# High School Life vs Dear Diary

The clearest difference is ads: High School Life at none against Dear Diary's shown. High School Life also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Dear Diary's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (73% vs 59%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. High School Life sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Dear Diary sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dear Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 2.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of High School Life's written reviews are positive against 73% of Dear Diary's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | High School Life | Dear Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/high-school-life/id824983949/reviews) | **[4.5 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-diary-interactive-story/id1006878949/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K | **2.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | **72.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 267 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sunstorm Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/335280912) | [TPG TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMACAO LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/444343830) |

## What reviewers say

### High School Life

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/high-school-life/id824983949)

Experience high school life by meeting boys, going on dates, and making friends. Text your crushes and BFFs, shop for new outfits, and attend school dances. Aim to be crowned Prom Queen with your best style and dance moves.

**Highlights:** Meet and flirt with boys, Go on dates and attend dances, Text friends and boyfriends, Shop for fashionable outfits, Become Prom Queen, Build friendships and find a boyfriend

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Star Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Superstar Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Glam Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boyfriend Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Snapcat | $4.99 | one-time |
| Prima Donna Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diva Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Coins Discounted | $29.99 | one-time |
| Princess Pack | $39.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Coins | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🥰 Nostalgic and fun
- 💕 Romantic and interactive
- 🤩 Awesome and addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🙄 Snapchat feature locked behind paywall
- 🤖 Weird character animations and graphics
- 🤔 Limited gameplay and repetitive activities

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes and freezes frequently
- Progress and purchases not saved properly
- Glitches with character outfits and dances

**Requested features**

- Add more locations to explore
- Implement more interactive school activities
- Allow character customization and gender selection
- Improve Snapchat integration and make it free


### Dear Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-diary-interactive-story/id1006878949)

Guide a high school girl through life-altering decisions in this interactive story game. Your choices shape her destiny, leading to multiple unique endings. Explore her diary and embark on exciting adventures.

**Highlights:** Interactive story gameplay, Multiple story endings, Choice-based decision making, Rewind and replay options, Unique doodle art style

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| tale unlock | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of keys | $1.99 | one-time |
| tale unlock | $1.99 | one-time |
| season 1 pass | $3.99 | one-time |
| season 2 pass | $3.99 | one-time |
| season 3 pass | $3.99 | one-time |
| special bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| pack with infinite keys | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and interactive game
- 👍 Engaging storyline and choices
- 📚 Enjoyable reading experience
- 🎨 Creative and visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏰ Long wait times for keys
- 💰 Keys and season passes are expensive
- 🤯 Frustrating when no ads are available
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Choices not registering correctly
- App crashing or freezing
- Inconsistent or broken storylines

**Requested features**

- Reduce key wait time to 5-6 hours
- Unlimited free keys or more daily keys
- Add more storylines and characters
- Faster updates for new seasons
- Ability to replay past choices without keys


## Frequently asked questions

### Is High School Life free?

High School Life is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Dear Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, High School Life or Dear Diary?

Dear Diary is rated higher. High School Life averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Dear Diary averages 4.5 from 2.8K ratings.

### Do High School Life or Dear Diary have ads?

Dear Diary shows ads; High School Life does not.

### Which is updated more often, High School Life or Dear Diary?

High School Life ships an update every 2 months, and Dear Diary every 2 months. Most recently, High School Life was updated on November 1, 2026 and Dear Diary on November 2, 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.*