Comparison

Self vs Love Diary

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

Head to head
About

Self

Features
Read full description

Self-Control Mate is a habit tracker and supportive community for people working toward better routines, stronger focus, and lasting self-control. Changing a habit can be difficult when you do it alone. Self-Control Mate helps you track your progress, celebrate small wins, and stay connected with people working toward similar goals. This is more than a streak counter. It is a place to share progress, learn from other people's experiences, and keep moving forward. Two main features: 1. A supportive community for personal goals - Share progress, challenges, wins, motivation, and daily reflections - Encourage each other with likes and comments - Learn practical ideas from people pursuing similar goals - Report inappropriate posts and block users when needed The community is moderated under clear guidelines to help keep discussions safe and constructive. 2. A counter that makes your effort visible - See your current streak at a glance - Track progress toward your personal habit goals - Restart anytime and keep learning from your journey Self-Control Mate is for people who: - Want to change a habit but find it difficult to stay consistent - Want to build focus, self-control, and a more productive daily life - Want a simple habit counter or streak tracker - Want encouragement from people with similar goals Small steps add up. Start with Self-Control Mate today and take the next step toward better habits.

About

Love Diary

Features
Read full description

Love Diary · Letters Afar Write a letter, give it to the wild goose, and it will reach a pen pal far away. This is not a chat app. Every letter has stationery, a minimum length, and a reply worth waiting for — the way letters used to be. A little slower, a little more deliberate. SEND A LETTER · Choose your stationery: Plain, Bamboo Shadow, Falling Plum, Celadon or Night Voyage · Write at least 20 characters · Send it to 1, 3 or 5 pen pals — the goose flies off and your letter is on its way WAIT FOR A REPLY · Open the app and letters in transit are delivered to your mailbox · Received, Sent and Drafts live in separate tabs; a whole correspondence takes one row · Take turns: once they've written back, it's your turn again. No read receipts, no typing indicator REAL PEOPLE ONLY · Only signed-in people can write. We never ghostwrite or send fake letters · Send up to 3 letters to new pen pals a day and receive at most 5, so your mailbox stays calm · Two people are matched only once SAFE AND RESPECTFUL · No contact details in a first letter; decide together after a reply · Report or block any letter — the other person won't know it was you · Every letter passes content filtering · Delete your account any time in Settings ABOUT ADS Once today's letters are sent, you can choose to watch an ad to send one more (up to 2 a day). There are no other ads. For adults 18 and over. A letter is a piece of your time given to someone else. May you find someone worth writing back to.

Screenshots

Self4 screens
Love Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Self at none against Love Diary's shown. Self also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Self ships an update every 2 weeks, Love Diary every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Self versus Love Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSelfLove Diary
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB8 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperYuki Shimazu宏立 刘

In-app purchases

None

Self

No in-app purchases

None

Love Diary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Self free?
Self is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Love Diary free?
Love Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Self or Love Diary have ads?
Love Diary shows ads; Self does not.
Which is updated more often, Self or Love Diary?
Self ships an update every 2 weeks, and Love Diary every 4 months. Most recently, Self was updated on November 7, 2026 and Love Diary on November 10, 2026.

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