Comparison

Moment Diary Tale vs Diary! SmartDiary

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

Head to head
About

Moment Diary Tale

This private diary app allows users to create timestamped notes for various purposes, including personal journaling, business records, and logs. It offers features like passcode protection, data export, backup/restore, and photo integration for a comprehensive journaling experience.

Highlights
  • Timestamped notes
  • Passcode lock
  • Export notes to email
  • Backup and restore data
  • Add photos to notes
  • Couple Diary sync
  • Customizable background and buttons
Features
Read full description

Great news! This is a private diary that makes notes with timestamps! You can take a short note and use it as a private diary, simple business note, diet record, food log, lifetime recording, cash flow record, jotting down what you watch on TV, song titles while you listen to radio...etc. Please feel free to ask any questions on below URL. (in English please!) http://twitter.com/momentdiary Functions: - You can take a note. This app adds a timestamp to it. Please remember you can not post it to online social services. This is for private use. - Exporting your notes to your email address. You can select your intended range of span of dates. - Backup/Restore function is available. To use this function, WiFi connection is required. *Backup: This shows your device's IP address and when you enter it to your web browser on Mac/PC, you can download backup data(.dat) and CSV data(.csv). *Restore: After you get backup data(.dat3) on your Mac/PC, you can transfer it to any of your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch. Restoring does not delete existing data. It adds or overwrites data from backup. Please make sure the latest updated entry will be protected when overwriting. - Passcode (4-digit-numbers) lock supported as a security function. You can easily change on/off of the lock. Please do not forget your passcode. When you forget it, the only way to unlock it is to try entering the numbers until you hit it. - Picture support. Please go to setting page and turn on 'Picture' switch for this function. - You can choose three ways for exporting your picture. 1) email picture with original size, 2) email smaller picture for mobile phone, 3) add to photo library of iPhone/iPod touch. - Changing background color. - Button positions adjustment for Right-handed or Left-handed users. - Function for adding photos to past notes. - Date display option for exporting. You can choose a date display mode from 'every Moment' or 'every Day'. 'every Day' option is for bloggers. - Time Machine Function which enable you to jump to desired date. Please go to Calendar page and tap the month and year display on the top of the page. - Favorite icon can be used. Please go to Setting page-> Options->Sub icon, and select 'star' mark. - Couple Diary (Data sync): It enables to sync your diary to different devices via server. It is easy. Please sync your iPhone-iPad, or share your diary with your friends. Pls. tap the arrow button on the main page (list page) and select 'Couple Diary' to start. - Cloud Storage (Candy free transferring). Please read followings before you buy: This is MONTHLY charge. Price: Tier 2(1.99USD,1.49GBP,2.79CAD,2.49 AUD,2.99 NZD)/month - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy policy: http://momentdiary.com/privacypolicy.pdf Terms of use: http://momentdiary.com/termsofuse.pdf ----------- URL scheme ----------- 1. for launch momentdiary://?t=URL_encoded_string 2. for launch & write momentdiary://?m=edit&t=URL_encoded_string (for launch & search) momentdiary://?m=search&t=URL_encoded_string -- example for 'food' momentdiary://?m=search&t=food -- example for 'birth day' momentdiary://?m=search&t=birth+day (white space should be replaced by '+') -- example for multi-bytes characters '星' momentdiary://?m=search&t=%E6%98%9F (percent escaped characters can be used) --- Many thanks for your feedbacks and have fun!

About

Diary! SmartDiary

Record daily life with photos and track your mood and schedule on a calendar. Secure your entries with a passcode and easily access past memories. Customize your diary with various settings for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Record memories with photos
  • Track daily mood and schedule
  • Passcode lock with biometric support
  • iCloud backup and data migration
  • Customizable calendar and diary settings
  • Input forgetting notifications
Read full description

Simple and easy operation private diary application. ・Leave memories of daily life with photos easily. ・You can enter in the calendar the mood and schedule of the day. ・You can easily display past memories. ・Passcode lock (Touch ID, Face ID support) ・iCloud backup (iPhone, data migration between the iPad is also possible) [Other functions] ・Cover photo setting ・Calendar display setting (Start Week On, Calendar Position, Cover Photo Size, Transparency) ・Diary text setting (Font Size, Font Depth, Line Spacing) ・Theme color setting ・Notification of forgetting input ・Support for landscape orientation (iPad only) [Credit] ・Designed by Freepik and distributed by Flaticon (https://www.flaticon.com) ・Icons8 (https://icons8.com) ・This software includes the work that is distributed in the Apache License 2.0.

