Pixel Journal vs Pink Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pixel Journal
Visually track your moods and daily habits with a simple tap. Watch your year unfold in a colorful pixel grid, revealing emotional patterns without any writing. Build a consistent journaling habit effortlessly.
- Year in Pixels view
- Simple daily check-in
- Track mood and habits
- Visual data patterns
- Privacy-focused, on-device data
Read full descriptionHide full description
Track your mood, one pixel at a time. Pixel Journal is a beautiful Year in Pixels mood tracker that helps you visualize your emotional journey throughout the year. No typing required — just tap, reflect, and watch your year take shape in colors. WHY PIXEL JOURNAL? ◆ Year in Pixels View See your entire year as a stunning color grid. Each day becomes a pixel, each color a mood. Spot patterns, celebrate good streaks, and understand your emotional rhythm at a glance. ◆ Simple Daily Check-in One tap. That's all it takes. Select your mood, and you're done. Building a journaling habit has never been easier. ◆ Beautiful Trackers Beyond mood, track what matters to you: sleep quality, anxiety, dreams, exercise, meditation, social time, and more. Each tracker comes with its own pixel grid. ◆ Privacy First Your journal stays private on your device. If you enable iCloud sync, a private copy is stored in your personal iCloud account. No Pixel Journal account. No ads. Just you and your journal. PERFECT FOR • Anyone curious about their emotional patterns • People who tried journaling but found it too time-consuming • Those looking for a simple daily self-care ritual • Mental wellness enthusiasts who love visual data Start your pixel journey today. Your future self will thank you. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Pink Trace
Read full descriptionHide full description
One color a day. By December the year is a painting. Pink Trace turns each day into a single colored pixel. Tap a swatch in the morning, evening, whenever, and the day takes that color. Over a year the grid becomes a 365-pixel painting only you could have made. FEATURES - 12 by 31 grid for the full year - 25 hand-curated palettes (Vilnius Autumn, Neon, Sakura, Ash, Sienna and more) - A one-line note on any day - Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets that remind you to pick today's color - Fully on-device. No accounts, no analytics. WITHOUT PRO Everything is unlocked for your first 3 days. After that, you keep tracing with the Starter palette and see the current month. PRO All 25 palettes, the full year view and a note on any day. Subscription Details - Pro Monthly: $4 / month - Pro Annual: $25 / year - Lifetime: $59 one-time Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled in Settings at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://danielius.studio/pink-trace/terms Privacy Policy: https://danielius.studio/pink-trace/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Pixel Journal at 15.1 against Pink Trace's 18.0. 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
Both are free to download. Pixel Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Pink Trace sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pixel Journal ships an update every 6 days, Pink Trace every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pixel Journal | Pink Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 11 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Esteban Reynier | Danielius Chalikovas |
In-app purchases
Pixel Journal
- Monthly Premium$6.991 Month
- Yearly Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Lifetime Premium$79.99
Pink Trace
- Pro Monthly14 Days trial$4.001 Month
- Pro Annual$25.001 Year
- Lifetime$59.00









