Best-value journaling apps

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. This goes by ToolGPA's own grades for features, ease of use and platforms, averaged out of 4, set against the price each tool's paid plans start at.

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. 21 more have a free plan beside their paid ones.

Day One, with a score of 4.0 out of 4: the highest among the 24 that start at $5 a month or less. Day One starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year.

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). A high starting price often means a product is sold to companies and has no small plan, so check what the price includes before ruling one out.

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. 7 of the 36 in this directory have no paid plan, and 21 of those that charge also have a free plan.

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. The other two grades, value for money and the free plan, are about price, so they are left out and price gets an axis of its own. 29 of the 36 journaling apps are on the chart; 7 are left off because they are sold for a single payment or publish no price that can be put as dollars a month.