Comparison

Daylight vs Diary

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

Head to head
About

Daylight

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You know you should sleep. But your thumb keeps scrolling. DayLight is a tiny behavior-change tool designed to help late-night scrollers quit staying up too late — without shame, data overload, or complex routines. - Daytime: write a promise to your future self Once a day, DayLight gently asks: “If you don’t stay up late tonight, what do you gain?” Write your own reason or pick from smart suggestions Tap confirm and light up today’s first lamp — a tiny commitment from day-you to night-you - Nighttime: a soft reminder at the decision moment Around your chosen bedtime, DayLight brings back that message: “Day-you left this for you: …” Put your phone down and light the second lamp to complete today’s “light chain” Or keep scrolling — the lamp fades out with a small sense of “what a pity,” not guilt - Light chain: build your streak with kindness Two lamps a day form a simple chain of light Watch it grow as you go to bed earlier, one night at a time Miss a day? No punishment, no shaming — just start again tomorrow - Built on behavior science, not fear or FOMO No complicated dashboards or scary sleep charts No “you failed X days in a row” messages Minimal design focused on one thing only: quitting late nights, gently - Made for modern night owls You scroll, watch, or game yourself past midnight You wake up tired and promise “tonight will be different” You don’t want a full-on life overhaul — you just want to go to bed earlier, a little more often DayLight is where you start. One promise. Two lamps. A kinder path out of late nights.

About

Diary

Capture fleeting moments and emotions in a private digital journal. Record thoughts, add photos, and even audio to preserve your life's story. Enjoy a serene writing experience with beautiful typography and a book-like interface.

Highlights
  • Local encrypted storage
  • Password protection
  • Photo embedding
  • Audio recording
  • Book-like page turning animation
  • Weather and location integration
  • Customizable typography
Features
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生活太快,我们常常来不及停下来,看清自己走过的路。 那些细碎的喜悦、隐秘的难过、转瞬即逝的感动…… 如果不写下来,就真的会永远消失。 日记,是你留给自己的最后一处安静角落。 在这里,你终于可以慢下来,和过去的自己对话,和未来的自己相遇。 把今天写下来,就是把人生最真实的模样,留给未来的自己。像故事一样记录 大仿宋书卷字体,纸张般的阅读质感 农历 + 二十四节气 + 实时天气 + 精准位置(支持区县) 图片自然嵌入正文,像老照片一样安静地躺在文字之间 随时录音,留住那一刻的声音与情绪 像翻书一样阅读 卡片式列表 + 书本翻页动画,双击呼出菜单。 滑动时,天气与位置随页面缓缓淡出,仿佛真的在翻阅自己的人生故事。私密且安心 本地加密存储,支持密码保护。 所有回忆,只属于你自己。当你某天深夜翻开这些文字, 你会忽然明白: 原来自己曾这样活过, 原来生活曾这样美好, 原来自己一直值得被温柔对待。把今天写下来, 把明天留给未来的自己。开始你的日记之旅 —— 把生活写成故事,把时光留成最珍贵的回忆。

Screenshots

Daylight4 screens
Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Daylight at none against Diary's 1. Diary's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Daylight asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Daylight ships an update monthly, Diary every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
Daylight versus Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDaylightDiary
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.618.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer洪渐 张雪萃 杜

In-app purchases

None

Daylight

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Diary

One-time1
  • 解锁Premium$4.99

Questions

Is Daylight free?
Daylight is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Diary free?
Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Daylight or Diary have ads?
Neither Daylight nor Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Daylight or Diary?
Daylight ships an update monthly, and Diary every 2 days. Most recently, Daylight was updated on October 28, 2026 and Diary on October 31, 2026.

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