Apple Journal vs Everlog
We give Apple Journal and Everlog the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. Apple Journal grades higher on the free plan. Everlog grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Everlog
Markdown journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac with threaded comments
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAApple JournalVery good | 3.4GPAEverlogVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on the US App Store, with no in-app purchases shown. Nothing is held back for a paid tier, because there isn't one. Sync runs through iCloud with your Apple Account. | APremium is $1.99 a month on the US App Store, where paid journal apps typically start at about $4.99. Don't like subscriptions? Lifetime is $49.99 once, and every plan works with Family Sharing. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free: multiple journals, journaling suggestions, Insights, the lock and iCloud sync. There's no trial to run out and no upgrade to be sold. | BFree for good with one journal, photos, tags, bookmarks, search and a passcode lock. But it won't sync between your iPhone and Mac, and a second journal or automatic backups mean paying. |
| Features | BText with photos, videos, drawings, map locations and transcribed voice recordings, plus several journals, a Places map, streak Insights and PDF export. Solid. But some App Store reviewers find it too bare and miss tags, and transcription is English only. | AA Markdown editor, a timeline with a calendar, journals, tags, search and a lock that opens with Face ID. You can thread comments under an old entry, attach video, audio and PDFs with Premium, and get a written recap of your month. That last one needs iOS 27. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 328,800 App Store ratings. Reviewers like how plain it is: open it and write. Suggestions hand you something to start from, so you're not staring at an empty page. | A4.6 from about 300 App Store ratings. It's an editor and a timeline, and you can hide the word count, location and weather if they get in the way. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad and Mac, and that's all. No Android, Windows or web version is offered. What it connects to is Apple too: Health, iCloud, Apple Music and Safari. | CiPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through your own iCloud. That's it. No Android, no Windows and no web version. |
| Best for | a free journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac | a Markdown journal on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apple Journal and Everlog. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Journal is free. Everlog starts at $1.99 per month (Premium Monthly on the US App Store).
- Apple Journal is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Everlog can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Apple Journal also covers transcription and mood tracking.
- Everlog also covers Markdown and templates.
At a glance
| Apple Journal | Everlog | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.99 per month (Premium Monthly on the US App Store) |
| 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. | One journal, image attachments, tags, bookmarks, search and a passcode lock. Sync between devices, extra journals and automatic backups need Premium. |
| Free trial | None listed | The App Store listing shows a free trial of Everlog Premium; its length is not stated. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Wessley Roche |
| 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
Everlog
- Apple users who want a plain Markdown journal on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- People who revisit old entries and add notes beneath them
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
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.
Everlog
- Apple platforms only: there is no Android, Windows or web version.
- Syncing between devices needs Premium, and the free version is limited to one journal and image attachments.
- If Premium lapses, sync turns off and new entries can only be written in the default journal.
- iCloud data is end-to-end encrypted only when Apple's Advanced Data Protection is switched on.
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.
Everlog
- Markdown editor and timeline
- Entries are written in Markdown and shown on a timeline with a weekly or monthly calendar. Font, size and details such as word count, location and weather can be shown or hidden.
- Comments and threads
- A comment is an entry nested inside another entry. It is meant for annotating a journal or adding a later reflection to something written earlier.
- Journals, tags and bookmarks
- Entries are grouped into journals and tags, important ones can be bookmarked, and everything is searchable. The free version is limited to one journal.
- Attachments and suggestions
- Entries take images for free, and video, audio recordings and PDFs with Premium. Journaling Suggestions can start an entry from photos, workouts, songs, locations or prompts.
- Lock and iCloud sync
- Journals lock with a passcode and unlock with Touch ID, Face ID or an Apple Watch. Premium syncs every journal across devices through your private iCloud.
- Recaps
- A written look back at any month or year, generated with Apple Intelligence from your entries and shown with writing stats. It requires iOS 27 or iPadOS 27.
Plans
Apple Journal
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including multiple journals, journaling suggestions, Insights and iCloud sync.
Everlog
Free$0
One journal with image attachments, tags, bookmarks and search, and no sync between devices.
Premium Monthly$1.99
per month
Sync between devices, unlimited journals, scheduled automatic backups, video, audio and PDF attachments, weather on entries, and extra app icons and fonts.
Everlog Premium$19.99
period not labelled on the listing; the FAQ names an Annual plan
The same Premium features. The App Store lists this purchase without a period, and the vendor's FAQ offers Monthly, Annual and Lifetime plans.
Premium Lifetime$49.99
one-time payment
Permanent access to every Premium feature with no recurring fee.
Ways to pay less
Apple Journal
No public discounts listed.
Everlog
- Lifetime license
Premium Lifetime for $49.99
The US App Store lists Premium Lifetime at $49.99. The vendor's FAQ describes it as a one-time purchase with permanent access to all Premium features.
- Other savings
Family Sharing on every plan
The FAQ says all Premium plans, including Lifetime, support Apple Family Sharing, so family members get the Premium features too.
