Comparison

PureDiary vs Folio

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

Head to head
About

PureDiary

Features
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PureDiary is a simple, private journal designed for quiet daily reflection. Write down your thoughts, save meaningful moments, and attach photos to entries you want to remember. Your journal stays protected behind Face ID or your device passcode, giving you a focused space for personal writing. PureDiary keeps the experience clean and distraction-free: open the app, unlock your journal, and start writing. Features: - Private journal access with Face ID or device passcode - Create, edit, and delete diary entries - Attach photos to your memories - View photos in a full-screen gallery - Clean, minimal writing experience - Designed for iPhone Whether you want to record daily reflections, personal notes, emotions, memories, or quiet thoughts, PureDiary gives you a private space to keep them close.

About

Folio

Features
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The journal for an overthinking mind. Folio is for the 11pm brain that won't shut off. Open it, dump what's in your head, and let the page do the rest โ€” a thoughtful prompt is always waiting, so you never face a blank page. WRITE WITHOUT PRESSURE - A prompt every time you open - Warm dark theme, serif type โ€” feels like a real journal - Rich text, photos, checklists โ€” auto-saves as you type - Daily reminder at a time you choose KEEP COMING BACK - Writing streak with gentle weekly forgiveness - Mood tracking + a daily quote on home - Weather, location, and music tag each entry automatically - Word-cloud insights show the themes you return to PRIVATE BY DEFAULT - No account, ever โ€” everything stays on your iPhone - Lock with Face ID โ€” zero ads, zero tracking - Export to PDF or Markdown anytime FOLIO PRO Unlock writing tools, document scanner, voice memos, Apple Pencil sketch, multi-photo entries, and custom templates. Seven-day free trial โ€” monthly, yearly, or lifetime. Most journal apps assume you know what to write. Folio assumes you don't โ€” and that's the point. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://hellosuongtran.github.io/folio-legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

PureDiary4 screens
Folio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PureDiary at none against Folio's 3. Folio's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Folio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PureDiary asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PureDiary ships an update every 3 months, Folio every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
PureDiary versus Folio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPureDiaryFolio
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS18.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size1 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKAYZER ELEKTRONIK TICARET ANONIM SIRKETIAnh Ngoc Le

In-app purchases

None

PureDiary

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Folio

Subscriptions2
  • Folio Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Folio Pro Lifetime7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Folio Pro$99.99

Questions

Is PureDiary free?
PureDiary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PureDiary or Folio have ads?
Neither PureDiary nor Folio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PureDiary or Folio?
PureDiary ships an update every 3 months, and Folio every 3 weeks. Most recently, PureDiary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Folio on October 24, 2026.

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