# My Private Diary vs Diary Journal

The clearest difference is price: Diary Journal at Free against My Private Diary's $1.99. Diary Journal also leads on ratings volume (369 vs 5) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). My Private Diary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Diary Journal is free to download; My Private Diary costs $1.99 up front. Diary Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. My Private Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for My Private Diary against 4.7 for Diary Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Diary Journal has 369 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

My Private Diary ships an update every 5 months, Diary Journal every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | My Private Diary | Diary Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-private-diary/id600962363/reviews)** | [4.7 (369 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **369** |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 30 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JS Digital Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012108950) | [Heyou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480358223) |

## What reviewers say

### My Private Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-private-diary/id600962363)

Securely record your thoughts, ideas, and memories with a personalized digital journal. Features robust security, customizable interfaces, and the ability to attach photos. Supports multiple languages and offers easy backup options.

**Highlights:** Passcode and biometric protection, Intruder detection with photo capture, Customizable colors and paper styles, Photo integration and quick-view icons, Magazine-style printing via AirPrint, Easy backups via File Sharing, Support for 19 languages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Diary Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id1572225395)

This app provides a secure and private digital space for recording thoughts, memories, and dreams. It encourages self-reflection and personal growth through daily journaling, ensuring all entries are kept confidential.

**Highlights:** Secret diary entries, Log life events and progress, Record emotions and feelings, Password protection for privacy, Encourages self-reflection, Modern journal interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diary Pro 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Password protection and privacy features
- 📹 Video diary functionality highly valued
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 📸 Ability to add photos and videos to entries
- 🎙️ Audio recording capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Limited free version (one entry per day)
- 💰 Premium features behind paywall
- 🔐 Password recovery impossible if forgotten
- 📱 Data transfer issues between devices
- ☁️ Backup to cloud not working reliably

**Reported bugs**

- Video uploads fail and crash repeatedly
- Long video entries don't save properly
- Data doesn't transfer to new phone despite cloud backup
- Import from ZIP file causes app to close
- App crashes when importing exported data

**Requested features**

- Timestamp for each journal entry
- Password reset or recovery option
- Multiple entries per day in free version
- Font customization (size, bold, italics, underline)
- Location tagging for entries


## Frequently asked questions

### Is My Private Diary free?

My Private Diary costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Diary Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, My Private Diary or Diary Journal?

My Private Diary is rated higher. My Private Diary averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Diary Journal averages 4.7 from 369 ratings.

### Do My Private Diary or Diary Journal have ads?

Neither My Private Diary nor Diary Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, My Private Diary or Diary Journal?

My Private Diary ships an update every 5 months, and Diary Journal every 6 weeks. Most recently, My Private Diary was updated on November 1, 2026 and Diary Journal on November 7, 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.*