Day One vs Stoic
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
Stoic
Guided journal with morning and evening reflections and mood tracking
Where they differ
- Day One starts at $49.99 per year. Stoic starts at $6.99 (lowest US App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown).
- Only Day One lists a Windows app.
- 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.
- Stoic also covers habit tracking and mood tracking.
At a glance
| Day One | Stoic | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year | $6.99 (lowest US App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown) |
| 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. | Daily prompts, quotes and affirmations, basic guided journals and a limited selection of breathing and meditation exercises. |
| Free trial | Free 1-month trial of a paid plan, started inside the app. Eligibility is controlled by the app stores. | 7-day free trial of Stoic Premium or 3-day trial of Premium + AI, on the annual plan only and once per Apple ID. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Automattic Inc. | Stoic app inc. |
| Price read from | dayoneapp.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 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
Stoic
- People who want a structured morning and evening journaling routine
- Apple users who want entries kept on-device and in their own iCloud
- Combining journaling with mood tracking, meditation and breathing exercises
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.
Stoic
- No price list is published; subscription prices appear in the app and on app store listings.
- The help center lists the mood and habit tracker, custom templates, widgets, iCloud sync and the app lock under Premium.
- The Android app is newer and, by the vendor's own account, has fewer features than the iOS app.
- Free trials apply only to the annual plan and can be used once per Apple ID.
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.
Stoic
- Morning and evening reflections
- Each day starts with a short preparation and ends with a reflection, with mood check-ins in between. Personalizing the two reflections is listed as a Premium feature.
- Guided journals and daily prompts
- A new prompt appears each day under a weekly theme, alongside guided journals on topics such as gratitude, stress and relationships. The full library needs Premium.
- Mood and trend tracking
- Log your mood and the factors that influence it, then view trends for mood, emotions, sleep, health and writing. The help center lists the mood and habit tracker under Premium.
- Meditation and breathing exercises
- Guided or unguided meditation sessions and breathing exercises sit beside the journal. The free plan includes a limited selection.
- AI mentor and entry analysis
- On Premium + AI, a chosen mentor style writes custom prompts, analyzes past entries for patterns in mood and themes, and times reminders to your routine.
- On-device storage with iCloud sync
- Entries are kept on your devices; the help center says Stoic has no servers of its own. Premium adds iCloud sync and backup across Apple devices and a passcode or Face ID lock.
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.
Stoic
Free$0
Daily prompts, quotes and affirmations, basic guided journals and a limited selection of breathing and meditation exercises.
Stoic Premium$6.99 to $39.99
monthly or yearly; the US App Store does not label each price
Full library of guided journals and exercises, custom templates, mood and habit tracker, widgets, iCloud sync and app lock. Listed at $6.99, $17.99, $26.99 and $39.99.
Stoic Premium + AI$12.99 to $99.99
monthly or yearly; the US App Store does not label each price
Everything in Premium plus AI mentors, Dig Deeper analysis of entries and AI-tuned notifications. Listed at $12.99, $69.99 and $99.99.
Stoic Lifetime Premium$299.00
one-time purchase
A single in-app purchase listed on the US App Store as an alternative to the Premium subscription.
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.
Stoic
- Education
Student discount on application
Stoic's help center says students can apply for a Student Discount through a form linked from its website. The size of the discount is not stated.
- Lifetime license
Stoic Lifetime Premium for $299.00
Stoic's terms describe a Lifetime purchase that grants ongoing access to Stoic Premium for as long as the app remains available. The US App Store lists it at $299.00.
