Day One vs Journey

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.