# "journal app" App Store Keyword Difficulty — United States

"journal app" has a difficulty score of 76/100 (Hard). The top results include established apps like Journal, Day One: Daily Journal & Diary, Diary With Password with an average of 78,843 reviews. Breaking into the top 10 will require a highly optimized listing and strong initial traction.

Data measured July 29, 2026 from the top 9 ranking apps on the United States App Store.

## Difficulty

- **Score:** 76/100 (Hard)
- **Avg. reviews (top 9):** 78,843
- **Avg. rating (top 9):** 4.8
- **Title match:** 1/9 apps use the keyword in their title
- **Category:** Productivity
- **Store:** App Store
- **Country:** United States (us)
- **Measured:** July 29, 2026
- **Canonical:** https://trysonar.app/keyword-difficulty/journal-app/ios/us

## Top 9 Ranking Apps

| Rank | App | Developer | Rating | Reviews | Keyword in title |
|-|-|-|-|-|-|
| 1 | Journal | Apple | 4.8 | 302,109 | no |
| 2 | Day One: Daily Journal & Diary | Bloom Built Inc | 4.8 | 117,404 | no |
| 3 | Diary With Password | 帆 杨 | 4.7 | 26,879 | no |
| 4 | DailyBean - simplest journal | BlueSignum Corp. | 4.8 | 70,059 | no |
| 5 | Notebook - Diary & Journal App | Koji Ito | 4.7 | 14,297 | yes |
| 6 | My Diary - Journal with Lock | BetterApp Tech Co., Limited | 4.7 | 27,859 | no |
| 7 | Planner & Journal - Zinnia | Pixite Inc. | 4.6 | 55,011 | no |
| 8 | stoic. journal & mental health | Stoic app inc. | 4.8 | 35,139 | no |
| 9 | Daylio Journal - Mood Tracker | Relaxio s.r.o. | 4.8 | 60,826 | no |

## How this difficulty score is calculated

Sonar's difficulty score (0–100) analyzes the top 9 apps ranking for "journal app" on the United States App Store as of July 29, 2026. It weighs title match quality, the install and review volumes of those apps, their average rating, and whether the keyword is dominated by established brands. A score of 0–30 means low competition, 30–60 moderate, and 60–100 highly competitive. Full methodology: https://trysonar.app/blog/keyword-difficulty-explained

## How to rank for "journal app"

### Include "journal app" in your app title

The App Store algorithm heavily weights title matches. Place "journal app" or a close variant in your app title for the strongest ranking signal.

### Use your subtitle for keyword variations

Your iOS subtitle (30 chars) is the second-strongest ranking factor. Use a variation of "journal app" here that doesn't repeat the title.

### Consider long-tail variations

"journal app" is competitive (76/100). Target longer variations like "journal app for beginners" or "journal app free" to rank faster, then build authority for the head term.

### Focus on ratings and reviews

High-difficulty keywords require social proof. Aim for 4.5+ stars and implement smart review prompts to build review volume faster than competitors.

### Localize for more markets

Every country storefront is a separate ranking opportunity. Translate your metadata for the top 5-10 markets to multiply your organic traffic.

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Source: https://trysonar.app/keyword-difficulty/journal-app/ios/us — published by [Sonar](https://trysonar.app), an App Store Optimization platform for keyword research, difficulty analysis, and rank tracking.