# Diary, Private Journal vs Secret Diary

The clearest difference is rating: Diary, Private Journal at 4.9 against Secret Diary's 4.4. Diary, Private Journal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (41 vs 11). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary, Private Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year and Secret Diary sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Diary, Private Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 11 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and August 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary, Private Journal | Secret Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-private-journal-diario/id6484153948/reviews)** | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-private-journal/id6739699394/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **41** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 106 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Majestica Lab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733618788) | [Chandan Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1786559128) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary, Private Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-private-journal-diario/id6484153948)

Securely record your thoughts and memories in a private digital journal. Create personalized entries and protect them with a passcode for peace of mind. Start your daily journaling habit with this easy-to-use application.

**Highlights:** Personalized diaries, Add notes, Passcode protection, Daily journaling, Secure entries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Annual, 3 days free | $29.99 | per year |


### Secret Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-private-journal/id6739699394)

This app provides a secure and customizable space for journaling, mood tracking, and memory keeping. Enhance your entries with photos, stickers, and personalized themes. Organize your thoughts with tags and find them easily with smart search.

**Highlights:** Secure passcode, pattern, or password lock, Mood tracking and emotional analytics, Add photos, stickers, and backgrounds to entries, Organize entries with tags, Customizable themes, fonts, and colors, Backup and restore functionality, Daily writing reminders

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diary Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Diary Premium Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Diary Annual Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Diary Premium - Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |
| Diary premium lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary, Private Journal free?

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

### Is Secret Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Diary, Private Journal or Secret Diary?

Diary, Private Journal is rated higher. Diary, Private Journal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Secret Diary averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

### Do Diary, Private Journal or Secret Diary have ads?

Secret Diary shows ads; Diary, Private Journal does not.

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

Diary, Private Journal ships an update fortnightly, and Secret Diary fortnightly. Most recently, Diary, Private Journal was updated on September 18, 2026 and Secret Diary on August 18, 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.*