Day One vs FutureMe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Day One: it is first in our ranking of journaling apps, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Day One grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. FutureMe grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money.
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
FutureMe
Write a letter now and have it emailed to you on a date you pick
Which one is for you
Pick Day One if
- Fits if you want one journal across Apple, Android, Windows and the web
- Works for entries that are as much photos, video and voice as writing
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as Basic is 1 device and 1 photo per entry
- Skip it if you'd rather pay monthly, as paid plans are yearly only
- Pricey if it's the AI you're after, since that's Gold at $74.99 a year with daily usage limits
- Watch out: video, audio, drawings and collections all need Silver at $49.99 a year
- Not for you if you want to share a plan, as Silver and Gold can't go through Apple Family Sharing
Pick FutureMe if
- Fits if you want one letter to arrive in a year or five
- Works for people who want a prompt to start writing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a daily journal, since it has no entries, moods or search
- Tight if you want pictures or files, as attachments are Premium
- Watch out: the Premium price could not be read from its public pages
- Watch out: no app is listed, only the browser
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADay OneVery good | 2.2GPAFutureMeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CSilver is $49.99 a year, which is $4.17 a month, exactly the middle for a journaling app here. There's no monthly plan at all, so it's a year up front, and the AI tools sit on Gold at $74.99, which is $6.25 a month, past the dear end of this category. | CThe Premium price could not be read from the public pages, so nothing can be compared. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic gives you unlimited text entries and journals, prompts, templates and end-to-end encryption for nothing. But it's 1 device and 1 photo an entry, so no sync, and that's the cap you'll hit on day one. | BWriting and scheduling letters is free, and one person could live on it. |
| Features | AMarkdown text with photos, video, audio and transcription, drawings and scanned PDFs, browsed by calendar, map or On This Day, with prompts, templates, streaks and a Daily Chat on Gold. What its rivals here don't match: end-to-end encryption on every plan, free one included. | DOne narrow function: a letter scheduled for a date, with prompts and public letters. No entries, moods or search. |
| Ease of use | A4.83 from about 118,400 App Store ratings. A daily prompt, a prompt gallery and templates come on every plan, so there's always somewhere to start, and reminders and streaks bring you back. | BNo rating on record, but it is a web page where you write and pick a date. |
| Platforms and integrations | AiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, Windows, the web and a browser extension, which is the full set. Silver adds Strava, Zapier and IFTTT. Just remember that journaling from more than one device is itself a paid feature. | CA browser only, with no app listed anywhere on the pages we read. |
| Best for | one journal on every device you own | letters to your future self |
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: Day One and FutureMe. How we grade
Where they differ
- Day One is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Day One also covers transcription, Markdown and templates.
- FutureMe also covers notes.
At a glance
| Day One | FutureMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year | Not published |
| 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. | Writing and scheduling a letter to your future self on the site; images, videos and files are marked as a Premium feature. |
| Free trial | Free 1-month trial of a paid plan, started inside the app. Eligibility is controlled by the app stores. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Automattic Inc. | Memories Technologies Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | dayoneapp.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
FutureMe
- It is a letter scheduler, not a daily journal with entries, moods or search.
- The price of the consumer Premium membership could not be read from the public pages, so it is not listed here.
- FutureMe Pro for organizations is listed at $99 per year on its own page.
- It runs in a browser only; no app is listed on the pages we read.
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.
FutureMe
- Scheduled delivery
- Pick a delivery date from presets of 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years or 10 years, or choose any date in the calendar.
- Writing prompts
- An "Inspire me" button in the editor offers prompts when you are unsure what to write.
- Public letters
- A Read Public Letters section lets visitors read letters that other people chose to share.
- Attachments on Premium
- The editor says images, videos and files need a Premium upgrade.
- FutureMe Pro for organizations
- A branded letter-writing module that embeds in a school's or company's own website, with unlimited users and letters.
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.
FutureMe
Pricing could not be confirmed. See futureme.org.
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.
FutureMe
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Day One or FutureMe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Day One starts at $49.99 per year, and FutureMe has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Day One or FutureMe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Day One and FutureMe have a free plan.
Which platforms do Day One and FutureMe run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Day One lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.