Comparison

Pixel Journal vs Pink Trace

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Year in Pixels view
  • Simple daily check-in
  • Track mood and habits
  • Visual data patterns
  • Privacy-focused, on-device data
Features
Read 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/

About

Pink Trace

Features
Read 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

Pixel Journal4 screens
Pink Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Pixel Journal versus Pink Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel JournalPink Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEsteban ReynierDanielius Chalikovas

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pixel Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$79.99
3 purchases

Pink Trace

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly14 Days trial$4.001 Month
  • Pro Annual$25.001 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$59.00

Questions

Is Pixel Journal free?
Pixel Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pink Trace free?
Pink Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pixel Journal or Pink Trace have ads?
Neither Pixel Journal nor Pink Trace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Journal or Pink Trace?
Pixel Journal ships an update every 6 days, and Pink Trace every 11 days. Most recently, Pixel Journal was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pink Trace on September 25, 2026.

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