# mySymptoms Food Diary vs Dining Note

The clearest difference is ads: mySymptoms Food Diary at none against Dining Note's shown. mySymptoms Food Diary also leads on ratings volume (4.1K vs 868). Dining Note's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 76%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. mySymptoms Food Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Dining Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dining Note holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.1K and 868 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of mySymptoms Food Diary's written reviews are positive against 94% of Dining Note's.

mySymptoms Food Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, Dining Note every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | mySymptoms Food Diary | Dining Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mysymptoms-food-diary/id405231632/reviews) | **[4.8 (868 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dining-note-simple-diet-diary/id1194971321/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 868 |
| Positive reviews | 76.3% of reviews | **93.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SkyGazer Labs Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/405231635) | [4th May Games Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/975488129) |

## What reviewers say

### mySymptoms Food Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mysymptoms-food-diary/id405231632)

Track your meals, symptoms, and other health factors to uncover patterns and associations with your diet. This app helps you understand how food affects your well-being and provides detailed reports to share with healthcare professionals.

**Highlights:** Food and health tracking, Extensive food database with barcode scanning, Symptom intensity and duration logging, Correlation analysis for trigger identification, Detailed reports with charts and trends, Secure sharing with clinicians, Customizable food and symptom entries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium subscription 1 month | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium subscription 6 months | $39.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium subscription 12 months | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 📊 Helpful for tracking symptoms and identifying patterns
- 💾 Convenient to have on phone
- 🔍 Customizable to track specific needs
- 📤 Ability to export data as PDF

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires paid subscription after trial period
- 🔍 Limited food database, requires manual entry
- 🕰️ Time-consuming to log detailed information
- 🤔 Analysis feature not always accurate or useful
- 🔄 Lack of syncing between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Password reset page not functioning properly
- Barcode scanner not always accurate
- Unexpected data loss after app updates

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Health or other fitness apps
- Ability to add photos of meals or symptoms
- More detailed reporting and graphing options
- Reminder notifications to log entries
- Menstrual cycle tracking


### Dining Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dining-note-simple-diet-diary/id1194971321)

Easily track your daily food and drink intake, including meals and snacks. Record exercise, add photos, and set a password for privacy. Improve your eating habits with simple monthly statistics.

**Highlights:** Record meals and beverages, Track exercise, Add photos to entries, Password protection, Customizable themes, Monthly statistics

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Premium | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward interface
- 💡 Flexible for recording food intake
- 🚀 Minimal and non-intrusive
- 👍 Doesn't focus on calories or weight loss

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 💡 Limited customization options
- 💡 Lack of syncing between devices
- 💡 No notes or mood tracking section

**Reported bugs**

- Swipe up gesture to exit app sometimes doesn't work
- Photo uploads can be unreliable or cause app to crash
- Inconsistent behavior when trying to save entries

**Requested features**

- Add ability to edit or delete entries
- Implement time stamps for meals
- Include option to export data
- Add more drink categories beyond just water and coffee
- Integrate with Apple Health or other fitness apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is mySymptoms Food Diary free?

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

### Is Dining Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, mySymptoms Food Diary or Dining Note?

Dining Note is rated higher. mySymptoms Food Diary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Dining Note averages 4.8 from 868 ratings.

### Do mySymptoms Food Diary or Dining Note have ads?

Dining Note shows ads; mySymptoms Food Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, mySymptoms Food Diary or Dining Note?

mySymptoms Food Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, and Dining Note every 5 weeks. Most recently, mySymptoms Food Diary was updated on October 23, 2026 and Dining Note on October 24, 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.*