Self vs Love Diary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Self
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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.
Love Diary
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
| Parameter | Self | Love Diary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Yuki Shimazu | 宏立 刘 |
In-app purchases
Self
No in-app purchases
Love Diary
No in-app purchases









