# Sunrise Journal vs PencilDiary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sunrise Journal at none against PencilDiary's 2. Sunrise Journal also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). PencilDiary's advantage is ratings volume (41 vs 5). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PencilDiary sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Sunrise Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sunrise Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PencilDiary has 41 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Sunrise Journal ships an update every 5 days, PencilDiary weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sunrise Journal | PencilDiary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunrise-journal/id6473837013/reviews)** | [4.8 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildiary-notes-pdf-markup/id6739626574/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **41** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yon Montoto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1461254488) | [RABBITEYE LAB LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482497034) |

## What reviewers say

### Sunrise Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunrise-journal/id6473837013)

A simple and private digital journal for capturing thoughts and life events. Personalize your experience with themes and icons. Your entries are securely stored on your device and synced via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Simple journaling interface, Secure on-device storage, iCloud syncing, Customizable themes, Personalizable icons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PencilDiary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildiary-notes-pdf-markup/id6739626574)

This app provides a daily handwritten journal experience with a new page automatically generated each day, organized by date. It offers seamless light and dark mode adaptation with smart color inversion for optimal readability and a minimalist design for focused reflection.

**Highlights:** New page generated daily, organized by date, Automatic light and dark mode with color inversion, Pure handwriting input with Apple Pencil support, Minimalist and distraction-free interface, Ideal for personal growth and reflection, No manual sorting or folder management

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sunrise Journal free?

Sunrise Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PencilDiary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sunrise Journal or PencilDiary?

Sunrise Journal is rated higher. Sunrise Journal averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while PencilDiary averages 4.8 from 41 ratings.

### Do Sunrise Journal or PencilDiary have ads?

Neither Sunrise Journal nor PencilDiary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sunrise Journal or PencilDiary?

Sunrise Journal ships an update every 5 days, and PencilDiary weekly. Most recently, Sunrise Journal was updated on October 22, 2026 and PencilDiary on October 21, 2026.

---

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