# OneLife vs the waterfall

The clearest difference is update cadence: OneLife at every 3 weeks against the waterfall's every 3 months. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. OneLife sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and the waterfall sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OneLife against 5.0 for the waterfall. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of OneLife's written reviews are positive against 88% of the waterfall's.

OneLife ships an update every 3 weeks, the waterfall every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | OneLife | the waterfall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onelife-easy-and-private-diary/id6462454414/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-waterfall/id6470706449/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | **95.2% of reviews** | 88.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 87 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [炜东 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1651122567) | [文杰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1590258684) |

## What reviewers say

### OneLife

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onelife-easy-and-private-diary/id6462454414)

This app offers a private journaling experience with a vintage feel. It allows users to revisit past entries from the same date, creating a nostalgic journey. All data is stored locally on your device, with optional iCloud sync for safekeeping.

**Highlights:** Vintage diary experience, Daily past entry reviews, Local data storage, Optional iCloud sync, Add multiple photos, Customizable review times

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly (Education) | $7.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


### the waterfall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-waterfall/id6470706449)

This app serves as a personal introspection companion, allowing users to record thoughts, ideas, and memories. It features guided questions for deeper self-reflection, supports Markdown for expressive text, and allows tagging and image association with entries. Data is stored locally and synced with iCloud for privacy.

**Highlights:** Guided self-reflection questions, Markdown support for text, Tagging and image association, Local data storage with iCloud sync, Pinning important memories, Record reading notes and movie reviews

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WATERFALL UPGRADE | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OneLife free?

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

### Is the waterfall free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OneLife or the waterfall?

OneLife and the waterfall are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do OneLife or the waterfall have ads?

Neither OneLife nor the waterfall shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OneLife or the waterfall?

OneLife ships an update every 3 weeks, and the waterfall every 3 months. Most recently, OneLife was updated on November 3, 2026 and the waterfall on November 3, 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.*