Apple Journal vs Diarly
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Diarly
Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Where they differ
- Apple Journal is free. Diarly starts at $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases).
- Apple Journal also covers transcription.
- Diarly also covers Markdown and templates.
At a glance
| Apple Journal | Diarly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases) |
| 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. | Free forever: one journal with unlimited entries and media, kept on the device. iCloud sync, multiple journals, encryption, themes and extra export formats need Premium. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Premium. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | PureForm Studio |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 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
Diarly
- Apple users who want a journal stored on their devices and their own iCloud
- Writers who prefer plain-text Markdown entries they can export
- People moving from Day One, Apple Journal or Journey, which have importers
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.
Diarly
- Built only for Apple devices: there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- Sync between devices needs Premium and runs through iCloud; the free version keeps one journal on one device.
- Encryption covers the text of entries, needs Premium, and entries cannot be recovered if the encryption password is forgotten.
- The vendor's pricing page shows no amounts; the US App Store lists yearly Premium at both $24.99 and $29.99.
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.
Diarly
- Markdown editor
- Entries are written in Markdown with slash commands, checklists, tables and a typewriter mode. The Mac version is a native app with a menu bar and keyboard shortcuts.
- Media and context in entries
- Add photos, videos, drawings, audio recordings, files, tags and map locations. Templates can insert the weather, calendar events and Apple Health details automatically.
- Timeline, calendar, map and gallery
- Browse entries by date on a timeline or calendar, by place on a map or by image in a gallery. On This Day brings back entries from earlier years.
- Mood tracker and insights
- Log moods and emotions inside entries and see how they change in a mood calendar and Insights. Writing goals, streaks and reminders support a daily habit.
- On-device storage and iCloud sync
- Journals are saved on the device and never on Diarly's servers. Premium syncs them through your iCloud Drive and can encrypt entry text with a password only you know.
- AI Assistant and AI+
- Premium includes an OpenAI-powered assistant reached with the /ask command, plus daily affirmations and advice. AI+ is a separate subscription for audio transcription and OCR.
Plans
Apple Journal
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including multiple journals, journaling suggestions, Insights and iCloud sync.
Diarly
Free$0
One journal with unlimited entries and media, Markdown editing and export, saved on a single device without sync.
Monthly Premium$2.99
per month
iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, multiple journals, entry encryption, themes, more export formats and the AI Assistant.
Yearly Premium$24.99
per year
The same Premium features billed yearly. The US App Store lists the promoted yearly plan at $24.99 and a second yearly entry at $29.99.
AI+$1.99
per month
Optional separate subscription that transcribes audio entries into text and extracts text from photos with OCR.
Ways to pay less
Apple Journal
No public discounts listed.
Diarly
- Annual discount
Yearly Premium saves about 30% over monthly
The US App Store lists Monthly Premium at $2.99 and the yearly plan at $24.99. Twelve monthly payments come to $35.88, so paying yearly saves $10.89.
