Comparison

Pixels vs Private Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pixels

This app helps you track your daily mood and emotions by turning them into a visual map of color. You can record your mood with a tap, add details with subpixels and custom tags, and use it as a companion for therapy. It offers a private and minimalist experience with no ads.

Highlights
  • Visual mood map
  • Daily pixel color entries
  • Subpixel tracking for mood variations
  • Custom tags and notes
  • Therapy companion tool
  • Minimalist and private design
Features
Read full description

Pixels turns every day into a single colored square on a yearly grid. Your mood, at a glance, for the entire year. TRACK YOUR MOOD • Pick a mood from custom categories • Add a journal note for deeper reflection • Log symptoms, habits, and how you really feel SEE THE FULL PICTURE • Watch your year fill up pixel by pixel • Spot emotional patterns across weeks and months • Detailed stats and charts for your mental health journey PRIVATE & BEAUTIFUL • No ads, no tracking • Customizable moods, colors, and reminders Join thousands of people building self-awareness, one day at a time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Private Journal

This app helps you cultivate a more mindful life through daily journaling, mood and habit tracking, and creative sketching. It offers a private space to organize thoughts, set intentions, and review your life's journey with powerful search and media browsing tools.

Highlights
  • Rich text journaling with photos/videos
  • Mood and habit tracking with custom templates
  • Freeform drawing with Apple Pencil support
  • Intentions and task management
  • Location tagging and map view
  • Face ID/Touch ID security
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Your all-in-one journal for a more mindful life. Write freely, track your mood, build daily habits, and sketch ideas on a freeform canvas — all in one beautiful, private space. DAILY JOURNALING • Rich text editor with photos and videos • Writing prompts across 7 categories — gratitude, reflections, check-ins, and more • Multiple journals to organize your thoughts • Tags for easy discovery • Automatically tag your location so every memory has a place • Browse your life on a beautiful map view MOOD & HABIT TRACKING • Custom trackers for mood, sleep, water, exercise, study time, and more • 50+ tracker templates across 9 categories • Set daily goals, visualize streaks, and see patterns with charts • Apple Health integration — auto-sync steps, sleep, workouts, heart rate, calories, and distance CREATIVE CANVAS • Freeform drawing with full Apple Pencil support • Pen, pencil, marker, and eraser tools • Line straightening, minimap navigation, and lasso selection • Searchable handwriting — find notes even when you write by hand INTENTIONS & TASKS • Set intentions — how you want to feel, what deserves your time, your big goals • Link tasks to your intentions and track progress over time • Unfinished tasks carry over so nothing falls through the cracks SEARCH & MEDIA • Find any entry by title, content, tags, or text in photos and handwriting • Filter by journal, date, or location • Browse all media in a beautiful gallery, organized by date PRIVATE & SECURE • Face ID, Touch ID, and passcode lock • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Your data stays on your devices — we never see it SWITCHING FROM DAY ONE? • Import your entire Day One library in one tap — entries, photos, tags, and metadata • Full JSON, ZIP, and Markdown export MINDSPACE PRO Unlock everything with Pro: • iCloud sync across all devices • Unlimited journals, photos & videos • Unlimited custom trackers and all templates • Apple Health integration • Custom theme colors • Canvas export • Custom prompts Start your journaling practice today. Your future self will thank you. Terms of Use: https://getmindspace.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://getmindspace.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Pixels4 screens
Private Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pixels at 4.8 against Private Journal's 4.5. Pixels also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). Private Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 11 days). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pixels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Private Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pixels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 20 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 97% of Pixels's written reviews are positive against 100% of Private Journal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixels ships an update every 11 days, Private Journal every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pixels versus Private Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixelsPrivate Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (43 ratings) — better4.5 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews96.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43 — better20
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB30 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTeo VogelArtefact Inc.

Customer experience

Pixels

All ratings43 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive96.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.4%

Private Journal

All ratings20 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Pixels

Subscriptions4
  • Pixels Cloud+7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pixels Cloud+$1.991 Month
  • Pixels Cloud+7 Days trial$21.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pixels Cloud+$21.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pixels+$4.99
3 purchases

Private Journal

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Quarterly$14.993 Months
  • Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Pixels free?
Pixels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Private Journal free?
Private Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pixels or Private Journal?
Pixels is rated higher. Pixels averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Private Journal averages 4.5 from 20 ratings.
Do Pixels or Private Journal have ads?
Neither Pixels nor Private Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixels or Private Journal?
Pixels ships an update every 11 days, and Private Journal every 5 days. Most recently, Pixels was updated on September 27, 2026 and Private Journal on September 22, 2026.

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