Diary vs Ember
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Diary
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Simple and convenient application that will record the best moments for you Privacy Policy: https://thuyetngocluong.github.io/policy_privacy/DiaryApp.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula
Ember
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Ember is a diary for the things you wouldn't say out loud yet. The day you almost quit. The walk that fixed you. The sentence your mother said in 2007 that you still think about. It's not a notebook for productivity or a journal for habits. It's a place to write the way you'd write to yourself at three in the morning, when nobody is watching and the sentences don't have to be good. The page is plain on purpose. Fraunces or Lora for the writing, set at a size that doesn't make you squint. A title field that doesn't ask much. A small line for the weather, the mood, the song that was playing. Voice memos when typing feels like too much. Photos when a photo says it faster. A drawing layer for the days a doodle is the whole entry. Each morning, one prompt, if you want one. Ignore it if you don't. Everything you write stays on this iPhone, encrypted with AES-GCM the moment you tap save. There is no Ember server. No account to make. No analytics looking over your shoulder. We couldn't read your entries if we tried β we built it that way on purpose. Ember is free to download with everything unlocked. One small banner supports development β remove it anytime with a single one-time purchase. No subscription, no auto-renewal, no popups asking you to upgrade in eighteen months. Export to Markdown or PDF whenever you like, and take what you wrote with you. The diary is yours; we're just the room it sits in. Write something today. Even one line.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Diary at none against Ember's shown. Diary also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.4). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Ember sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Diary ships an update every 2 days, Ember every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Diary | Ember |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days β better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No β better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 β better | 17.4 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thuyet Luong | δΈ½δ½³ ζ½ |
In-app purchases
Diary
- 1 week subscription3 Days trial$1.997 Days
- Lifetime$19.99
Ember
- Ember Pro$0.99