Screenshots

Moment Diary Tale4 screens
Diary! SmartDiary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Diary! SmartDiary at 4.6 against Moment Diary Tale's 4.1. Diary! SmartDiary also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (93% vs 78%). Moment Diary Tale's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support 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. Moment Diary Tale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Diary! SmartDiary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Diary! SmartDiary holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 45 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Moment Diary Tale's written reviews are positive against 93% of Diary! SmartDiary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Moment Diary Tale ships an update monthly, Diary! SmartDiary every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Moment Diary Tale versus Diary! SmartDiary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMoment Diary TaleDiary! SmartDiary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (16 ratings)4.6 (45 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.5% of reviews93.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1645 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomonari SonodaHideki Okuno

Customer experience

Moment Diary Tale

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews469 reviews
Positive78.5%
Neutral9.2%
Negative12.4%

Diary! SmartDiary

All ratings44 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Moment Diary Tale

Reported bugs

25 issues
  • App crashes when tapping hashtags
  • New note creation unresponsive
  • Stamp exchange not reflecting candy consumption
  • Pictures not included in email exports
  • App crashes after iOS updates (iOS 11, iOS 16)
Show 20 more
  • Network errors preventing in-app purchases and data sync
  • Cannot import pictures when emailing diary entries
  • App closes unexpectedly during writing
  • Password reset issues
  • Data synchronization errors
  • App not launching after iOS updates
  • App closes immediately upon opening
  • Entries being deleted
  • App closes and prevents entry after iOS update
  • Passcode not working after upgrade
  • App not working after iOS 11 update
  • App crashes upon entering password
  • App crashes after iPhone update
  • App crashes when trying to enter password
  • App not opening after iOS 11 update
  • App crashes and prevents login
  • App crashes and prevents access to saved data
  • App closes down and deletes entries
  • App crashes and prevents access to saved data
  • App crashes and prevents access to saved data

Requested features

19 requests
  • Pinning/bookmarking notes
  • Favorite feature restoration
  • Stamp exchange functionality
  • Improved picture export in emails
  • Syncing across devices
Show 14 more
  • Color font options
  • Handwritten drawing feature
  • Dark mode
  • Ability to share to social media/messaging
  • More than one photo per entry
  • More free items/stickers
  • Dial lock type
  • iMac version
  • Music playback integration
  • Gratitude journal feature
  • Scrollable pages like a book
  • Add more items to the shop
  • Change font
  • Doodle note pad

Diary! SmartDiary

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Moment Diary Tale

Subscriptions1
  • Cloud Storage (monthly)1 Month trial$1.991 Month
One-time9
  • Zebra Stripe$1.99
  • Giraffe$1.99
  • Leopard$1.99
Show 6 more
  • +10 Stickers$1.99
  • +10 Stickers 2$1.99
  • Stickers Lifestyle$1.99
  • Stickers Expression$1.99
  • Polka Dots$2.99
  • Polka Dots Pink$2.99
1 purchases

Diary! SmartDiary

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Moment Diary Tale free?
Moment Diary Tale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Diary! SmartDiary free?
Diary! SmartDiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Moment Diary Tale or Diary! SmartDiary?
Diary! SmartDiary is rated higher. Moment Diary Tale averages 4.1 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Diary! SmartDiary averages 4.6 from 45 ratings.
Do Moment Diary Tale or Diary! SmartDiary have ads?
Diary! SmartDiary shows ads; Moment Diary Tale does not.
Which is updated more often, Moment Diary Tale or Diary! SmartDiary?
Moment Diary Tale ships an update monthly, and Diary! SmartDiary every 3 months. Most recently, Moment Diary Tale was updated on November 6, 2026 and Diary! SmartDiary on November 2, 2026.

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