# Private Journal vs Diary with Lock

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Diary with Lock at none against Private Journal's 3. Diary with Lock also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Diary with Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Private Journal ships an update every 9 days, Diary with Lock every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Journal | Diary with Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-with-lock-diary-journal/id6497171567/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 95.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 80 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NELSON GOMES DA SILVA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698928539) | [Simple Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/1687443479) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-journal-auramenta/id6467466490)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auramenta+ Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Auramenta+ Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Auramenta+ Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


### Diary with Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-with-lock-diary-journal/id6497171567)

Securely record daily thoughts, feelings, and memories with a customizable, password-protected digital journal. Enhance entries with photos, audio, and a mood tracker to understand your emotional journey. Offers prompts and themes for inspiration and organization.

**Highlights:** Password and Face ID protection, Multimedia entries (photos, audio), Mood tracking calendar, Customizable themes and fonts, Journal prompts, Tagging for organization, Cloud backup

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🩷 Lovely app
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🩷 Cute and colorful
- ✨ Helpful for expressing emotions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Limited customization options for password recovery

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- More background and font options
- Ability to move photos freely
- Draw own drawings
- Additional background themes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Journal free?

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

### Is Diary with Lock free?

Diary with Lock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Private Journal or Diary with Lock have ads?

Neither Private Journal nor Diary with Lock shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Journal or Diary with Lock?

Private Journal ships an update every 9 days, and Diary with Lock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Private Journal was updated on November 7, 2026 and Diary with Lock on November 8, 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.*