Day One vs Reflection

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

Reflection

• People who want follow-up questions from an AI coach as they write
• Journaling by voice, including spoken back-and-forth conversations
• Following guided programs on gratitude, anxiety or relationships

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.

Reflection

• The free plan allows one photo per entry and limited syncing; multiple photos, rich text, PDF export and unlimited cross-device sync need Premium.
• Entries are encrypted at rest and in transit, not end-to-end, and the AI features are powered by Google Gemini.
• Voice Call is listed for iPhone, iPad and Android only, not for the Mac or web apps.
• No Windows or Linux app is listed; on those systems the journal is used in a browser.

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.

Reflection

AI Coach

While you journal, the coach asks a follow-up question based on the entry you just wrote. All AI features can be turned off with a single toggle while the rest of the app keeps working.

Voice Call and voice journaling

Speak an entry and have it transcribed, or start a Voice Call for a spoken back-and-forth that is saved to the journal as a transcript. Voice Call runs on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Ask Your Journal

Ask about patterns, people or how you felt at a given time, and the app searches your history and answers in plain language. Unlimited AI search and insights are part of Premium.

Guided Journeys and templates

More than 100 guided programs from wellness and personal growth experts lead you one prompt at a time, and templates give structure for gratitude, goals and reviews.

Reviews and insights

Weekly, monthly and annual reviews recap what you wrote, and an Insights page charts sentiment, emotions and life domains across a chosen time range.

Privacy, export and MCP

Entries are encrypted at rest and in transit and are not used to train AI models. You can export to PDF, JSON or CSV, and Premium includes a beta MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.

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.

Reflection

• Free Forever$0

  Unlimited private entries, prompts, reminders, search, guided monthly and annual reviews, import and export, one photo per entry and limited syncing.

• Premium (monthly)$8

  per month

  Unlimited AI-enhanced search and insights, AI writing support, unlimited cross-device sync, custom templates and tags, multiple photos, rich text and PDF export.

• Premium (yearly)$5.75

  per month, billed annually ($69 per year)

  The same Premium features on yearly billing, shown with the $8 monthly price crossed out and a Save 30% label.

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.

Reflection

• Annual discount

  Save 30% with yearly billing

  Reflection's Premium page lists $8 a month on monthly billing or $5.75 a month billed annually, labelled as a 30% saving. The US App Store lists the annual plan at $69.00.

• Lifetime license

  Premium (Lifetime) for a one-time $249.99

  The US App Store lists a Premium (Lifetime) in-app purchase at $249.99 as an alternative to the monthly and annual subscriptions.