Clearful vs Journey

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

Journey

• People who want one journal on phone, desktop (including Linux) and web
• Travel journals, with entries tagged by place and shown on a map
• Guided journaling through coach programs and templates
• Buyers who would rather pay once than subscribe

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.

Journey

• The free version has no desktop app access and caps Journey Cloud Sync at 70MB and 60 entries.
• A Premium license covers a single platform; the help center says the Journey Desktop and web apps do not support it.
• Turning on end-to-end encryption disables search, and the vendor says it cannot be reversed.
• Membership stops at 10GB and 5,000 entries; more needs the separate Signature subscription, whose price is not shown publicly.

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.

Journey

Multimedia entries

Entries hold photos, videos and audio, with formatting such as tables, checklists and text color. The free version limits photo uploads and has no audio, video or text formatting.

Atlas, calendar and Throwback

Atlas maps entries and media by tagged location, the calendar shows entries by date, and Throwback resurfaces entries from a week, a month or years ago.

Sync and end-to-end encryption

Journals sync through Google Drive or Journey Cloud Sync. Journey Cloud Sync has optional end-to-end encryption with a passphrase the company does not store, and a Docker image for a self-hosted sync drive is offered.

Coach programs and templates

More than 60 guided journaling programs and a set of prompt templates. Free and Premium get limited access; Membership unlocks all programs and custom templates.

Odyssey AI

A chat assistant answers questions about your own past entries. Free and Premium accounts can ask 10 questions a day, and Membership raises that to 50.

Shared journals and web links

Journals can be shared with other people, and selected entries published as web links that open in a browser. Free accounts get 2 web links, Membership 50.

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.

Journey

• Free$0

  Mobile and limited web access, Google Drive sync, 70MB and 60 entries on Journey Cloud Sync, shared journals and limited photo uploads.

• Premium$17.99

  one-time purchase per platform (US App Store price)

  Unlocks rich text, audio, themes, Throwback and export on the platform it was bought for, Android or iOS. Not supported on the desktop or web apps.

• Membership$6.99

  per month, or $49.99 per year

  Every platform including desktop and web, 10GB and 5,000 entries on Journey Cloud Sync, all coach programs, custom templates, email entries and Zapier.

• Lifetime Membership$199.00

  one-time purchase

  The Membership features on every platform for a single payment instead of a subscription.

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%.

Journey

• Annual discount

  About 40% less with the annual Membership

  The US App Store listing prices Membership at $6.99 monthly or $49.99 a year, which works out to about 40% less than twelve monthly payments.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Membership for a single payment

  Journey's membership page offers a lifetime purchase as an alternative to the subscription. The US App Store lists Lifetime Membership at $199.00.