# Big Yellow Diary vs Diary Journal with Lock

The clearest difference is ads: Big Yellow Diary at none against Diary Journal with Lock's shown. Big Yellow Diary also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Big Yellow Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Diary Journal with Lock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Big Yellow Diary ships an update every 6 days, Diary Journal with Lock every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Big Yellow Diary | Diary Journal with Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id6748128912/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [山 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679305097) | [Yash Baraiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701081026) |

## What reviewers say

### Big Yellow Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-yellow-diary/id6739752316)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus version | $1.99 | one-time |


### Diary Journal with Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-journal-with-lock/id6748128912)

Capture your thoughts, track your mood, and build a journaling habit in a secure, customizable space. This app offers guided prompts, mood insights, and expressive tools to help you reflect and grow.

**Highlights:** Daily journal and notes, Private diary lock (PIN, pattern, fingerprint), Customizable themes, colors, and fonts, Mood tracker with insightful charts, Smart templates for guided writing, Diary streaks and habit tracking, Auto backup and sync

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Big Yellow Diary free?

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

### Is Diary Journal with Lock free?

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

### Do Big Yellow Diary or Diary Journal with Lock have ads?

Diary Journal with Lock shows ads; Big Yellow Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Big Yellow Diary or Diary Journal with Lock?

Big Yellow Diary ships an update every 6 days, and Diary Journal with Lock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Big Yellow Diary was updated on October 25, 2026 and Diary Journal with Lock 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.*