Comparison

Hibi vs Dear Diary,

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

Head to head
About

Hibi

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A minimalist journal for capturing everyday life. No habits to track. No moods to log. Just write โ€” whenever you feel like it. โ€ข Clean, distraction-free design โ€ข Private and simple โ€ข Made for thoughts, moments, and small details For people who just want to write, not optimize their life.

About

Dear Diary,

Features
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However today finds you โ€” you're welcome here. Dear Diary, is a private diary for people who could never quite stick with journaling, and for the nights it gets heavy. It's tiny when you want it โ€” one line is a win โ€” and there for you when you need more than a blank page. Vent, then close the page. When something's too much, set it down. Then, if you like, a gentle companion meets you: it reflects your own words back, helps you name what you're feeling, and leaves you a little lighter. It's on your device, it's yours, and it's comfort โ€” not therapy. Private to the bone. No account. No sign-in. No ads, no tracking, no one reading your words โ€” not even the developer. Lock an entry and it's truly encrypted. Keep a hidden journal. Export everything, anytime. Your words never leave your device unless you turn on sync to your own private iCloud. A diary that remembers with you. โ€ข Write, talk it out, or brain-dump โ€” one line or a page โ€ข A calm space for hard moments: breathe, ground, be kind to yourself โ€ข Notice the gentle threads that run through your days โ€ข Letters to your future self, sealed until a date you choose โ€ข Soundtrack an entry with the song you had on โ€ข Look back gently โ€” your patterns, your constellation, your year โ€ข Moods, tags, photos, voice memos, calendar, and On This Day Made to feel like yours. Templates and prompts for when the page feels daunting, themes and colors to make it home, and a design that stays calm and out of the way. Free, and fair. Writing, the gentle close, crisis resources, locking, and export are free forever. Dear Diary, Plus adds the deeper reflective views, unlimited letters, soundtracks, Apple Health, and cross-device sync โ€” with no retroactive paywalls. What you buy, you keep. A note on care. Dear Diary, is a journaling companion, not therapy or medical treatment. If you're struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a crisis line โ€” there's a support card a tap away. Named in tribute to the Bring Me The Horizon song. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the band. โ€” Support & privacy Questions or feedback: venetsia@icloud.com Support: https://venetsia.github.io/dear-diary-support/ Privacy Policy: https://venetsia.github.io/dear-diary-support/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://venetsia.github.io/dear-diary-support/terms.html

Screenshots

Hibi4 screens
Dear Diary,4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hibi at none against Dear Diary,'s 3. Hibi also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Dear Diary, sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Hibi asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Hibi versus Dear Diary,: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHibiDear Diary,
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac โ€” better
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size92 MB7 MB
Age rating4+9+
Developerๅซšๅ› ๅงœVenetsia Krasteva

In-app purchases

None

Hibi

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Dear Diary,

Subscriptions2
  • Dear Diary Plus (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Dear Diary Plus (Yearly)14 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Dear Diary Plus (Lifetime)$69.99

Questions

Is Hibi free?
Hibi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dear Diary, free?
Dear Diary, is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hibi or Dear Diary, have ads?
Neither Hibi nor Dear Diary, shows ads.

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