# Simple Diary vs Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Diary at none against Diary's 1. Simple Diary also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simple Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Simple Diary against 5.0 for Diary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Diary has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 days, Diary every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Diary | Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-simplytoday/id6749193661/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-hope-tree/id6753673053/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 75 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [sangwoo lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823386206) | [Kam Hung Cheung](https://appshunter.io/developer/902913767) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-diary-simplytoday/id6749193661)

Record your daily moments, thoughts, and moods in a private, minimalist journal. Add photos, track your emotions, and visualize your life with a calendar view. Secure your entries with a password and back them up to Google Drive.

**Highlights:** Simple daily journaling, Calendar view, Photo attachment, Privacy protection, Google Drive backup, Dark/Light modes, Font & reminder options

**In-app purchases:** none


### Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-hope-tree/id6753673053)

A private journaling app designed for reflection and personal growth. It offers a peaceful space to record daily thoughts, set simple goals, and reflect without pressure. A gentle cat companion is present throughout your journaling experience.

**Highlights:** Private journaling, Goal setting, Daily reflection, Cat companion, No pressure or streaks, Ad-free experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hope Tree Companion Plus Lifetime | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Diary free?

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

### Is Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple Diary or Diary?

Simple Diary and Diary are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Simple Diary or Diary have ads?

Neither Simple Diary nor Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Diary or Diary?

Simple Diary ships an update every 2 days, and Diary every 3 weeks. Most recently, Simple Diary was updated on September 10, 2026 and Diary on August 29, 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.*