# Notebook vs My Diary

Notebook and My Diary both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of My Diary's written reviews are positive against 73% of Notebook's. My Diary also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 134). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and My Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Notebook against 4.7 for My Diary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 134, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 100% of My Diary's.

Notebook ships an update every 9 days, My Diary every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | My Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301/reviews)** | [4.7 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-diary-private-notes/id1621005308/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 134 |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koji Ito](https://appshunter.io/developer/334329056) | [晋荣 梁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620342223) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301)

This app offers a natural journaling experience by organizing daily notes on a single page, allowing you to flip through your entries like a physical book. It prioritizes simplicity, security with passcode locks, and seamless iCloud synchronization for easy access across devices.

**Highlights:** Realistic page-turning effect, One page per day organization, iCloud sync and backup, Passcode lock with Face ID/Touch ID, Dark mode and font adjustment, Ad-free Premium option

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Convenient for journaling and note-taking
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Organized by date

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🚫 Unable to insert photos or attachments
- 🚫 Limited formatting options
- 🚫 No cloud sync or backup
- 🚫 Not compatible with iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Deleting entries causes the app to crash
- Long entries can cause the app to become unresponsive
- Password feature doesn't always work as expected

**Requested features**

- Add ability to insert photos and attachments
- Implement cloud sync and backup
- Allow more formatting options (font, size, color, bold, italic, etc.)
- Develop an iPad version with optimized layout
- Add a search function to easily find past entries


### My Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-diary-private-notes/id1621005308)

This app serves as a digital notebook for recording daily life and creative thoughts. It offers powerful editing tools, customizable backgrounds, and a decision-making turntable to help with everyday choices. Enhance your entries with unique fonts and special effects.

**Highlights:** Journal editing with cute maps and pattern fonts, Decision turntable for daily choices, Brush function with Apple Pencil support, Theme special effects for vivid entries, Customizable stationery backgrounds

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 月度订阅 | $3.49 | per month |
| 季度订阅 | $7.49 | per 3 months |
| Year Version | $13.49 | per year |
| 永久会员 | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Is My Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notebook or My Diary?

Notebook is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while My Diary averages 4.7 from 134 ratings.

### Do Notebook or My Diary have ads?

Both Notebook and My Diary show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notebook or My Diary?

Notebook ships an update every 9 days, and My Diary every 8 days. Most recently, Notebook was updated on September 24, 2026 and My Diary on September 15, 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.*