Day One vs Everlog

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.