Alternatives · Journaling
Journey alternatives
Journey compared with 12 alternatives: Day One, Diarium, Penzu, Diaro, Daybook and 7 more.
Journey has a free plan. Paid plans start at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership. All 12 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 6, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| JourneyThis tool | Free plan · from $17.99 one-time | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Day One | Free plan · from $49.99/yr | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Diarium | Free plan · from $14.99 one-time | Yes | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Penzu | Free plan · from $19.99/yr | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Diaro | Free plan · from $8.99/yr | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Daybook | Free plan · from $3.49/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| 1 Second Everyday | Free plan · from $49.99/yr | Yes | iOS, Android |
| Apple Journal | Free | Free | macOS, iOS |
| Clearful | Free plan · from $9.99/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Diarly | Free plan · from $2.99/mo | Yes | macOS, iOS |
| Everlog | Free plan · from $1.99/mo | Yes | macOS, iOS |
| Five Minute Journal | Free plan · from $4.99/mo | Yes | iOS, Android |
| Grid Diary | Free plan · from $4.99/mo | Yes | macOS, iOS, Android |
How each one differs from Journey
- Free plan · from $49.99/yr
Day One
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices
- Day One starts at $49.99 per year. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
- Only Journey lists a Linux app.
- Day One also covers transcription and Markdown.
- Journey also covers mood tracking.
Suits: People who want one journal across Apple, Android, Windows and the web
- Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
Diarium
Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync
- Diarium starts at $14.99 one-time purchase per platform. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists a Linux app.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Suits: People who want to pay once instead of subscribing
- Free plan · from $19.99/yr
Penzu
Private online journal for the browser, with iOS and Android apps
- Penzu starts at $19.99 per year, or $4.99 per month. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Penzu can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Penzu also covers long-form writing.
Suits: People who mostly write at a computer in a web browser
- Free plan · from $8.99/yr
Diaro
Diary and notes app that syncs through your own Dropbox
- Diaro starts at $8.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchase). Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Journey also covers templates.
Suits: People who want a simple diary organized by folders, tags and places
- Free plan · from $3.49/mo
Daybook
Cloud-synced diary with guided journals and voice entry
- Daybook starts at $3.49 per month, or $39.99 per year. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Daybook also covers dictation.
Suits: People who want a free journal that syncs between phone and browser
- Free plan · from $49.99/yr
1 Second Everyday
Video diary that stitches one second a day into a movie
- 1 Second Everyday starts at $49.99 per year. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- 1 Second Everyday can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Suits: People who want a visual diary they can keep up in a few seconds a day
- Free
Apple Journal
Apple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Apple Journal is free. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Apple Journal also covers transcription.
- Journey also covers templates.
Suits: iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a journal at no cost
- Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Clearful
Guided journal with 400+ prompts and templates on every device
- Clearful starts at $9.99 per month, or $59.99 per year (US App Store description). Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Journey also covers mood tracking.
Suits: People who want prompts and guided templates instead of a blank page
- Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Diarly
Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
- Diarly starts at $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases). Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Diarly also covers Markdown.
Suits: Apple users who want a journal stored on their devices and their own iCloud
- Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Everlog
Markdown journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac with threaded comments
- Everlog starts at $1.99 per month (Premium Monthly on the US App Store). Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Everlog can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Suits: Apple users who want a plain Markdown journal on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Five Minute Journal
Guided gratitude journal with short morning and evening prompts
- Five Minute Journal starts at $4.99 to $9.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchase list). Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Five Minute Journal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Suits: People who want a short guided gratitude routine each morning and evening
- Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Grid Diary
Prompt-based diary and planner laid out as a grid of questions
- Grid Diary starts at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. Journey starts at $17.99 one-time per platform, or $49.99 per year for Membership.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Journey is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Grid Diary also covers Markdown and habit tracking.
Suits: People who find a blank page hard and prefer answering prompts
Limits worth knowing in Journey
- The free version has no desktop app access and caps Journey Cloud Sync at 70MB and 60 entries.
- A Premium license covers a single platform; the help center says the Journey Desktop and web apps do not support it.
- Turning on end-to-end encryption disables search, and the vendor says it cannot be reversed.
- Membership stops at 10GB and 5,000 entries; more needs the separate Signature subscription, whose price is not shown publicly.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Journey?
The alternatives to Journey in this directory are Day One, Diarium, Penzu, Diaro, Daybook, 1 Second Everyday, Apple Journal, Clearful, Diarly, Everlog, Five Minute Journal and Grid Diary. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Journey.
Is there a free alternative to Journey?
Yes. Apple Journal is free to use. Day One, Diarium, Penzu, Diaro, Daybook, 1 Second Everyday, Clearful, Diarly, Everlog, Five Minute Journal and Grid Diary have a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.