Comparison

HeartNote Diary vs AyumiJournal

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

Head to head
About

HeartNote Diary

Features
Read full description

HeartNote is an offline-first private journaling app focused on privacy, security, and a calm writing experience. Your entries, photos, audio, video, files, and doodles are stored locally on your device by default. No account is required, and your data is not forced into the cloud. HeartNote helps you capture everyday life in richer ways. In addition to plain text, you can write with images, image groups, video, audio, files, and doodles. The editor supports mixed media layouts, flexible block reordering, and Markdown text, so writing feels natural and expressive. HeartNote also helps you organize and revisit your memories with: Timeline and calendar views Notebooks, tags, weather, and mood metadata Search and filters Media library for browsing attachments On This Day, trends, and review insights Time Capsule reminders for future reflection For privacy and protection, HeartNote supports app lock, PIN, biometric unlock, and local backup and restore, so your journal stays under your control. This version also adds: Multi-year diary Notebook-based journal export Direct journal creation from a selected calendar date Export a single entry as a shareable journal card If you want a journaling app that stays private, works offline, and supports rich content, HeartNote is built for long-term personal use.

About

AyumiJournal

Features
Read full description

Ayumi is a local-first journaling app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Write quick daily notes and save them as Markdown files you can keep under your control. Entries are organized in a simple date-based structure and are designed to work well with Obsidian-compatible workflows. Ayumi helps you capture more context around each note: Add your current location Attach current weather information Save photos, audio, PDFs, and other files alongside an entry Record audio notes and turn them into text with transcription Your journal stays file-based and easy to move, inspect, and back up.

Screenshots

HeartNote Diary4 screens
AyumiJournal3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: HeartNote Diary at 13.0 against AyumiJournal's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HeartNote Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, AyumiJournal monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
HeartNote Diary versus AyumiJournal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeartNote DiaryAyumiJournal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks โ€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch โ€” better
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better26.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size55 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerไฟ ็Ž‹Naoki AINOYA

In-app purchases

None

HeartNote Diary

No in-app purchases

None

AyumiJournal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HeartNote Diary free?
HeartNote Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AyumiJournal free?
AyumiJournal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HeartNote Diary or AyumiJournal have ads?
Neither HeartNote Diary nor AyumiJournal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HeartNote Diary or AyumiJournal?
HeartNote Diary ships an update every 3 weeks, and AyumiJournal monthly. Most recently, HeartNote Diary was updated on October 9, 2026 and AyumiJournal on October 7, 2026.

Other comparisons