The Journaling Apps Insider’s Guide
Every one of the 36 journaling apps we grade in one document: the top three, what they cost, the grades and the full list. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Journaling Apps
The Insider’s Guide
Private places to write daily entries, track moods and look back.
- Day One
- Diarium
- Daylio
- Apple Journal
- How We Feel
- Diaro
Every one we grade, what they cost, the best buy at each budget and the three to look at first.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat these tools do, how many we grade and what to know before choosing
- 02Our top threeThe three we'd look at first, and who each one suits
- 03What they costWhat paid plans start at, the best buy at each budget and the free plans
- 04The gradesThe highest graded, and how the whole category does on each subject
- 05Keep or make?Which are worth paying for, and which you could make yourself
- 06Every toolAll of them, best graded first, with what each costs
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask when choosing, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from each tool’s own pages, their app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on the Journaling Apps page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What these tools do, how many we grade and what to know before choosing
36
journaling apps we grade, from their own pages
Private places to write daily entries, track moods and look back.
Before you choose, here are 8 things to know about journaling apps, worked out from every one we grade.
- 1
We grade 36 journaling apps
34 of them are free or have a free plan, and 1 more let you try before paying. Everything in this guide comes from their own pages and our grades.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.66 a month in the middle
From $0.75 (Diaro) to $14.99 (Waffle), going by what each one's paid plans start at.
- 3
Best value: Day One, Diaro, How We Feel and Apple Journal
Nothing on our chart scores higher than these without costing more.
- 4
25 of 36 have iPhone and Android apps
15 run in a web browser and 4 have a Windows app. Check the one you need before you fall for anything.
- 5
The middle GPA is 2.6
7 score 3.0 or higher. The highest is Apple Journal, at 3.2.
- 6
Best free option: Apple Journal
Apple Journal has the highest GPA of the free ones, 3.2. Apple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- 7
18 worth keeping, 4 you could make
By our keep-or-make rules, 18 do something you couldn't reasonably build yourself, 4 are simple enough to make with an AI app builder, and 14 are a close call.
- 8
1 price changes in the past year
That's how many price moves we've recorded for journaling apps in twelve months. Prices change, so check the maker's page before you pay.
Part 02 · Top three
Our top three
The three we'd look at first, and who each one suits
The three journaling apps we'd look at first. First place suits the most people; second and third are the best picks for the people it leaves out. Each has an Insider's Guide of its own.
1st
3.2GPADay 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.
The Day One Insider’s Guide2nd
3.2GPADiarium
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.
The Diarium Insider’s Guide3rd
2.4GPADaylio
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.
The Daylio Insider’s Guide
Part 03 · Pricing
What they cost
What paid plans start at, the best buy at each budget and the free plans
$3.66
A month to start, in the middle of those that charge
Going by our grades, Day One, Diaro, How We Feel and Apple Journal give the most for the money among journaling apps: no tool on this chart scores higher without costing more.
Paid plans start at a middle price of $3.66 a month across the 22 that charge, from $0.75 (Diaro) to $14.99 (Waffle). 7 more cost nothing at all.
11 of the 29 score above the category's average while starting at or below its middle price. 1 cost more than the middle price and score below the average.
The best buy at each budget
Free
Apple Journal, How We Feel
Costs nothing. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.
Up to $5 a month
Day One
Starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 29 journaling apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. The green line is the best score at each price.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
The best free ones
- 3.2
Apple Journal
Free
- 3.2
Day One
Free plan · Free plan · from $49.99/yr
- 3.2
Diarium
Free plan · Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
- 3.2
How We Feel
Free
- 3.0
Diaro
Free plan · Free plan · from $8.99/yr
- 3.0
Journalistic
Free
Part 04 · Grades
The grades
The highest graded, and how the whole category does on each subject
3.2
The highest GPA, Apple Journal's
Every tool gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. Here are the 12 highest graded journaling apps, then how the whole category does on each subject.
| Tool | Value | Free | Features | Ease | Platforms | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Journal | A | A | C | A | C | 3.2 |
| Day One | C | C | A | A | A | 3.2 |
| Diarium | A | C | B | A | B | 3.2 |
| How We Feel | A | A | C | A | C | 3.2 |
| Diaro | A | C | C | A | B | 3.0 |
| Journalistic | A | A | C | B | C | 3.0 |
| RedNotebook | A | A | C | B | C | 3.0 |
| Bearable | B | B | C | A | C | 2.8 |
| Clearful | C | B | C | A | B | 2.8 |
| DailyTxT | A | A | B | D | C | 2.8 |
| Diarly | B | C | B | A | C | 2.8 |
| Easy Diary | A | A | C | B | D | 2.8 |
How the whole category does
Each bar is every journaling app we grade, cut by the letter it got on that subject.
- Value for moneyavg 2.6
- Free plan and trialavg 2.6
- Featuresavg 2.2
- Ease of useavg 3.4
- Platforms and integrationsavg 2.4
Part 05 · Keep or make
Keep or make?
Which are worth paying for, and which you could make yourself
4
Simple enough to make yourself, of 36
Some software does something you couldn’t reasonably build yourself. Some is simple enough that an AI app builder could make the core of it in an afternoon. Here’s where journaling apps land, by the same rules for every tool.
