# Secret Diary vs Ember

The clearest difference is ads: Secret Diary at none against Ember's shown. Secret Diary also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Ember's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secret Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Ember sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secret Diary ships an update every 4 months, Ember every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secret Diary | Ember |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 14 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shankar Dutt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866130658) | [丽佳 施](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894580777) |

## What reviewers say

### Secret Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-private-journal/id6760246711)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### Ember

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-private-diary/id6769777961)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ember Pro | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secret Diary free?

Secret Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ember free?

Ember is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Secret Diary or Ember have ads?

Ember shows ads; Secret Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Secret Diary or Ember?

Secret Diary ships an update every 4 months, and Ember every 3 weeks. Most recently, Secret Diary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Ember on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*