Comparison

LOOP vs Journal

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

Head to head
About

LOOP

Features
Read full description

/LOOP offers two distinct journaling modes to capture different parts of your life. SOLAR MODE — For the day: Bright, bold, uppercase. Use Solar mode to capture concrete moments: what happened, what you did, what you saw. It's designed for quick, real-time entries about your daily life. LUNAR MODE — For reflection: Soft, lowercase, contemplative. Use Lunar mode for thoughts, feelings, and introspection. It's a space for processing emotions and dreams before they fade. YOUR WORDS BECOME ART: Each entry is analyzed to generate unique visual DNA based on its mood, energy, rhythm, and other linguistic patterns. Your words transform into generative artwork that reflects the essence of what you wrote. FEATURES • Two journaling modes with distinct visual styles • Voice-to-text dictation with real-time transcription • Automatic generative art for every entry • Calendar view to track your journaling habit • Edit and revisit past entries anytime • Choose your default mode (Solar or Lunar) • Clean, minimal interface with no distractions HOW IT WORKS Open the app and choose Solar or Lunar. Write or speak your entry. When you save, LOOP analyzes your text and generates unique artwork. Return anytime to browse your archive and see your journey.

About

Journal

A private, offline diary and notes app that keeps your thoughts secure on your device. Write freely, set custom reminders, and track your progress with a distraction-free editor. Everything is encrypted and stored locally for ultimate privacy.

Highlights
  • Private offline diary
  • Secure with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode
  • Encrypted local storage
  • Customizable reminders
  • Home screen widget for quick capture
  • Mood and tag tracking
  • Writing streak and mood trend analysis
Features
Read full description

Journal is a private diary and reminders app that keeps everything on your device. No accounts, no cloud sync, no tracking — your words never leave your iPhone. A secure place to write Write freely in a clean, distraction-free editor. Your journal is protected by Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode, and entries are encrypted on your device. Add moods and tags, revisit past entries by date, and search everything instantly. Reminders that use your own words Jot down to-dos, plans, or affirmations and let Journal remind you at the times you choose. Turn notifications on or off per note, so you're nudged about what matters and left alone about what doesn't. Quick capture A home screen widget lets you capture a thought the moment it hits — no need to open the app and find the right screen. Track your rhythm See your writing streaks, mood trends over time, and a calendar view of your journaling history. Yours, and only yours Everything is stored locally and encrypted. There are no accounts to create and nothing is uploaded to a server. Export or make an encrypted backup whenever you want. Private by design. Simple by choice.

Screenshots

LOOP4 screens
Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: LOOP at 3 against Journal's 1. LOOP also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LOOP ships an update every 3 months, Journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
LOOP versus Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLOOPJournal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeixuan LiTag Studios Limited Liability Company

In-app purchases

None

LOOP

No in-app purchases

None

Journal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LOOP free?
LOOP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Journal free?
Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LOOP or Journal have ads?
Neither LOOP nor Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LOOP or Journal?
LOOP ships an update every 3 months, and Journal every 2 months. Most recently, LOOP was updated on October 17, 2026 and Journal on October 21, 2026.

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