# Diary Duck vs Journal

Diary Duck and Journal both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Journal's written reviews are positive against 33% of Diary Duck's. Journal also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 77). Diary Duck's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary Duck sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and 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 — 4.6 for Diary Duck against 4.6 for Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Journal has 1.5K ratings behind it against 77, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Diary Duck's written reviews are positive against 90% of Journal's.

Diary Duck ships an update weekly, Journal every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary Duck | Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-duck-cute-note-apps/id1638511588/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-and-planner/id6443840608/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 77 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **89.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 205 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [立桓 孙](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543518388) | [受杰 柯](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634142370) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary Duck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-duck-cute-note-apps/id1638511588)

Create beautiful digital journals with a vast collection of stickers, templates, and AI-powered tools. Easily design custom layouts and protect your memories with password protection. Regularly updated with new materials and features.

**Highlights:** Extensive sticker and background materials, AI sticker generation, Hand account templates, Pen and tape drawing tools, Password protection for journals, Regular content updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 月度会员 | $1.99 | per month |
| 年度会员 | $9.99 | per year |
| 终身会员 | $6.99 | one-time |


### Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-and-planner/id6443840608)

This app allows users to create a personal diary with a variety of cute stickers and backgrounds. It offers automatic saving of drafts, password protection for privacy, and the ability to insert photos. The app is also optimized for iPad use.

**Highlights:** Customizable stickers and backgrounds, Automatic draft saving, Password protection for privacy, iPad support with Apple Pencil, Photo insertion for diary entries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Version | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Cute and aesthetic design
- 📚 Helpful for journaling and planning
- 🎨 Customizable backgrounds and stickers
- 👍 Easy to use and organize
- 🥰 Fun and enjoyable experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Limited free features, many paid options
- 🔑 Issues with login/access
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 📝 Limited font/formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to reopen saved pages
- Stickers not displaying properly in some cases
- Sync issues causing data loss

**Requested features**

- Add more free stickers and customization options
- Improve syncing and backup functionality
- Allow creating custom backgrounds and stickers
- Introduce a dark mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary Duck free?

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

### Is Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Diary Duck or Journal?

Journal is rated higher. Diary Duck averages 4.6 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Journal averages 4.6 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Diary Duck or Journal have ads?

Both Diary Duck and Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary Duck or Journal?

Diary Duck ships an update weekly, and Journal every 6 weeks. Most recently, Diary Duck was updated on October 9, 2026 and Journal on October 17, 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.*