Comparison

Play Memo vs Ichigyo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Play Memo

Features
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Play Memo is a memo app that automatically plays your written notes on the screen in a repeated sequence. Designed to help you remember naturally without actively reading, Play Memo can be used for a wide range of purposes, including learning, schedule management, memorization, and motivational phrases. You can continuously view memos, records, or vocabulary lists without touching the screen. Use Cases For Learning Repeated exposure to English words, Japanese words, academic terms, and key sentences for exam preparation. For Work Memorizing frequently used business terms and presentation keywords. Daily Management Reminders for important schedules and to-do items you don’t want to forget. Lifestyle Playing quotes, famous lines, and inspirational phrases during breaks or relaxation time. A Variety of Curated Content We have also prepared a wide range of useful content to enhance your experience with Play Memo, including quotes about happiness, famous movie lines, essential English vocabulary for middle and high school students, and common English idioms. Customization For each memo, you can customize the font type, color, and size, change the background color, or add your own photosβ€”allowing you to create memos that fully reflect your personal style. Summary Play Memo is β€œNot an app for reading notes, but an app that plays your notes.” Play, repeat, remember, and recall. Play Memo smartly manages all your memos for you. * You can find How to Use in the app settings. Made in Canada with LOVE.

About

Ichigyo

Features
Read full description

One small entry. A day worth keeping. Ichigyo is a quiet diary for the days you want to remember, and the days when a few words are enough. Write up to 140 characters a day. A sentence, a thought, or just "Tired." Save it, and you're done. A ROOM MADE OF YOUR DAYS Your entries become monthly and weekly books in a little attic library. Read them on the bookshelf, arrange your room, and look out at a Japanese countryside view that changes from morning to night. As you record more days, furniture and animal companions become available. Past entries count, and you don't need a streak. Gifts you've earned stay available even if you delete an entry. WORDS THAT FIND YOU AGAIN Rediscover an entry from the same day a year ago. When you're just starting, entries from a week or a month ago can return first. Choose your notification time and whether the entry itself appears on your lock screen. NO STREAK TO PROTECT Missed days are simply blank. No red crosses, no broken-streak alerts. Keep the days you write, and come back whenever you like. YOUR DIARY STAYS WITH YOU Diary entries are stored on your device, without an account or automatic cloud sync. Ichigyo does not send your entries to a diary server. Export them as TXT or CSV for free. An optional paid unlock adds password-protected backup export for moving your diary to another device. READ, KEEP, AND SHARE - Browse your calendar, entry list, monthly books, and weekly books. - Revisit the same date across different years. - Save a favorite entry as a poem card, with horizontal or vertical text. - Turn your room, bookshelf, scenery, or keepsake into a wallpaper image. - See a year at a glance and export an image. - Add a widget, with control over whether diary text is shown. OPTIONAL ONE-TIME PURCHASES Writing, basic reading, notifications, TXT/CSV export, and the basic room remain free. No ads or subscriptions. Unlock Journal Features adds four writing themes, app lock with Face ID or device passcode, access to all years in On This Day, A6 PDF books, encrypted backup export, and an alternate app icon. Room and scenery packs are separate purchases: - Lamplit Study: walnut furniture, warm lighting, and decor. - Seaside Window: a seaside view; furniture is not included. - Lakeside Cabin: a lake view, oak furniture, and lakeside decor. - Rainy Street Study: a rainy streetscape, furniture finishes, and decor. - Forest Greenhouse: a garden and greenhouse view, furniture finishes, and decor. - Halloween Study, Christmas Night, and New Year Room: seasonal interiors and decorations, offered during their sale periods. Purchased seasonal items remain usable year-round. Room packs do not include Unlock Journal Features, and that unlock does not include room packs. Companions and diary rewards are earned through recorded days. The scenery and sky use Japan time and a Tokyo-based sky. They do not follow your location or the actual weather. Rainy Street Study and Forest Greenhouse include seasonal scenery changes. JAPANESE AND ENGLISH Use the same app in Japanese or English. Your own entries stay exactly as you wrote them, in any language. A few words today. A little of your life to return to.

Screenshots

Play Memo4 screens
Ichigyo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Play Memo at none against Ichigyo's 9. Play Memo also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.0). Ichigyo's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Ichigyo sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Play Memo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Play Memo versus Ichigyo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlay MemoIchigyo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.4 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size103 MB271 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJisu JungRyo Uejima

In-app purchases

None

Play Memo

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Ichigyo

One-time9
  • Lamplit Study$3.59
  • Seaside Window$3.59
  • Lakeside Cabin$3.59
Show 6 more
  • New Year Room$3.59
  • Forest Greenhouse$3.59
  • Halloween Study$3.59
  • Christmas Night$3.59
  • Rainy Street Study$3.59
  • Unlock Journal Features$4.99

Questions

Is Play Memo free?
Play Memo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ichigyo free?
Ichigyo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Play Memo or Ichigyo have ads?
Play Memo shows ads; Ichigyo does not.
Which is updated more often, Play Memo or Ichigyo?
Play Memo ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ichigyo every 3 weeks. Most recently, Play Memo was updated on October 28, 2026 and Ichigyo on October 31, 2026.

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