# Dnd Character Journal vs Monster Compendium

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Monster Compendium at none against Dnd Character Journal's 1. Monster Compendium also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Dnd Character Journal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dnd Character Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Monster Compendium asks for nothing beyond the download.

Monster Compendium holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dnd Character Journal has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Dnd Character Journal ships an update every 3 months, Monster Compendium every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 4, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dnd Character Journal | Monster Compendium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dnd-character-journal/id6469010732/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-compendium/id6763808338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 61 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528248706) | [Alexandre Gomes Pereira](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895500192) |

## What reviewers say

### Dnd Character Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dnd-character-journal/id6469010732)

This app helps Dungeons & Dragons 5e players manage their characters and campaign world. It offers tools for downtime activities, character development, and campaign documentation, with an optional premium upgrade for more features.

**Highlights:** Downtime activity completion, Character backstory prompts, Campaign world documentation, Session note-taking, In-session inspiration, Share downtime results

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $1.99 | one-time |


### Monster Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-compendium/id6763808338)

This app is a comprehensive resource for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition players, offering detailed monster entries with stat blocks, lore, and images. It features intuitive navigation, a powerful search function, and the ability to organize monsters into custom folders for campaign management.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive monster entries, High-resolution monster images, Detailed spell information, Powerful search function, Customizable monster folders, SRD content and custom content support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dnd Character Journal free?

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

### Is Monster Compendium free?

Monster Compendium is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dnd Character Journal or Monster Compendium?

Monster Compendium is rated higher. Dnd Character Journal averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Monster Compendium averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Dnd Character Journal or Monster Compendium have ads?

Monster Compendium shows ads; Dnd Character Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dnd Character Journal or Monster Compendium?

Dnd Character Journal ships an update every 3 months, and Monster Compendium every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dnd Character Journal was updated on August 4, 2026 and Monster Compendium on September 14, 2026.

---

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