# Firstext vs Simple Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Diary at none against Firstext's 4. Firstext's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Firstext sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Simple Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Firstext ships an update every 2 weeks, Simple Diary every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Firstext | Simple Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Akihiro Usui](https://appshunter.io/developer/1387267485) | [Kana Uchida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819475901) |

## What reviewers say

### Firstext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstext/id1642650670)

This app is a straightforward text editor designed for quick note-taking and text creation. It automatically saves your work and allows for easy sharing to other applications with customizable actions. Advanced features like search, replace, and character counting are also included.

**Highlights:** Instant text input on launch, Automatic text saving and restoration, Customizable text sharing actions, Cursor movement by swiping, Search and replace functionality, Character and line counting, Font size adjustment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Snack-Sized Tip | $0.49 | one-time |
| Restriction Removal | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coffee-Sized Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lunch-Sized Tip | $3.99 | one-time |


### Simple Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-myjot/id6747032449)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Firstext free?

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

### Is Simple Diary free?

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

### Do Firstext or Simple Diary have ads?

Both Firstext and Simple Diary show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Firstext or Simple Diary?

Firstext ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simple Diary every 3 months. Most recently, Firstext was updated on November 3, 2026 and Simple Diary on October 30, 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.*