# Real Diary Lite vs Momento

The clearest difference is ads: Momento at none against Real Diary Lite's shown. Momento also leads on ratings volume (878 vs 4). Real Diary Lite's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 49%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, update cadence 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 Momento sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Real Diary Lite against 4.1 for Momento. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Momento has 878 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Real Diary Lite's written reviews are positive against 49% of Momento's.

Real Diary Lite ships an update every 2 months, Momento every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Real Diary Lite | Momento |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-diary-lite/id513789149/reviews) | **[4.1 (878 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/momento-private-journal-diary/id980592846/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **878** |
| Positive reviews | **81.8% of reviews** | 48.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 131 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Owl Family Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/510310880) | [d3i Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/347019675) |

## 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 |


### Momento

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/momento-private-journal-diary/id980592846)

This app helps you privately capture and organize life's memories using notes, photos, and videos. It automatically imports your digital history from social networks and apps, creating a beautiful, searchable journal of your life story.

**Highlights:** Capture notes, photos, and videos, Import digital history from social media, Powerful search and explore functionality, Unified timeline for reliving moments, Share moments and day summaries, Passcode and TouchID protection (Premium)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Momento Premium (Monthly) | $3.49 | per month |
| Momento Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Momento Premium Gold | $37.99 | per year |
| Lock Code | $0.99 | one-time |
| Multiple Photos | $1.99 | one-time |
| Additional 3 Feeds | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 📝 Great for journaling
- 🌄 Integrates social media feeds
- 🗓️ Helpful timeline and memories
- 🔒 Secure with passcode/Touch ID

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Passcode/lock feature behind paywall
- 💰 Subscription model, not one-time purchase
- 🔄 Unreliable social media feed integration
- 🗓️ Issues with changing date/time of entries

**Reported bugs**

- Facebook and Instagram feeds not working
- Photos disappearing from old entries
- Backup and restore functionality issues
- Inconsistent behavior when changing dates

**Requested features**

- Add text formatting options (bold, italic, etc.)
- Ability to print or export journal entries
- Sync across devices (iPhone, iPad, desktop)
- Customizable color themes and appearance
- Option to selectively share entries with others


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Real Diary Lite free?

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

### Is Momento free?

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

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

Momento is rated higher. Real Diary Lite averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Momento averages 4.1 from 878 ratings.

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

Real Diary Lite shows ads; Momento does not.

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

Real Diary Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Momento every 6 weeks. Most recently, Real Diary Lite was updated on October 23, 2026 and Momento on October 22, 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.*