# Thankful vs Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Journal at none against Thankful's 2. Thankful's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thankful sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Thankful ships an update every 2 weeks, Journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thankful | Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-reminders-and-notes/id6786935221/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 13 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Julie Ann Calulot](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888848825) | [Tag Studios Limited Liability Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786935223) |

## What reviewers say

### Thankful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thankful/id6761317825)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |


### Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-reminders-and-notes/id6786935221)

A private, offline diary and notes app that keeps your thoughts secure on your device. Write freely, set custom reminders, and track your progress with a distraction-free editor. Everything is encrypted and stored locally for ultimate privacy.

**Highlights:** Private offline diary, Secure with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode, Encrypted local storage, Customizable reminders, Home screen widget for quick capture, Mood and tag tracking, Writing streak and mood trend analysis

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thankful free?

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

### Is Journal free?

Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Thankful or Journal have ads?

Neither Thankful nor Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thankful or Journal?

Thankful ships an update every 2 weeks, and Journal every 2 months. Most recently, Thankful was updated on October 28, 2026 and Journal on October 21, 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.*