# HW Journal vs KATA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KATA at none against HW Journal's 3. KATA also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.4). HW Journal's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HW Journal sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. KATA asks for nothing beyond the download.

HW Journal ships an update every 4 days, KATA weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | HW Journal | KATA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Size | 19 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KAZUTO IIDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896346639) | [Naoto Tazawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866843317) |

## What reviewers say

### HW Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hw-journal/id6767013958)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip Small | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip (Large) | $3.99 | one-time |
| HW Journal PRO | $6.99 | one-time |


### KATA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kata-routine-player-and-timer/id6794907131)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HW Journal free?

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

### Is KATA free?

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

### Do HW Journal or KATA have ads?

KATA shows ads; HW Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, HW Journal or KATA?

HW Journal ships an update every 4 days, and KATA weekly. Most recently, HW Journal was updated on October 31, 2026 and KATA on October 31, 2026.

---

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