# MD vs Honest Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Honest Journal at none against MD's 3. Honest Journal also leads on ads (none vs shown). MD's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MD sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Honest Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MD | Honest Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/honest-journal/id6751611724/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 86 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RaynearSoft LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585996891) | [Jose Garcia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835047048) |

## What reviewers say

### MD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/md-journal-secure-diary/id6479233700)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| remove advertisement | $49.99 | one-time |


### Honest Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/honest-journal/id6751611724)

This app offers a serene space for daily reflection and gratitude journaling. It features a clean interface, gentle reminders, and a focus on privacy by storing entries locally. Track your progress with a streak counter and enjoy a clutter-free writing experience.

**Highlights:** Clean writing experience, Calendar history, Daily reminders, Private local storage, Daily prompt, Streak tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MD free?

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

### Is Honest Journal free?

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

### Do MD or Honest Journal have ads?

MD shows ads; Honest Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, MD or Honest Journal?

MD ships an update every 6 months, and Honest Journal every 6 months. Most recently, MD was updated on November 4, 2026 and Honest Journal on October 30, 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.*