# Photo Journal vs Chelf

The clearest difference is ads: Photo Journal at none against Chelf's shown. Chelf's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Photo Journal sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chelf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Photo Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Chelf every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Photo Journal | Chelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-journal-picdiary/id6560104295/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **94** | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 119 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benedikt Kehl-Waas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584995934) | [Nathan Ross](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841088517) |

## What reviewers say

### Photo Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-journal-picdiary/id6560104295)

Capture and cherish daily life moments with this photo and video journal. Store up to 5 photos/videos and notes per day, with features like a calendar view, voice notes, and random memory recaps. Export your memories or share them with loved ones.

**Highlights:** Calendar view for daily highlights, Store up to 5 photos/videos and notes daily, Record short videos or use gallery clips, Voice notes with AI transcription, Random daily memory recaps, Monthly story format for highlights, Easy sharing and export options

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PicDiary Pro - 1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| PicDiary Pro - 1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| PicDiary Pro - monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| PicDiary Pro - 1 year | $17.99 | per year |
| PicDiary Pro - 1 year | $17.99 | per year |
| PicDiary Pro - 1 year | $19.99 | per year |
| PicDiary Pro - yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| PicDiary Pro - lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| PicDiary Pro – Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🖼️ Great for photo journaling
- ✨ Fun and engaging prompts
- 🗓️ Nice calendar view
- 📝 Easy to add text entries

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Limited photo uploads in free version
- 🐛 Bug with text overwriting/deletion
- 🚫 Can't add multiple entries per day
- 🚫 Difficulty adding older entries
- 🚫 Limited background color options

**Reported bugs**

- Existing entries deleted without warning when adding new ones to the same day
- Cursor not explicitly at the end of text leads to overwriting/deletion
- Potential synchronization issues between devices
- Text not saved in some instances

**Requested features**

- Add video support
- Allow multiple entries per day
- Ability to export journal entry and photo together (like Polaroid)
- Additional font options
- More milestone options


### Chelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chelf/id6752807043)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chelf Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| Chelf Pro Yearly | $18.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Photo Journal free?

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

### Is Chelf free?

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

### Do Photo Journal or Chelf have ads?

Chelf shows ads; Photo Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Photo Journal or Chelf?

Photo Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chelf every 8 days. Most recently, Photo Journal was updated on November 5, 2026 and Chelf 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.*