Comparison

Diary vs TrueBird

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

Head to head
About

Diary

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
Read full description

Diary – Hope Tree A quiet place to write, reflect, and grow — with a gentle cat by your side. Diary – Hope Tree is a simple, private growth diary for everyday life. There’s no pressure to be productive, positive, or consistent. Just a calm space to show up as you are. Write a few words about your day. Note a small step toward something you care about — even if it’s for tomorrow. Reflect honestly, even when things feel hard. Nothing more is required. A gentle way to grow Diary — write what happened today, even the ordinary things Hope — keep a simple goal you’re growing toward Reflection — a few honest words are enough Action — note a small step, past or future Tool - to support the hope No streaks. No scores. No pressure to “do better”. A quiet companion Your cat doesn’t guide, judge, or demand anything. It simply stays with you — day by day — as you write and grow at your own pace. Private by design Private — your entries are yours No ads Nothing is shared This is your personal space. Always. For people who... Want to keep a diary without feeling guilty Prefer honesty over positivity Need a calm place during busy or difficult times Care about privacy and simplicity If you want a quiet place to exist, reflect, and grow — Hope Tree is here. It is a space for reflection, intention-setting, and gentle daily practices. Private by design Your entries are yours No ads No subscription required Nothing is shared Your diary stays personal, simple, and calm.

About

TrueBird

Read full description

TrueBird is for readers and thoughtful people who want to keep a meaningful line before it slips away. Save a quote in seconds, then find it again through search, your calendar, widgets, and gentle reminders. Your library starts on your device, with no TrueBird account and no advertising. CAPTURE WITHOUT FRICTION • Save with only the quote, or add a title, source, original link, date, and color tags. • Bring text or a URL into an editable draft through the Share Extension. • Edit or delete saved quotes, with undo protection for accidental deletion. MEET YOUR WORDS AGAIN • Browse today’s Nest and return to a recent line when today is empty. • Search across the quote, title, source, and tags. • Use the calendar to revisit quotes by the day you found them. • Place a Small or Medium widget on your Home Screen and move to the next quote. • Schedule up to eight local quote reminders on each device. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Local storage is the default. • Optional private iCloud sync can keep eligible quotes and tags across your Apple devices. • No developer account, ads, or third-party analytics SDKs. START FREE Save two new quotes free each local device day. A one-time Lifetime Unlock removes the new-save limit; it is not a subscription. Customers who previously bought TrueBird keep unlimited saving. Reading, search, editing, deletion, widgets, reminders, themes, and optional iCloud remain available without purchase.

Screenshots

Diary4 screens
TrueBird4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TrueBird at none against Diary's 1. TrueBird also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Diary ships an update fortnightly, TrueBird every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Diary versus TrueBird: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDiaryTrueBird
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKam Hung CheungYoungWon Studio

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Diary

One-time1
  • Hope Tree Companion Plus Lifetime$3.99
None

TrueBird

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Diary free?
Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TrueBird free?
TrueBird is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Diary or TrueBird have ads?
Neither Diary nor TrueBird shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Diary or TrueBird?
Diary ships an update fortnightly, and TrueBird every 2 days. Most recently, Diary was updated on November 9, 2026 and TrueBird on November 10, 2026.

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