Comparison

Simplife vs Pure Journal

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

Head to head
About

Simplife

This minimalist note-taking app prioritizes a clean interface for focused writing. It offers robust features like passcode protection, calendar views, and media attachments to help you organize and store all your thoughts and ideas.

Highlights
  • Multiple notes support
  • Passcode lock for app and notes
  • Calendar view for notes
  • Attach photos and map locations
  • Search across all notes
  • Backup and restore options
Features
Read full description

Incredibly Simple, Functional and Easy to use. Meet the note app haven't experienced until now. Simplife is minimally designed so you can focus on writing. With Simplife, you can keep everything what you want. [Features] - Support Multiple notes - Passcode lock(start-up screen and for each note) - Calendar view for each note - Change date of entries - Attach photos and map - Change font type and size - Share to E-mail and Twitter - Duplicate to other note in your Simplife - Backup/Restore with Dropbox and iTunes - Search entries in the all notes [With Simplife, try like this] - Daily journal - Private diary - Drafts for your ideas - Scrap book of your favorites - Wish list - Travel note

About

Pure Journal

Read full description

Pure - Private Diary Record every precious moment in life with Pure, providing you with a simple, secure, and private diary space. Main Features: Minimalist Design: Clean interface to focus on expressing thoughts and feelings. Privacy Protection: All data is stored locally, ensuring your private diary is absolutely safe. Photo and Text: Easily add photos with built-in filters to make your memories more vivid. Dual Mode: Simple/Detailed view modes to cater to different reading preferences. Unlimited Recording: Professional version offers unlimited recording and removes ads. Pure brings diary writing back to its essence—recording life, preserving emotions, and conversing with yourself. Write your feelings anytime, anywhere, without being influenced by others, and capture every memorable moment. Whether recording daily tidbits, organizing thoughts, or cherishing special memories, Pure is your most private and intimate emotional sanctuary. Start your diary journey and preserve those fleeting beautiful moments. This application is licensed under the standard Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Simplife4 screens
Pure Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pure Journal at Free against Simplife's $1.99. Pure Journal also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Simplife's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement 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

Pure Journal is free to download; Simplife costs $1.99 up front. Pure Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Simplife asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplife ships an update every 2 months, Pure Journal every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Simplife versus Pure Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplifePure Journal
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSangmook LeeYIZE LIAO

In-app purchases

None

Simplife

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Pure Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Professional user/month$0.991 Month
  • Professional user/year$7.991 Year

Questions

Is Simplife free?
Simplife costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pure Journal free?
Pure Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simplife or Pure Journal have ads?
Pure Journal shows ads; Simplife does not.
Which is updated more often, Simplife or Pure Journal?
Simplife ships an update every 2 months, and Pure Journal every 9 days. Most recently, Simplife was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pure Journal on September 10, 2026.

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