# Real Diary Lite vs DrawerJournal

The clearest difference is rating: DrawerJournal at 4.6 against Real Diary Lite's 4.0. DrawerJournal also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (74 vs 4). Real Diary Lite's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Real Diary Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DrawerJournal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

DrawerJournal holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DrawerJournal has 74 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Real Diary Lite's written reviews are positive against 88% of DrawerJournal's.

Real Diary Lite ships an update every 2 months, DrawerJournal every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Real Diary Lite | DrawerJournal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-diary-lite/id513789149/reviews) | **[4.6 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawerjournal-private-journal/id1553585038/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **74** |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | **87.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 131 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Owl Family Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/510310880) | [ToastPlanet Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437803152) |

## What reviewers say

### Real Diary Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-diary-lite/id513789149)

A user-friendly digital journal for managing schedules, notes, and moods. Customize your entries with themes, stickers, and pictures. Share updates to social media and track your emotions with mood charts.

**Highlights:** Customizable themes and stickers, Password protection with time settings, Mood charting and analysis, Social media uploads (Twitter, Facebook), Event scheduling and reminders, Data backup and restore

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to paid version | $2.99 | one-time |


### DrawerJournal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawerjournal-private-journal/id1553585038)

This app offers a private journaling experience with a unique timeline format, allowing users to quickly jot down thoughts, add media, and secure entries. It provides robust search and organization features, with optional premium upgrades for enhanced functionality and an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Timeline-based entries, Add photos, voice, and video, Secure with passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, Search and tagging functionality, Apple Watch and widget support, Optional iCloud sync, Print and export options (Premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DrawerJournal Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| DrawerJournal Premium Annual | $20.99 | per year |
| DrawerJournal One-Time | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🗓️ Convenient timeline-based journaling
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 🖼️ Ability to add photos
- 🏷️ Useful tagging and search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔁 No cross-device sync or cloud backup
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Concerns about aggressive monetization through ads and subscriptions

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or data loss when editing entries
- Background music playback issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to add videos or audio recordings
- Cloud sync and backup across devices
- More customization options for fonts, colors, and layouts
- Thread-like functionality to connect related entries
- Improved image handling and editing tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Real Diary Lite free?

Real Diary Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DrawerJournal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Real Diary Lite or DrawerJournal?

DrawerJournal is rated higher. Real Diary Lite averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while DrawerJournal averages 4.6 from 74 ratings.

### Do Real Diary Lite or DrawerJournal have ads?

Both Real Diary Lite and DrawerJournal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Real Diary Lite or DrawerJournal?

Real Diary Lite ships an update every 2 months, and DrawerJournal every 8 days. Most recently, Real Diary Lite was updated on November 1, 2026 and DrawerJournal on November 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*