Comparison

Happy Five vs Simple Journal

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

Head to head
About

Happy Five

Features
Read full description

Happy Five is a simple app that helps you notice the good in every day. Many people look for big changes to feel happier, but real improvement often comes from small daily habits. Research on gratitude shows that writing down positive moments each day can lift your mood, reduce stress, and improve well-being over time.With Happy Five, you don't need to set anything up. Every day a new card appears with 5 spots. Just write what you enjoyed: a good coffee, a nice message, a walk, a funny moment, anything. It takes almost no time. When you want to look back, use the search bar to find and sort past entries, or export them anytime in CSV or PDF format.You can also rate your day with a quick slider, set reminders that only trigger if you forgot to fill in your card, view statistics, see the current moon phase and holiday information, and add or delete a day if needed. All these core features are free, without any paywalls or ads. A donation to the project is more than welcome if you enjoy the app.Privacy comes first. You can lock the app with Face ID or Touch ID. Your data stays tied to your Apple ID and completely private. Write 5 things. See more good. Feel a bit better each day.

About

Simple Journal

Features
Read full description

Welcome to Simple Journal, a minimalist and beautifully designed diary app crafted to help you capture your thoughts, memories, and daily reflections without the clutter. We believe that journaling should be a private, peaceful experience. That is why Simple Journal is 100% ad-free, works entirely offline, and requires no account. Your data stays on your device, exactly where it belongs. FREE FEATURES: Minimalist Design A calm, modern interface designed specifically to keep you focused on writing. No clutter, no distractions, just you and your thoughts. Photo Attachments A picture is worth a thousand words. Seamlessly attach images from your camera roll directly to your journal entries to capture visual memories alongside your reflections. Markdown Formatting Express yourself clearly. Use simple markdown syntax to easily add bold text, italics, and bulleted lists to your daily notes. 100% Offline & Private Simple Journal lives exclusively on your device. We do not use servers, we do not require an account, and your data never leaves your phone. Swipe & Organize Effortlessly manage your diary timeline with intuitive gestures. Quickly swipe to delete or long-press on entries for fast management. Dark Mode Ready Beautifully adapts to your phone’s system light and dark modes for comfortable late-night writing and reflection. SIMPLE JOURNAL PRO (Premium Subscription): Upgrade to Pro to unlock advanced privacy and personalization features while supporting independent development: Biometric Privacy Lock Keep prying eyes out. Lock your entire journal securely behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. 30-Day Writing Heatmap Build a consistent habit. Visually track your journaling consistency over the last month with an elegant activity heatmap. 9 Custom Themes Personalize your diary. Choose from a curated palette of beautiful, modern color themes to match your personal aesthetic. Secure TXT Export Future-proof your memories. Export your entire journal into a plain text (.txt) file at any time to back it up or save it to your computer. Experience a cleaner way to write. Download Simple Journal today and start your private journaling journey. Eula for in app purchases: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Happy Five4 screens
Simple Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Simple Journal at 13.0 against Happy Five's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Happy Five sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Simple Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Happy Five ships an update weekly, Simple Journal every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Happy Five versus Simple Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHappy FiveSimple Journal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly β€” betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS17.013.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJens SomersSick App Developers GmbH

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Happy Five

One-time1
  • Development Contribution$3.99
2 purchases

Simple Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Simple Journal Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Simple Journal Premium Yearly$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Happy Five free?
Happy Five is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Journal free?
Simple Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Happy Five or Simple Journal have ads?
Neither Happy Five nor Simple Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Happy Five or Simple Journal?
Happy Five ships an update weekly, and Simple Journal every 10 days. Most recently, Happy Five was updated on October 31, 2026 and Simple Journal on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons