How does ToolGPA rank journaling apps?

From what each tool's own pages show (price, free plan, platforms, features and limits) and from what people say about it in public reviews and discussions. Not from our own testing. First place goes to the tool that suits the most people, and second and third to the best choices for the readers it leaves out.

Journaling Apps

Q: What are the best journaling apps?

ToolGPA ranks Day One first (for: most people), Diarium second (for: people who want to pay once and keep the journal themselves), Daylio third (for: people who would rather tap a mood than write an entry). These three suit different people. Day One comes first: its free plan gives unlimited text entries with end-to-end encryption, and it runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Diarium is second for people who want to pay once and keep the journal on their own device. Daylio is third for people who would rather log a mood in two taps than write. How We Feel narrowly missed third: the whole app is free, but it is in English and Spanish only, with no iPad version. Journey, the nearest rival to Day One, has no desktop app in its free version. Apple Journal is free, on Apple devices only.

Private places to write daily entries, track moods and look back.

Our top three journaling apps

These three suit different people. Day One comes first: its free plan gives unlimited text entries with end-to-end encryption, and it runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Diarium is second for people who want to pay once and keep the journal on their own device. Daylio is third for people who would rather log a mood in two taps than write. How We Feel narrowly missed third: the whole app is free, but it is in English and Spanish only, with no iPad version. Journey, the nearest rival to Day One, has no desktop app in its free version. Apple Journal is free, on Apple devices only.

First: Day One
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
For: Most people
Day One holds text, photos, video, audio and drawings, and lets you look back by calendar, by map or through On This Day. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 from about 118,000 ratings. The free Basic plan covers unlimited text entries and journals with end-to-end encryption, a passcode or biometric lock, prompts and templates. Silver is $49.99 a year and adds sync across unlimited devices, 30 photos or videos per entry, audio recording and drawings. Know the limits: Basic works from 1 device with 1 photo per entry, paid plans are sold by the year with no monthly option, and the AI features need Gold at $74.99 a year.
iPhone and iPad app: 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store
Day One pricing and details
Second: Diarium
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
For: People who want to pay once and keep the journal themselves
Diarium keeps the journal on your own device with no account or sign-up. It is free to use on Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, and Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription: $14.99 per platform, or $19.99 for the Windows app. Entries take rich text, photos, video, audio and files, and can be browsed by calendar, timeline, map or an On this day page. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 from about 2,000 ratings. It is second because it asks more of you than Day One: Pro is bought separately for each platform, sync needs Pro and runs through your own OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or WebDAV storage, no web version is listed, and Windows has no free version.
iPhone and iPad app: 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store
Diarium pricing and details
Third: Daylio
Free plan · from $4.99
For: People who would rather tap a mood than write an entry
Daylio is a mood tracker and micro-diary: a daily entry takes two taps, a mood and the activities you did, and can be extended with notes, photos and voice memos. Charts, correlations and a Year in Pixels view show how moods and activities line up over time. Entries are stored on the phone and are not sent to Daylio's servers, and the free version has no time limit. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 from about 61,900 ratings. It is third because it is built for tapping more than writing, on one phone: there is no desktop or web version and no real-time sync between devices. Advanced stats, automatic backups and PDF export need Premium, and Daylio publishes no price list.
iPhone and iPad app: 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store
Daylio pricing and details

Ranked on Oct 6, 2026 from what each listing shows and what people say about the tool, not from our own testing. How we rank

