# Journal vs PinyPiny

The clearest difference is ads: PinyPiny at none against Journal's shown. PinyPiny also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and PinyPiny sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, PinyPiny every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal | PinyPiny |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-and-planner/id6443840608/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 45 MB | 185 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [受杰 柯](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634142370) | [馨瑶 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680428559) |

## What reviewers say

### Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-diary-and-planner/id6443840608)

This app allows users to create a personal diary with a variety of cute stickers and backgrounds. It offers automatic saving of drafts, password protection for privacy, and the ability to insert photos. The app is also optimized for iPad use.

**Highlights:** Customizable stickers and backgrounds, Automatic draft saving, Password protection for privacy, iPad support with Apple Pencil, Photo insertion for diary entries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Version | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Version | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Cute and aesthetic design
- 📚 Helpful for journaling and planning
- 🎨 Customizable backgrounds and stickers
- 👍 Easy to use and organize
- 🥰 Fun and enjoyable experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Limited free features, many paid options
- 🔑 Issues with login/access
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 📝 Limited font/formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to reopen saved pages
- Stickers not displaying properly in some cases
- Sync issues causing data loss

**Requested features**

- Add more free stickers and customization options
- Improve syncing and backup functionality
- Allow creating custom backgrounds and stickers
- Introduce a dark mode option


### PinyPiny

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinypiny/id6804919805)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal free?

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

### Is PinyPiny free?

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

### Do Journal or PinyPiny have ads?

Journal shows ads; PinyPiny does not.

### Which is updated more often, Journal or PinyPiny?

Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, and PinyPiny every 2 days. Most recently, Journal was updated on November 3, 2026 and PinyPiny on October 31, 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.*