Day One vs Zinnia
We give Day One a 3.6 GPA and Zinnia a 3.2, out of 4.0. Day One grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
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
Zinnia
Handwritten digital journal and planner for iPad, iPhone and Mac
How we grade them
| 3.6GPADay OneExcellent | 3.2GPAZinniaVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BSilver is $49.99 a year, which is about typical for a journaling app, and it adds sync on unlimited devices, 30 photos or videos per entry, audio and drawings. But there's no monthly plan, and the AI tools need Gold at $74.99 a year. | BPremium is $39.99 a year on the in-app list, which is about typical for a journaling app. Monthly is $9.99 and weekly is $3.99, and both add up fast. Zinnia's own prices disagree, mind: the App Store description says $8.99 a month and $34.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BBasic gives you unlimited text entries and journals, prompts, templates and end-to-end encryption for nothing. But it works from 1 device with 1 photo per entry, so there's no sync. A free 1-month trial of a paid plan starts inside the app. | BThe free version has the journal and the drawing tools, with a limited selection of Studio content. How limited isn't spelled out. Premium has a 7-day free trial, and the subscription you picked starts when it ends. |
| Features | AMarkdown text with photos, video, audio, drawings and scanned PDFs. Browse by calendar, by map or by On This Day, which resurfaces entries from past years. Add a daily prompt, templates, streaks and an app lock, and on Gold an AI Daily Chat and entry summaries. | AWrite, sketch, highlight and paint, with Apple Pencil and Scribble on iPad. Add stickers, washi tape, frames and auto-dated planner templates. You can import a PDF planner bought on Etsy, link pages together, sync events to Google Calendar and save a spread as a PDF. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 118,400 App Store ratings. A daily prompt, a prompt gallery and templates are on every plan, so you've always got somewhere to start. Reminders and streaks are there to bring you back. | A4.6 from about 56,400 App Store ratings. It works like a paper notebook, so there's not much to learn, and ready-made journals and planners mean you don't start from an empty page. |
| Platforms and integrations | AiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, Windows, the web and a browser extension. Silver adds Strava, Zapier and IFTTT integrations. Just remember that journaling from more than one device is a paid feature. | CiPad, iPhone and Mac, synced through iCloud. That's the lot: no Android, Windows or web version. Calendar layouts can link to Google Calendar, which is something. |
| Best for | one journal on every device you own | paper-style journaling on an iPad |
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 Zinnia. How we grade
Where they differ
- Day One starts at $49.99 per year. Zinnia starts at $39.99 per year, $9.99 per month or $3.99 per week (US App Store).
- Only Day One lists a web app.
- Only Day One lists Windows and Android apps.
- 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.
- Zinnia also covers calendar.
At a glance
| Day One | Zinnia | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year | $39.99 per year, $9.99 per month or $3.99 per week (US App Store) |
| 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. | Free version with limited content from the Zinnia Studio catalog. Full access to journals, planners, stickers and templates needs Zinnia Premium. |
| 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 Zinnia Premium, after which the selected subscription starts. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Automattic Inc. | Pixite Inc. |
| Price read from | dayoneapp.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 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
Zinnia
- Bullet journal fans who want paper-style pages on an iPad
- Decorating planners with stickers, washi tape and lettering
- Apple users who plan across iPad, iPhone and Mac
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.
Zinnia
- Apple only: the vendor lists iPad, iPhone and Mac, with no Android, Windows or web version.
- The free version has limited content; full access is a subscription, and no one-time purchase is listed.
- Vendor prices disagree: the in-app purchase list shows $9.99 a month and $39.99 a year, while the App Store description says $8.99 and $34.99.
- The vendor's own site shows only per-week figures ($3.99, $2.23 and $0.76 a week) instead of the amounts billed.
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.
Zinnia
- Handwriting and drawing tools
- Write, sketch, highlight, paint and color with tools that have adjustable size, opacity and color. The iPad app supports Apple Pencil and Scribble.
- Zinnia Studio content
- A catalog of ready-made journals, planners, trackers, stickers, washi tape, frames and templates, with new content each month. The free version includes a limited selection.
- Planner and calendar layouts
- Calendar layouts and auto-dated templates turn a journal into a planner, and events can sync to digital calendars such as Google Calendar.
- PDF import and links
- Import PDFs to mark up, including linked and tabbed planners bought on Etsy, and add links to web pages or to other journal pages.
- Sync across Apple devices
- Journals sync between iPad, iPhone and Mac through iCloud, and the vendor lists offline access to journals on iPad.
- Export and sharing
- Save a spread as a PDF or share it directly to Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and other social networks.
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.
Zinnia
Free$0
The journal and drawing tools with a limited selection of Studio content.
Zinnia Premium Weekly$3.99
per week
Full content access billed weekly. The vendor's site, the App Store description and the in-app purchase list all give $3.99.
Zinnia Premium Monthly$9.99
per month
Full content access billed monthly. Listed at $9.99 as an in-app purchase; the listing's description says $8.99 and the vendor's site shows $2.23 a week.
Zinnia Premium Yearly$39.99
per year
Full content access billed yearly. The in-app list shows $39.99 and also $34.99; the description says $34.99 and the vendor's site shows $0.76 a week.
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.
Zinnia
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs far less than weekly or monthly
At the in-app prices of $3.99 a week, $9.99 a month and $39.99 a year, a year costs $207.48 paid weekly or $119.88 paid monthly, so the yearly plan is about two thirds cheaper than monthly.
