# Buddy Journal vs Cat Note

The clearest difference is ads: Cat Note at none against Buddy Journal's shown. Cat Note also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddy Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Cat Note sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Buddy Journal ships an update every 2 months, Cat Note every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy Journal | Cat Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-journal-cute-diary/id6502621629/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **17** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [瑞媚 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731046721) | [Haiyu Chen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860756664) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-journal-cute-diary/id6502621629)

This app provides a user-friendly space to record daily thoughts, moods, and memories. It offers extensive customization options with backgrounds and stickers to personalize your entries and is accessible on mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Intuitive interface for easy journaling, Personalized backgrounds and stickers, Add text and images to entries, Record daily moods and memories, Mobile convenience for on-the-go use, iPad compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus version | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Quarterly | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro version | $9.99 | one-time |


### Cat Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-note-todo-and-diary/id6756651571)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cute Pro | $0.99 | one-time |
| 購買咖啡 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 貓咪零食 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 貓咪粉絲 | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy Journal free?

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

### Is Cat Note free?

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

### Do Buddy Journal or Cat Note have ads?

Buddy Journal shows ads; Cat Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy Journal or Cat Note?

Buddy Journal ships an update every 2 months, and Cat Note every 5 days. Most recently, Buddy Journal was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cat Note on October 25, 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.*