# Digital Planner for iPad vs Simple Journaling

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Journaling at 5.0 against Digital Planner for iPad's 4.3. Simple Journaling also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription). Digital Planner for iPad's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Digital Planner for iPad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Simple Journaling sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Journaling holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Digital Planner for iPad has 2.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Digital Planner for iPad ships an update every 6 days, Simple Journaling every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Digital Planner for iPad | Simple Journaling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-planner-for-ipad/id6444685151/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-journaling/id6760980806/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 44.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 223 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alina Shpak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1656104667) | [Jayden Dirksen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886739587) |

## What reviewers say

### Digital Planner for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-planner-for-ipad/id6444685151)

Streamline your life and boost productivity with this versatile digital planner. Manage tasks, events, and goals with reminders, calendar sync, and PDF annotation. Optimized for Apple Pencil for a smooth writing experience.

**Highlights:** Task management, Event scheduling, Reminder notifications, Calendar synchronization, PDF annotation, Apple Pencil optimized

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Digital Planner (Monthly) | $6.99 | per month |
| Digital Planner (Three month) | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Digital Planner (Annual) | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with calendar
- 📝 Intuitive and easy to use
- ✨ Visually appealing design
- 🖋️ Great for handwritten notes
- 📚 Helpful book tracking feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 💰 Subscription-based model
- 🔒 Difficulty canceling subscription
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🗓️ Sync issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Lasso tool issues with cut and paste
- Disappearing text when writing over stickers
- Inconsistent calendar sync
- Eraser leaving jumbled pieces
- Inability to rearrange pages

**Requested features**

- Ability to delete individual pages
- Improved eraser functionality
- Sync with Outlook calendar
- Monthly and yearly view improvements
- Widgets for quick access


### Simple Journaling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-journaling/id6760980806)

This app offers a clean, distraction-free space for daily reflection and gratitude tracking. It helps users understand themselves better by visualizing emotional patterns and providing insights into writing habits. Features include mood tracking, search, and weekly goals.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free journaling, Daily gratitude tracking, Mood tracking and trend visualization, Journal search with mood filters, Weekly goals and streak tracking, Insights and analytics dashboard, AI-powered reflection prompts (Premium)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Digital Planner for iPad free?

Digital Planner for iPad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Simple Journaling free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Digital Planner for iPad or Simple Journaling?

Simple Journaling is rated higher. Digital Planner for iPad averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Simple Journaling averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Digital Planner for iPad or Simple Journaling have ads?

Neither Digital Planner for iPad nor Simple Journaling shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Digital Planner for iPad or Simple Journaling?

Digital Planner for iPad ships an update every 6 days, and Simple Journaling every 2 months. Most recently, Digital Planner for iPad was updated on October 17, 2026 and Simple Journaling on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*