18
Keep it
It does something you could not reasonably make for yourself, or it costs nothing.
14
Your call
You could make the core of it, and you would give something up.
4
You could make this
What it does is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well, and it charges every month.
Worth keeping
Apple Journal
Apple Journal is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Day One
The plain part of Day One you could make: daily notes, Markdown and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
How We Feel
How We Feel is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Journalistic
Journalistic is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
You could make these yourself
- DailyBean$47.88 a year
- Dabble Me$40 a year
- My Diary$35.88 a year
- Bearable$34.99 a year
What each costs a year on its cheapest paid plan, which is what making your own would save. A judgement from each listing and our own testing.
Part 06 · Every tool
Every tool
All of them, best graded first, with what each costs
36
Tools, best graded first
Every journaling app we grade, with its GPA and what it costs. Each one has a page of its own on toolgpa.com, with its Insider’s Guide.
- 1Apple JournalFree3.2
- 2Day OneFree plan · from $49.99/yr3.2
- 3DiariumFree plan · from $14.99 one-time3.2
- 4How We FeelFree3.2
- 5DiaroFree plan · from $8.99/yr3.0
- 6JournalisticFree3.0
- 7RedNotebookFree3.0
- 8BearableFree plan · from $34.99/yr2.8
- 9ClearfulFree plan · from $9.99/mo2.8
- 10DailyTxTFree2.8
- 11DiarlyFree plan · from $2.99/mo2.8
- 12Easy DiaryFree2.8
- 13EverlogFree plan · from $1.99/mo2.8
- 14JourneyFree plan · from $17.99 one-time2.8
- 15My DiaryFree plan · from $2.99/mo2.8
- 16PenzuFree plan · from $19.99/yr2.8
- 17ReflectionFree plan · from $5.75/mo2.8
- 18Daily YouFree2.6
- 19DaybookFree plan · from $3.49/mo2.6
- 20Five Minute JournalFree plan · from $4.99/mo2.6
- 21StoicFree plan · from $6.992.6
- 221 Second EverydayFree plan · from $49.99/yr2.4
- 23Dabble MeFree plan · from $4/mo2.4
- 24DailyBeanFree plan · from $3.99/mo2.4
- 25DaylioFree plan · from $4.992.4
- 26GratitudeFree plan · from $4.99/mo2.4
- 27Grid DiaryFree plan · from $4.99/mo2.4
- 28MindseraFree plan · from $10.75/mo2.4
- 29MoodflowFree plan · from $3.492.4
- 30Life NoteFree plan · from $10.99/mo2.2
- 31MoodistoryFree plan · from $2.992.2
- 32ReflectlyFree plan · from $4.992.2
- 33RosebudFree trial · from $8.99/mo2.2
- 34ZinniaFree plan · from $39.99/yr2.2
- 35750 WordsPaid2.0
- 36WaffleFree plan · from $14.99/mo2.0
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask when choosing, each answered in a line or two
8
Questions, each answered in a line or two
What are the best journaling apps?
Day One first, Diarium second, Daylio third. Day One is for most people.
Which journaling apps give the most for the money?
Day One, Diaro, How We Feel and Apple Journal. Each is the highest-scoring tool at its price or below: Apple Journal scores 2.7 out of 4 and is free; How We Feel scores 2.7 out of 4 and is free; Diaro scores 3.0 out of 4 and starts at $0.75 a month when paid by the year; Day One scores 4.0 out of 4 and starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year.
Which are the best free journaling apps?
Of the 7 journaling apps here with no paid plan at all, Apple Journal and How We Feel score highest, at 2.7 out of 4.
Which journaling apps are best for under $5 a month?
Day One, with a score of 4.0 out of 4: the highest among the 24 that start at $5 a month or less.
Which journaling apps cost the most for what they offer?
On this chart, Waffle (starts at $14.99 a month, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 21 tools score higher for less), Zinnia (starts at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 9 tools score higher for less) and Mindsera (starts at $10.75 a month, scores 2.7 out of 4, and 7 tools score higher for less).
How much do journaling apps cost?
The middle starting price is $3.66 a month: half of the 22 journaling apps with a recurring price start below that and half above.
How is the score on this chart worked out?
It is the average of three of the five grades ToolGPA gives every tool: features, ease of use, and platforms and integrations, with an A worth 4 and an F worth 0.
How does ToolGPA grade journaling apps?
Five grades, A to F, for value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them.
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Journaling Apps, kept up to dateEvery tool in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/categories/journaling
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Journaling Apps: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/categories/journaling
Know someone choosing between journaling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/categories/journaling/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The top three journaling apps have guides of their own, and so does every category near this one.
- Day One Insider's GuideEncrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices3.2 GPA
- Diarium Insider's GuidePrivate journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync3.2 GPA
- To-Do List Apps Insider's Guide124 to-do list apps, graded and compared
- Calendar & Scheduling Insider's Guide75 calendar and scheduling apps, graded and compared
- Daily Planner Apps Insider's Guide70 daily planner apps, graded and compared
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what each tool’s pages, app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Product names are trademarks of their owners, and no maker made, paid for or approved this guide. Prices and plans change: check each maker’s own site before you buy.