Instead vs Crying Diary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Instead
This app offers a curated menu of real-life activities to help you break the habit of excessive scrolling. It suggests small, engaging tasks based on your available time and mood, promoting mindfulness and intentional downtime.
- Personalized activity suggestions
- Time-based activity filtering
- Mood-based activity filtering
- Customizable activity menu
- Streak tracking
- Weekly statistics
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Instead is a menu of things you'd rather do than scroll. You never decide to lose an hour to your phone — it just happens. Instead fixes the moment right before that. When the urge to scroll hits, it hands you one small, real-life thing to do instead, sized to the time and energy you actually have. Think of it like a restaurant menu for your free minutes: • Starters (1–5 min) — easy wins: step outside, splash cold water, three slow breaths • Mains (10–30 min) — the good stuff: a real walk, ten pages of a book, make the call • Desserts — quick joy, not junk: one loud song, pet an animal, watch the sky Instead requires a paid subscription to unlock its content. New users get a 3-day free trial, after which the subscription auto-renews unless cancelled. WHY IT WORKS When the urge to scroll hits, you don't make good decisions. So you decide now, while you're calm. You build your own menu in about two minutes, and Instead serves it back to you exactly when you need it — no willpower required. HOW IT WORKS • Tell Instead your mood and how much time you have - it filters the menu to what fits this exact moment • Tap "Surprise me" and let it choose for you • Finish it, build a streak, and watch your screen-free habit grow • Add, edit, and personalize your own activities anytime • See your weekly stats and history INSTEAD IS FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO • Cut your screen time and stop doomscrolling • Break a phone or social-media habit - without an app blocker nagging you • Try a gentler digital detox or dopamine detox • Be more present, mindful, and intentional with your downtime • Find quick things to do instead of reaching for your phone Instead isn't another screen-time blocker or app limit that just tells you "no." It gives you a better "yes" - a personal, curated list of analog, offline, real-life things that leave you feeling better than a feed ever could. Instead offers an auto-renewable subscription: monthly and yearly Includes a 3-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription auto-renews unless cancelled before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Crying Diary
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Some days you cry and you don't know why. Crying Diary helps you see the pattern. Log a cry in about ten seconds: how many tears, sad or happy, why, and a note if you want one. Then let the charts show you what you couldn't see day to day — which weekday is hardest, how the months compare, what keeps coming up as the reason. Your data never leaves your phone. Not as a promise — as a fact. The app has no network access at all. No account, no cloud, no ads, no trackers. Everything is stored locally on your device, and backups are files you control. • Calendar with a teardrop on every day you logged • Happy vs sad tears, weekday patterns, tears per month, top reasons • Longest streak without crying • Custom categories with your own names and emoji • Shareable stats card • Light and dark theme • English, French, German, Serbian, Slovenian • Free, no in-app purchases Export your diary any time, including to the Day One format.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Crying Diary at none against Instead's 2. Crying Diary also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
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. Instead sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Crying Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.
Instead ships an update every 11 days, Crying Diary every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Instead | Crying Diary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sarthak Jain | Ivan Antonijevic |
In-app purchases
Instead
- Instead Premium Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Instead Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Crying Diary
No in-app purchases









