drawings
- Additional background themes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal Moments free?

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

### Is Diary with Lock free?

Diary with Lock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Journal Moments or Diary with Lock?

Diary with Lock is rated higher. Journal Moments averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Diary with Lock averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.

### Do Journal Moments or Diary with Lock have ads?

Journal Moments shows ads; Diary with Lock does not.

### Which is updated more often, Journal Moments or Diary with Lock?

Journal Moments ships an update every 2 weeks, and Diary with Lock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Journal Moments was updated on November 3, 2026 and Diary with Lock on November 4, 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.*