Day One vs Daybook
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
Daybook
Cloud-synced diary with guided journals and voice entry
Where they differ
- Day One starts at $49.99 per year. Daybook starts at $3.49 per month, or $39.99 per year.
- Only Day One lists macOS and Windows apps.
- 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.
- Daybook also covers dictation and mood tracking.
At a glance
| Day One | Daybook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year | $3.49 per month, or $39.99 per year |
| Free plan | 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 plan with unlimited entries, sync across devices and automatic cloud backup. Mood analytics, AI features, custom templates, themes and the full set of guided journals need Pro. |
| Free trial | Free 1-month trial of a paid plan, started inside the app. Eligibility is controlled by the app stores. | The App Store listing mentions a free trial before the subscription is charged; its length is not stated. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Automattic Inc. | Daybook Labs Inc |
| Price read from | dayoneapp.com | daybook.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Daybook
- People who want a free journal that syncs between phone and browser
- Dictating entries by voice or through a voice assistant
- Guided gratitude, mood and reflection journaling
Worth knowing
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.
Daybook
- Vendor prices disagree: the website shows Pro at $3.49 a month or $39.99 a year, while the US App Store lists Premium at $4.49 a month, $29.99 a year or $94.99 once.
- Mood analytics, AI features, custom templates, themes, higher-resolution photos and the full set of guided journals need the paid tier.
- Entries are stored in Daybook's cloud and encrypted in transit; the site does not claim end-to-end encryption.
- No Mac or Windows app is listed, so desktop use is through the web app. The App Store shows the iOS app's last update as November 2024.
Key features
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.
Daybook
- Cloud sync across devices
- Entries and photos back up automatically to Daybook's cloud and sync between phone, tablet and the web app. Unlimited entries and sync are part of the free plan.
- Guided journals
- Structured journals cover nightly reflection, mental health check-ins and gratitude. Access to every guided journal is one of the paid unlocks.
- Mood and activity tracker
- Log daily moods and activities alongside entries. Mood analytics and word analysis of what you wrote are listed under Pro.
- Voice-to-text and voice assistants
- Entries can be dictated with speech-to-text, and the store listings describe voice features through Alexa and Google Assistant. A Daybook GPT is listed in the ChatGPT store.
- AI features
- AI summarizes entries, offers insights and suggests improvements, and the iOS listing describes a Journal GPT that answers questions about your entries. AI features are part of Pro.
- Calendar, tags and PDF export
- A calendar view and tags help you find past entries, and entries export to PDF with customizable layouts for printing. A passcode lock keeps the journal private.
Plans
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.
Daybook
Free$0
Daybook's basic features: unlimited entries, sync across multiple devices and automatic cloud backup.
Pro (monthly)$3.49
per month
Mood analytics and word analysis, AI features, guided journals, themes, custom templates, higher-resolution photos and the advanced printer.
Pro (yearly)$39.99
per year
The same Pro features billed once a year, as shown under the Yearly toggle on the vendor's website.
Ways to pay less
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.
Daybook
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs slightly less than monthly
The website lists Pro at $3.49 a month or $39.99 a year. Twelve monthly payments come to $41.88, so the yearly plan saves $1.89, about 4.5%.
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase of Daybook Premium
The US App Store lists a Daybook Premium OneTime in-app purchase at $94.99 as an alternative to a subscription. The listing's description text gives the figure as $94.49.
