Clearful vs Day One
We give Clearful a 3.2 GPA and Day One a 3.6, out of 4.0. Day One grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Clearful
Guided journal with 400+ prompts and templates on every device
Day One
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAClearfulVery good | 3.6GPADay OneExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $59.99 a year, about typical for a journaling app, or a dearer $9.99 a month. It adds photos, AI Reviews, your own templates, locked entries and unlimited devices. The in-app list also shows $14.99 monthly and $89.99 yearly entries, and Clearful's site lists no prices. | BSilver is $49.99 a year, which is about typical for a journaling app, and it adds sync on unlimited devices, 30 photos or videos per entry, audio and drawings. But there's no monthly plan, and the AI tools need Gold at $74.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever, with unlimited text entries, the prompts and templates, streaks, reminders and text or PDF export, and no ads. But it stops at two connected devices, and you can't put a single photo in an entry. Pro has a seven-day trial. | BBasic gives you unlimited text entries and journals, prompts, templates and end-to-end encryption for nothing. But it works from 1 device with 1 photo per entry, so there's no sync. A free 1-month trial of a paid plan starts inside the app. |
| Features | BMore than 400 guided journals, prompts and templates, a daily question, a rich-text editor and Rediscover, which brings back entries from 1 month to 3 years ago. Pro adds AI-written reviews. The gaps: no bulk import from Day One or CSV, and audio journaling is still marked as coming soon. | AMarkdown text with photos, video, audio, drawings and scanned PDFs. Browse by calendar, by map or by On This Day, which resurfaces entries from past years. Add a daily prompt, templates, streaks and an app lock, and on Gold an AI Daily Chat and entry summaries. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 3,100 App Store ratings. Pick a guided journal or answer the day's question and you're writing. One account keeps your phone, your Mac and your browser in step. | A4.8 from about 118,400 App Store ratings. A daily prompt, a prompt gallery and templates are on every plan, so you've always got somewhere to start. Reminders and streaks are there to bring you back. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and a web app, all synced by one account. But no integrations or API are listed, and you can't bulk-import an old journal. The interface is English only. | AiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, Windows, the web and a browser extension. Silver adds Strava, Zapier and IFTTT integrations. Just remember that journaling from more than one device is a paid feature. |
| Best for | guided prompts when you don't know what to write | one journal on every device you own |
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: Clearful and Day One. How we grade
Where they differ
- Clearful starts at $9.99 per month, or $59.99 per year (US App Store description). Day One starts at $49.99 per year.
- Only Day One lists a Windows app.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
- Day One is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Day One also covers transcription and Markdown.
At a glance
| Clearful | Day One | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month, or $59.99 per year (US App Store description) | $49.99 per year |
| Free plan | Free forever with unlimited text entries, prompts, streaks, reminders and export, on up to two connected devices. Photos, AI Reviews, themes and custom templates need Pro. | 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 | Seven-day Clearful Pro trial on eligible purchase flows, generally limited to one claim. | 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 | Clearful Journal Inc. | Automattic Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | dayoneapp.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Clearful
- People who want prompts and guided templates instead of a blank page
- Journaling across phone, tablet, Mac and browser with one account
- Free text journaling with unlimited entries and no ads
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
Clearful
- Photos in entries, AI Reviews, custom templates, themes and locked entries need Clearful Pro, and the free plan connects only two devices.
- There is no bulk import: the help center says no CSV, Day One or one-click migration tool exists.
- The interface is English only, and audio journaling with transcription is still marked as coming soon.
- The vendor's site lists no prices. The App Store description gives $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, while its in-app list also shows $14.99 and $89.99.
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
Clearful
- Guided journals library
- More than 400 guided journals, prompts and templates cover topics from gratitude to work decisions, with a Discover Daily question each day. Some guided journals are reserved for Pro.
- Flow Editor
- A rich-text editor with 14+ formatting options, including headings, bulleted and numbered lists, checklists, quotes, dividers, links and text styles.
- Rediscover
- Past entries resurface from set points such as 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years ago, so you can look back at how things have changed.
- AI-Enhanced Reviews
- Weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly and yearly reviews use AI to summarize themes, moments and patterns from your own entries. AI Reviews are a Pro benefit.
- Privacy controls
- The vendor says entries are encrypted on the device, in transit and at rest. Face ID or Touch ID locks the app, a device manager revokes sign-ins, and Pro adds a lock for single entries.
- Sync across devices
- One account syncs the journal between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and the web app. The free plan supports up to two connected devices and Pro removes the limit.
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
Clearful
Free$0
Unlimited entries, the rich-text editor, prompts and templates, Rediscover, streaks, reminders and text or PDF export, on up to two connected devices.
Clearful Pro (monthly)$9.99
per month
Photos in entries, Pro guided journals, unlimited devices, AI Reviews, personal templates, locked entries, analytics and themes. The in-app list also shows a $14.99 monthly entry.
Clearful Pro (annual)$59.99
per year
The same Pro benefits billed annually. The US App Store in-app purchase list also shows a yearly entry at $89.99.
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
Clearful
- Annual discount
Annual billing costs about half of monthly
The US App Store description gives Clearful Pro as $9.99 billed monthly or $59.99 billed annually. Twelve monthly payments come to $119.88, so the annual plan saves about 50%.
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.
