Apple Journal vs Day One
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Day One
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices
Where they differ
- Apple Journal is free. Day One starts at $49.99 per year.
- Only Day One lists a web app.
- Only Day One lists Windows and Android apps.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
- Apple Journal also covers mood tracking.
- Day One also covers Markdown and templates.
At a glance
| Apple Journal | Day One | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $49.99 per year |
| Free plan | The app is listed as free on the US App Store with no in-app purchases shown. Syncing between devices runs through iCloud with an Apple Account. | Basic plan: unlimited text entries and journals, 1 photo per entry, end-to-end encryption, prompts, templates and web access, used from 1 device. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free 1-month trial of a paid plan, started inside the app. Eligibility is controlled by the app stores. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Apple | Automattic Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | dayoneapp.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Journal
- iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a journal at no cost
- People who like prompts drawn from their photos, workouts and outings
- Logging state of mind to the Health app alongside written entries
Day One
- People who want one journal across Apple, Android, Windows and the web
- Journals that mix writing with photos, video, audio and drawings
- Writers who want end-to-end encryption without paying
Worth knowing
Apple Journal
- Listed only for iPhone, iPad and Mac; no Android, Windows or web version is offered.
- Apple says audio transcription is available in English only, excluding the Singapore and India locales.
- End-to-end encryption of entries stored in iCloud requires two-factor authentication and a device passcode.
- On Mac, journal entries are not included in iCloud backups; Apple points to Time Machine for a backup copy.
Day One
- The free Basic plan is limited to 1 device and 1 photo per entry; video, audio, drawings and collections need Silver.
- Paid plans are sold as annual subscriptions only; Day One's help guides say monthly plans are not offered.
- AI features are limited to Gold at $74.99 per year and have daily usage limits.
- Silver and Gold subscriptions cannot be shared through Apple Family Sharing.
Key features
Apple Journal
- Journaling suggestions
- Suggested moments group outings, photos, workouts and media into starting points for an entry, alongside writing and reflection prompts. Suggestions are created with on-device processing.
- Text, media and voice entries
- Entries hold formatted text, photos, videos, drawings and map locations. Voice recordings made in the app are transcribed automatically.
- Multiple journals and Places
- Separate journals can each have a custom name and icon. The Places view shows entries on a map by location, and entries can be searched, filtered and bookmarked.
- Insights and reminders
- Insights shows the current writing streak, the days journaled and other statistics. Scheduled and streak notifications remind you when it is time to write.
- State of mind logging
- A state of mind can be logged from within Journal and saved to the Health app, and writing time is saved to Health as Mindful Minutes.
- Lock, sync and export
- The journal can be locked with a passcode, Touch ID or Face ID. Entries sync through iCloud and can be printed or exported to PDF, singly or by date range.
Day One
- Multimedia entries
- Entries combine Markdown-formatted text with photos, video, audio recordings, drawings and scanned PDFs. Basic allows 1 photo per entry; Silver and Gold allow 30 media items.
- End-to-end encryption and app lock
- Every plan, including the free one, lists end-to-end encryption, passcode protection, biometric lock and secure cloud backup.
- Prompts, templates and streaks
- A daily prompt, a prompt gallery, journal templates, reminders and journal streaks are included on all three plans.
- On This Day, calendar and map views
- On This Day resurfaces entries from the same date in past years, and entries can also be browsed by calendar, map or media.
- Sync across devices
- Silver and Gold sync a journal across an unlimited number of devices. Basic backs up from one active device, with web access included.
- AI reflection tools
- Gold adds Daily Chat for guided reflection, Go Deeper prompts, entry summaries, title suggestions and image generation, each with daily usage limits.
Plans
Apple Journal
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including multiple journals, journaling suggestions, Insights and iCloud sync.
Day One
Basic$0
Unlimited text entries and journals, 1 photo per entry, end-to-end encryption, prompts and templates, on 1 device.
Silver$49.99
per year (no monthly plan is offered)
30 photos or videos per entry, unlimited devices, audio recording and transcription, drawings, PDF scanning, and Strava, Zapier and IFTTT integrations.
Gold$74.99
per year (no monthly plan is offered)
Everything in Silver, plus Daily Chat, Go Deeper prompts, entry summaries, title suggestions and image generation.
Ways to pay less
Apple Journal
No public discounts listed.
Day One
- Education
25% off for students for the first 4 years
Day One's FAQ offers students 25% off paid subscriptions for the first 4 years, after verifying student status with support by student ID or university email.
