Minimal Diary vs General Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Minimal Diary
A minimalist journaling app with a clean white design for enjoyable daily writing. It offers easy organization with hashtags, calendar view, and secure passcode protection. Personalize your experience with vibrant theme colors and quickly find past memories.
- Minimalist white design
- No registration required
- Hashtag organization
- Calendar view for entries
- Secure passcode lock
- 15 theme colors
- Instant search
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Minimal Diary is a simple and minimalist diary app designed with a clean white aesthetic. The spacious design makes writing an enjoyable experience every day. With no complex features and intuitive controls, it’s effortless to keep the habit going. 【 Features 】 ● Simple & Beautiful, the Ultimate Minimalist Design Experience a stunning, noise-free interface centered around white. By stripping away unnecessary clutter, the app allows you to focus on your thoughts and write with ease. ● No Registration Required, Ready to Use Instantly There’s no need for tedious sign-ups or logins. You can start recording your life the moment you download and open the app. ● Easy Organization with Hashtags Customize your tags to fit your lifestyle. Instead of typing them every time, simply tap your registered tag buttons to categorize and organize your notes effortlessly. ● Intuitive Reflection with Calendar View View your entries in a clean calendar format. It’s easy to look back on past memories and relive those special moments anytime you want. ● Secure Passcode Lock Protect your privacy with a built-in PIN lock. Keep your secret diaries and honest feelings safe in your own private sanctuary, away from prying eyes. ● Vibrant Theme Colors The minimalist design allows accent colors to truly shine. Choose from 15 beautiful colors to match your mood and personalize the app your way. ● Instant Search for Past Memories Quickly filter through your history using keywords or tags. Whether it was yesterday or years ago, you can find specific memories in a split second. 【 Recommended For 】 *Fans of clean and minimalist design *Those who want a hassle-free diary without complex features *Anyone wanting to cherish daily memories alongside photos *People organizing parenting logs or travel journals in their own style *Users looking for a secure, private place for their true thoughts *Anyone who has struggled to keep a diary in the past *Those looking for a reliable diary app with a passcode lock *People who want to organize entries smartly using hashtags *Anyone tracking gratitude or mental health through daily logging [ About Subscriptions ] ● Plan List * Monthly Plan: $1.99 / month * Annual Plan: $19.99 / year (with 1-week free trial) * Lifetime Plan (One-time purchase): $34.99 ● Billing & Auto-Renewal * Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. * Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. * You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your iPhone "Settings" > "Apple ID" > "Subscriptions" at any time after purchase. * Simply deleting the app does not cancel the subscription. ● Terms & Privacy Policy By using the Pro Plan, you agree to the following terms: Standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ App Terms of Use: https://white-diary.web.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://white-diary.web.app/
General Journal
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General Journal brings journaling and expense tracking into one private daily timeline. Write a note, log lunch, scan a receipt, track a habit, or talk through the day with your in-app companion. The app keeps money records and life moments together, so spending has context and diary entries do not live in a separate place. Quick ways to record • Type everyday expenses in one sentence • Scan receipts or Taiwan e-invoice QR codes • Add mood notes, reflections, places, links, and photos • Use AI to help turn text or photos into structured records • Keep recurring income and expenses such as rent, salary, subscriptions, and insurance Review your day • Chat with a small companion that can read the selected day’s records • Save the conversation as a diary entry • Build a Diary Review book with daily highlight cards • Add timeline photos, stickers, backgrounds, and handwritten decoration • Share or keep review cards as personal memories Understand money and rhythm • Manage cash, bank, card, e-wallet, investment, and settlement accounts • Track transfers, credit card payments, friend splits, and multi-currency spending • See category breakdowns, monthly trends, account balances, mood calendars, and photo entries • Create custom trackers for things like weight, skin, hair, habits, or any private metric Privacy first • No app account is required • Core journal, mood, expense, photo, and account data is stored on your device • AI features only process the text or images you choose to send • Export your data and create local backups on your own terms • Ads are never given your private journal or expense content by the app General Journal is for quiet daily logging: not a strict budget spreadsheet, not a social network, and not a blank notes app. It is a place to remember what happened, what it cost, and how it felt. Free to use with ads. Optional in-app purchases unlock higher AI limits, an ad-free experience, more photos per entry, and companion features. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
Minimal Diary and General Journal are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Minimal Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and General Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Minimal Diary ships an update every 9 days, General Journal every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Minimal Diary | General Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 74 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masashi Inoue | Zhegang Xu |
In-app purchases
Minimal Diary
- Pro Plan (Monthly)$1.991 Month
- Pro Plan (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Lifetime Pro Plan$34.99
General Journal
- General Journal Basic$1.991 Month
- General Journal Premium$2.991 Month
Questions
Is Minimal Diary free?
Is General Journal free?
Do Minimal Diary or General Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, Minimal Diary or General Journal?
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