# Diary vs Journal

The clearest difference is rating: Journal at 5.0 against Diary's 4.0. Diary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Diary ships an update fortnightly, Journal every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary | Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-mood-tracker/id1641270031/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-with-password/id6468249996/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tien Dat Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540394030) | [Olufemi Adedire](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701746573) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-mood-tracker/id1641270031)

Record your thoughts, memories, and emotional states in a secure and private journal. This app allows you to write entries, add photos, and easily browse or search your past records. It offers PIN and biometric protection to keep your personal reflections safe.

**Highlights:** Write diary entries, Record memories and journeys, Track moods, Add photos to entries, PIN and biometric security, Browse and search diary timeline

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-with-password/id6468249996)

Securely record your thoughts, secrets, and private moments with this digital journal. Protect your entries with a password, Touch ID, or Face ID, and enrich them with photos and videos. Easily organize and search your memories.

**Highlights:** Password, Touch ID, Face ID lock, Add text, photos, and videos, Tagging for entries, Searchable diary, Export entries, iCloud sync

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly: Journal Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| 3-Monthly: Journal Pro Quarter | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| 6-Monthly:Journal Pro 6 months | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly: Journal Pro Annual | $4.99 | per year |
| Journal Pro Lifetime Access | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary free?

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

### Is Journal free?

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

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

Journal is rated higher. Diary averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Journal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Diary or Journal have ads?

Neither Diary nor Journal shows ads.

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

Diary ships an update fortnightly, and Journal every 4 months. Most recently, Diary was updated on September 24, 2026 and Journal on October 5, 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.*