Price

Runs on

Must be

36 tools

1 Second Everyday
Journaling
Video diary that stitches one second a day into a movie
Free plan · from $49.99/yriOS · Android
750 Words
Journaling
Private daily writing site built around a 750-word goal
PaidWeb
Apple Journal
Journaling
Apple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac
FreeiOS · macOS
Bearable
Journaling
Symptom and mood tracker that links health to daily habits
Free plan · from $34.99/yriOS · Android
Clearful
Journaling
Guided journal with 400+ prompts and templates on every device
Free plan · from $9.99/moWeb · macOS · iOS +1
Dabble Me
Journaling
Private journal you keep by replying to email prompts
Free plan · from $4/moWeb
Daily You
Journaling
Free, open-source offline diary and mood tracker for Android
FreeAndroid
DailyBean
Journaling
Tap-based mood diary that logs a day with icons instead of writing
Free plan · from $3.99/moiOS · Android
DailyTxT
Journaling
Self-hosted encrypted diary web app that runs in Docker
FreeWeb
Day One
Journaling
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices
Free plan · from $49.99/yrWeb · macOS · Windows +2
Daybook
Journaling
Cloud-synced diary with guided journals and voice entry
Free plan · from $3.49/moWeb · iOS · Android
Daylio
Journaling
Mood tracker and micro-diary you fill in with a couple of taps
Free plan · from $4.99iOS · Android
Diarium
Journaling
Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync
Free plan · from $14.99 one-timeWindows · macOS · iOS +1
Diarly
Journaling
Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Free plan · from $2.99/momacOS · iOS
Diaro
Journaling
Diary and notes app that syncs through your own Dropbox
Free plan · from $8.99/yrWeb · iOS · Android
Easy Diary
Journaling
Free, open-source diary app for Android with no ads
FreeAndroid
Everlog
Journaling
Markdown journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac with threaded comments
Free plan · from $1.99/moiOS · macOS
Five Minute Journal
Journaling
Guided gratitude journal with short morning and evening prompts
Free plan · from $4.99/moiOS · Android
Gratitude
Journaling
Gratitude journal with affirmations and vision boards
Free plan · from $4.99/moiOS · Android
Grid Diary
Journaling
Prompt-based diary and planner laid out as a grid of questions
Free plan · from $4.99/momacOS · iOS · Android
How We Feel
Journaling
Free emotion check-in journal from a science nonprofit
FreeiOS · Android
Journalistic
Journaling
Micro journaling web app built around short bulleted entries
FreeWeb
Journey
Journaling
Cross-platform diary with maps, mood tracking and guided programs
Free plan · from $17.99 one-timeWeb · macOS · Windows +3
Life Note
Journaling
AI journal whose mentors reply in the voice of historical thinkers
Free plan · from $10.99/moWeb · iOS · Android
Mindsera
Journaling
AI journal that analyzes entries for emotions and patterns
Free plan · from $10.75/moWeb · iOS · Android
Moodflow
Journaling
Mood tracker and journal that charts what shapes your days
Free plan · from $3.49iOS · Android
Moodistory
Journaling
Mood tracker that logs a day in seconds and keeps data on-device
Free plan · from $2.99iOS · Android
My Diary
Journaling
Locked diary with themes, stickers and a mood calendar
Free plan · from $2.99/moiOS · Android
Penzu
Journaling
Private online journal for the browser, with iOS and Android apps
Free plan · from $19.99/yrWeb · iOS · Android
RedNotebook
Journaling
Free desktop diary that stores entries as plain text files
FreeLinux · Windows
Reflection
Journaling
AI-coached journal with guided programs and voice entries
Free plan · from $5.75/moWeb · macOS · iOS +1
Reflectly
Journaling
AI-guided journal and mood tracker for iPhone, iPad and Android
Free plan · from $4.99iOS · Android
Rosebud
Journaling
AI journal that replies with reflections and follow-up questions
Free trial · from $8.99/moWeb · iOS · Android
Stoic
Journaling
Guided journal with morning and evening reflections and mood tracking
Free plan · from $6.99Web · macOS · iOS +1
Waffle
Journaling
Shared journal app for couples, families and friends
Free plan · from $14.99/moiOS · Android
Zinnia
Journaling
Handwritten digital journal and planner for iPad, iPhone and Mac
Free plan · from $39.99/yrmacOS · iOS

Our top three journaling apps

First: Day One

Second: Diarium

Third: Daylio

Tools