First diary, Theme Diary vs Nib Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First diary, Theme Diary
This app helps you journal your daily experiences with themes, emotions, and media. Record events with photos, videos, and location, and organize them privately. Premium features offer unlimited entries and media.
- Themed event recording
- Emotion and level tracking
- Add photos and videos
- Location information
- Secret themes and events
- Passcode and biometric protection
- iCloud sync
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A themed diary app that allows you to write as many times as you like in a day. In addition to images, videos, and location information, you can also record your emotions at the time. Recommended as a first diary --- theme --- Write down events based on the theme. Since the theme is decided, there is no need to worry about what to write. theme example ·family ·child ·pets ·work ·study ·hobby ·gourmet ·trip ·love affair You can add accents with emojis and colors. You can change the display order by long-pressing the list. You can hide it by setting it to a secret theme. --- event --- Since it is written in short sentences (150 characters or less), it is easy to write and lasts a long time. You can also write in long sentences. (Premium feature) Since I write about events by theme, I don't have to worry about not having anything to write about. You can write as many times as you like in a day, so it can also be used to keep track of time. You can add up to 4 photos or videos. (Expandable with premium features) You can also add location information, which is useful for recording your food trips and travels. You can add tags and display events with the same tag across themes. You can hide it by setting it as a secret event. --- Photos and videos --- Photos and videos are loaded and displayed from the photo library. You can rest assured that the storage data capacity of the app will not increase even if you add many photos and videos. If you delete it from your photo library, you will no longer be able to view it from the app, but the thumbnail will remain. Photos taken from the app are saved in the photo library, so Please set permissions for full access to your photo library. --- Emotions and Levels --- You can record emotions (moods and feelings) and their levels in events. The same emotion can be expressed in different degrees, such as being happy or very happy. It is displayed in emojis and meters for easy viewing and understanding. --- Privacy --- You can hide themes and events by making them "secret." You can rest assured that it will not be seen by anyone who does not know how to display it. You can also hide the display method description itself. You can protect the entire app by setting a passcode. Your passcode is securely stored in your keychain. It also supports biometric authentication such as Face ID and Touch ID. --- iCloud --- Data is saved in iCloud, so there is no need for backup operations. You can sync with multiple devices such as iPhone and iPad. --- Premium Features --- - No character limit - No limit on number of images - Hide advertisements - Shows current weather and temperature Please see below for terms and conditions regarding subscription and use of paid features. 1. Privacy Policy: https://gsoft.jp/privacypolicy/ 2. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Nib Journal
A private digital notebook designed to capture daily thoughts and observations, offering a paper-like journaling experience. It includes features for daily entries, monthly summaries, habit tracking, and gratitude logging, with an optional one-time purchase for advanced widgets and iCloud backup.
- Daily journal entries
- One Line a Day feature
- Habit tracker
- Gratitude log
- Monthly highlights
- Life balance radar
- Optional iCloud backup
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Nib Journal: write down the small things, quietly. The feel of a paper bullet journal, on your iPhone. Not a to-do manager. Not a streak counter. A private notebook for what you noticed today, just for you. ■ Daily • One day per page, or three days together. Your choice. • A title and a few lines, written at your own pace. • Attach photos: a handwritten note, or a view from your day. • Swipe to turn the page, like a real notebook. ■ Monthly • "One Line a Day": one line for every day of the month. • Widgets to look back on your month: - Monthly Tasks - Habit Tracker (up to 6 habits) - Gratitude Log - Monthly Highlights - Life Balance (a radar of the areas you choose), and more • Each month is saved on its own. Change your setup next month and past months stay as they were. ■ Made to keep going • No reminders. No "you missed a day" notifications. • Write when you want, as much as you want. • A calm, paper-like design that's easy on the eyes. ■ Pro (one-time purchase, in-app purchase) Pay once and keep it. Not a subscription. • Home Screen widget "Habit Tracker": see this month's habits at a glance. • iCloud backup (data): bring your entries back when you switch phones. • Extra widgets: Daily Tracker, Mood & Sleep, Mood Calendar, Reading Log, Life Balance. Everything you write stays on your iPhone (except the optional Pro iCloud backup). No account needed. Start with one line today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Nib Journal at none against First diary, Theme Diary's shown. Nib Journal also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. First diary, Theme Diary sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 2 months and Nib Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
First diary, Theme Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, Nib Journal every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First diary, Theme Diary | Nib Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 131 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | G-SOFT | mami hara |
Customer experience
First diary, Theme Diary
Nib Journal
In-app purchases
First diary, Theme Diary
- Show weather$0.992 Months
- Hide ads$0.991 Month
- Number of images$1.99
- Character limit$1.99
- Show weather$3.99
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- Hide ads (Unlimited)$9.99
- Unlock passcode$19.99
Nib Journal
- Pro$7.99
Questions
Is First diary, Theme Diary free?
Is Nib Journal free?
Do First diary, Theme Diary or Nib Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, First diary, Theme Diary or Nib Journal?
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