# Dots vs Simple Diary

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dots | Simple Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-widget-habit-tracker/id6450165266/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 91 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ryunosuke Nagase](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506451599) | [Kana Uchida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819475901) |

## What reviewers say

### Dots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-widget-habit-tracker/id6450165266)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PREMIUM - MONTHLY | $1.99 | per month |
| PREMIUM - ANNUAL | $24.99 | per year |
| PREMIUM | $29.99 | one-time |
| PREMIUM - LIFETIME | $59.99 | one-time |


### Simple Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-myjot/id6747032449)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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