# Grid Diary Classic vs Diary, Journal, Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Grid Diary Classic at none against Diary, Journal, Notes's shown. Grid Diary Classic also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). Diary, Journal, Notes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Grid Diary Classic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Diary, Journal, Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Diary, Journal, Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary, Journal, Notes has 4.5K ratings behind it against 773, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Grid Diary Classic's written reviews are positive against 70% of Diary, Journal, Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Grid Diary Classic ships an update every 3 weeks, Diary, Journal, Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grid Diary Classic | Diary, Journal, Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (773 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-diary-classic/id597077261/reviews) | **[4.7 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-notes-diaro/id882519460/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 773 | **4.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.6% of reviews** | 70.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 94 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sumi Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/597077264) | [Abhishek Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1652325499) |

## What reviewers say

### Grid Diary Classic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grid-diary-classic/id597077261)

This journaling app offers a unique grid-based format with prompts to overcome writer's block. It allows for photo attachments, full-text search, and health data integration. Advanced features like passcode lock and cloud sync are available through a subscription or one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Unique grid format for journaling, Prompt library for writing inspiration, Photo attachment to entries, Full text search functionality, Backup and restore options, HealthKit integration for steps and calories

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Subscription | $2.49 | per month |
| Upgrade to Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📝 Helps with daily reflection and journaling
- 🎨 Clean and minimalist design
- 🔍 Customizable prompts and templates
- 🌐 Syncs across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paid version required for password protection
- 🖼️ Limited photo storage in free version
- 🌐 Sync issues for some users
- 💰 Concerns over transition to subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Upgrade issues and failed purchases
- Entries disappearing or being deleted
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- More font and color customization options
- Integration with calendar and other apps
- Ability to export/backup journal entries
- More emotion/mood options
- Desktop/web version


### Diary, Journal, Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-notes-diaro/id882519460)

Record daily activities, thoughts, and memories securely. Organize entries with tags, locations, and folders. Sync across devices and export your data easily. Features include mood tracking, photo attachments, and a calendar view.

**Highlights:** Secure PIN and fingerprint lock, Customizable themes and 30+ languages, Powerful search and filtering, Mood tracker and Atlas view, Backup, restore, import, and export options, Cloud sync via Dropbox, Attach unlimited photos

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diaro Pro 1 Year | $8.99 | per year |
| Diaro PRO | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Consistent for years
- 🚀 Excellent app
- 🚀 Great app and great support
- 👍 Love this app
- 👍 Fantastic replacement to a physical diary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Suddenly become useless
- 🐛 Terrible app
- 🐛 Doesn't work anymore
- 🐛 Horrible, don't work
- 🐛 PIN protection doesn't work

**Reported bugs**

- Reminders broken on iOS
- Crashes after activating Touch ID
- Stuck on blue logo page after Touch ID stopped working
- Sync issues between devices
- Entries disappearing or not saving properly

**Requested features**

- 💡 Add bold, underline, italics formatting
- 💡 Add ability to add captions to images
- 💡 Add ability to customize moods
- 💡 Add Face ID, iCloud sync, and additional fonts
- 💡 Add ability to format text, add bullet points, link to calendars


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grid Diary Classic free?

Grid Diary Classic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Diary, Journal, Notes free?

Diary, Journal, Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Grid Diary Classic or Diary, Journal, Notes?

Diary, Journal, Notes is rated higher. Grid Diary Classic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 773 ratings, while Diary, Journal, Notes averages 4.7 from 4.5K ratings.

### Do Grid Diary Classic or Diary, Journal, Notes have ads?

Diary, Journal, Notes shows ads; Grid Diary Classic does not.

### Which is updated more often, Grid Diary Classic or Diary, Journal, Notes?

Grid Diary Classic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Diary, Journal, Notes weekly. Most recently, Grid Diary Classic was updated on October 7, 2026 and Diary, Journal, Notes on October 19, 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.*