Daylio vs MoodTools (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Daylio: it is third in our ranking of journaling apps, though MoodTools grades higher (2.8 against 2.4) on value for money and the free plan.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Daylio grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Daylio
Mood tracker and micro-diary you fill in with a couple of taps
MoodTools
Free depression self-help app with a CBT thought diary
Which one is for you
Pick Daylio if
- Fits if you'd rather tap a mood than write a paragraph
- Works for people who want entries kept on the phone, not on Daylio's servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to type entries at a computer, as there's no desktop or web version
- Not for you if you switch between two devices, since that means a manual backup and restore each time
- Tight if you're staying free on iPhone, where the PIN lock and PDF export are Premium
- Tight if you're staying free, as moods, goals, reminders and important days are capped by amounts it doesn't state
- Watch out: the site has no price list, and the App Store shows five Premium prices from $4.99 to $59.99 with no periods
Pick MoodTools if
- Fits if you want a free thought diary and mood log for low mood
- Works for people who want to track PHQ-9 scores over time
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a general diary, as it is built around depression self-help
- Tight if you want a passcode, backup or export, because Pro adds all three
- Skip it if you want a web or desktop version, since it runs on phones only
- Watch out: Pro is $4.99 a month, and the Google Play prices were not read
- Watch out: the vendor says it is not a replacement for treatment
How we grade them
| 2.4GPADaylioFair | 2.8GPAMoodToolsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThere's no price to judge. Daylio's site publishes no price list, and the US App Store shows Premium at $4.99, $17.99, $23.99, $35.99 and $59.99 without saying which is a month, a year or forever. A one-time purchase exists too, priced in the app. | AThe core app is free, and Pro is $29.99 a year, about $2.50 a month, against $3.33 where the cheaper quarter of journaling apps starts. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free version never expires and covers the core mood and activity diary, but the caps are real and unstated: how many moods, goals, reminders and important days you get. Advanced stats, automatic backups, PDF export and the iOS PIN lock are Premium, after a 7-day trial. | BThe thought diary, activities, PHQ-9 test, safety plan and videos are all free, but export, cloud sync and a passcode are paid. |
| Features | CIt does the mood diary fully: two-tap entries, notes, photos and voice memos, charts, mood and activity correlations, Year in Pixels, goals with achievements and CSV export. But that's a smaller job than journaling, and its own FAQ rules out any real-time sync. | CIt does the thought diary and mood-tracking job for low mood fully, but it is a narrower job than a general journal and has no photos or free-form entries on record. |
| Ease of use | A4.77 from about 61,900 App Store ratings. An entry is two taps, a mood and what you did, and the moods and activities can be changed to fit your life. | B4.8 from about 310 App Store ratings, under the 1,000 needed for an A. |
| Platforms and integrations | CPhones and tablets only: iPhone, iPad and Android, and Daylio says plainly it isn't building for computers or the web. It backs up to iCloud or Google Drive and reads Apple Health, but there's no real-time sync between devices at all. | CiPhone and Android only. There is no web or computer app and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | tracking your mood in two taps | low-mood self-help with a thought diary |
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: Daylio and MoodTools. How we grade
Where they differ
- Daylio also covers templates, habit tracking and goals.
At a glance
| Daylio | MoodTools | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 (lowest US App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown) | $4.99 per month (Pro Mode, US App Store) |
| Free plan | Free version with no time limit: the core mood and activity diary, with caps on moods, goals, reminders and important days. Advanced stats, automatic backups and PDF export need Premium. | All core features are free: thought diary, activities, safety plan, information, PHQ-9 test and videos. |
| Free trial | Free 7-day trial of the Premium features. | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Relaxio s.r.o. and Habitics s.r.o. | Inquiry Health LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Daylio
- No desktop or web version: Daylio says the app is not being developed for computers or the web.
- There is no real-time sync; using a second device means a manual backup and restore each time you switch.
- Advanced stats, automatic backups, PDF export and, on iOS, the PIN lock require Premium.
- Daylio's site publishes no price list; Premium prices appear in the app and on app store listings.
MoodTools
- The vendor says the app is not a replacement for treatment or medical intervention.
- Export, cloud sync and passcode protection need the paid Pro Mode.
- Pro Mode prices were read from the US App Store listing; the Google Play prices were not read.
- It is a depression self-help tool rather than a general-purpose diary.
Key features
Daylio
- Two-tap entries
- A daily entry is a mood plus the activities you did. Notes, writing templates, photos and voice memos can be added, and moods and activities are customizable.
- Stats and correlations
- