# Runbuds vs Zeitgeist Journal & Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Runbuds at none against Zeitgeist Journal & Diary's 2. Runbuds also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and review sentiment (96% vs 88%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Zeitgeist Journal & Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Runbuds asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Runbuds against 4.9 for Zeitgeist Journal & Diary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 69 and 14 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Runbuds's written reviews are positive against 88% of Zeitgeist Journal & Diary's.

Runbuds ships an update every 2 days, Zeitgeist Journal & Diary weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Runbuds | Zeitgeist Journal & Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runbuds/id6744413545/reviews) | **[4.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zeitgeist-journal-and-diary/id6751783015/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **69** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **96.3% of reviews** | 87.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 56 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 27 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Light Nudge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731016560) | [Marcel Wichmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/980375719) |

## What reviewers say

### Runbuds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runbuds/id6744413545)

This app allows you to run with friends in real-time, seeing each other's avatars on a virtual track. It includes a run tracker with lock screen support, group relay challenges, and detailed performance statistics with shareable visualizations.

**Highlights:** Real-time avatar tracking, Live lock screen activities, Group relay challenges, Detailed run statistics, Shareable run visualizations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun interface
- 👍 Seamless performance
- 👍 Actively updated with new features
- 👍 Motivating community
- 👍 Social and engaging


### Zeitgeist Journal & Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zeitgeist-journal-and-diary/id6751783015)

This app encourages daily journaling by focusing on short, quick entries rather than long, perfect ones. It provides a private space to record thoughts and observations, helping to reduce stress and improve emotional clarity over time. Entries are securely stored and form a personal timeline of your life.

**Highlights:** Short, quick daily entries, Private and secure storage, Reduces stress and improves clarity, Builds a personal life timeline, No audience or social pressure, iCloud synchronization

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Zeitgeist Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Zeitgeist Plus | $22.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Runbuds free?

Runbuds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Zeitgeist Journal & Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Runbuds or Zeitgeist Journal & Diary?

Zeitgeist Journal & Diary is rated higher. Runbuds averages 4.8 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Zeitgeist Journal & Diary averages 4.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do Runbuds or Zeitgeist Journal & Diary have ads?

Neither Runbuds nor Zeitgeist Journal & Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Runbuds or Zeitgeist Journal & Diary?

Runbuds ships an update every 2 days, and Zeitgeist Journal & Diary weekly. Most recently, Runbuds was updated on October 30, 2026 and Zeitgeist Journal & Diary on November 11, 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.*