Comparison

Dots vs Simple Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dots

Effortlessly track your daily habits with a simple tap. Visualize your progress with a dot-by-dot system, review your streaks on a calendar or timeline, and personalize your experience with custom colors and dark mode. Receive helpful reminders to stay on track and rest assured your data is private.

Highlights
  • Dot-by-dot habit visualization
  • One-tap recording
  • Detailed record keeping
  • Calendar and timeline review
  • Customizable habit colors
  • Dark mode support
  • Habit reminders
Read full description

Dots is your personalized tool for elegant and straightforward habit tracking. Revolutionize the way you manage your habits with us. Dots Unique Features: - Dot-by-Dot Habit Tracking: Visualize your habits with a simple dot, and feel the satisfaction as your achievements stack up. - One-Tap Simplicity: Record your journey with a single tap, making daily tracking an effortless task. - Detailed Records: Dive deeper into your habits with comprehensive record keeping. - Calendar Review: Reflect on your journey easily with an intuitive calendar view. - Timeline Review: Glean new insights from a different perspective with our timeline view. - Personalize Your Colors: Choose from a rich color palette for each habit, enhancing your mood while fostering continuity. - Dark Mode Compatibility: Our eye-friendly design offers a comfortable user experience, seamlessly adjusting to your device's settings. - Helpful Reminders: Never miss a beat with our handy reminder notifications, supporting your habit formation. - Privacy First: Your data is for your eyes only, stored securely on your device. Dot-by-Dot Habit Tracking Each day, add a dot and watch your past efforts come to life, powering your motivation for the days to come. One-Tap Simplicity Dots is built with simplicity in mind. A single tap on the home screen is all it takes to record your progress, making consistency a breeze. Detailed Records Go beyond the basics. Detail your habits and look back at your records anytime, anywhere. Calendar Review Reflect on each habit with our user-friendly calendar format. Seeing your past can help shape your future. Timeline Review Discover a fresh perspective with our timeline format. Your past progress is just a scroll away. Personalize Your Colors Add a touch of personality to your journey. Choose a unique color for each habit and elevate your mood while supporting habit continuity. Dark Mode Compatibility Designed for comfort, Dots adjusts to your device's settings, offering a pleasing experience in your preferred theme. Helpful Reminders Stay on track with Dots reminder notifications. Daily reminders aid habit formation, and can be customized for each habit. Privacy First Rest assured that your habit records remain confidential, stored only on your device. Record your thoughts and feelings with peace of mind. Whether it's studying, managing work tasks, keeping up with fitness routines, cooking, cleaning, or maintaining daily routines, Dots is here to help. We've designed the app to be intuitive and user-friendly, perfect for long-term use. We hope Dots can become a valuable ally on your journey through life. Terms of Use: https://tinylab-apps.web.app/TermsOfService/ja.html Privacy Policy: https://tinylab-apps.web.app/PrivacyPolicy/ja.html

About

Simple Diary

Features
Read full description

Forget the pressure of writing long entries. This app makes journaling simple and fun, letting you quickly jot down a single thought, a quick feeling, or the day's highlight. It's designed to fit seamlessly into your busy life, helping you build a positive habit without the fuss. "What's on your mind today?" "How was that meeting?" "Did something make you smile?" Your one-liners become a personal timeline, a digital scrapbook of your journey. Easily look back at your entries through a clean calendar view or a simple list, and rediscover those small, significant moments that make up your unique story. It's about making mindfulness easy and accessible. If you're looking for a simple way to reflect, track your mood, or just keep a quick record of your days, the "One-Liner Journal" is perfect for you. Start capturing your story, one line at a time!

Screenshots

Dots4 screens
Simple Diary2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Diary at none against Dots's 4. Dots's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dots sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Simple Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dots ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple Diary every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and May 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Dots versus Simple Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDotsSimple Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyunosuke NagaseKana Uchida

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Dots

Subscriptions2
  • PREMIUM - MONTHLY14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • PREMIUM - ANNUAL14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • PREMIUM$29.99
  • PREMIUM - LIFETIME$59.99
None

Simple Diary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dots free?
Dots is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Diary free?
Simple Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dots or Simple Diary have ads?
Simple Diary shows ads; Dots does not.
Which is updated more often, Dots or Simple Diary?
Dots ships an update every 3 weeks, and Simple Diary every 3 months. Most recently, Dots was updated on September 24, 2026 and Simple Diary on May 15, 2026.

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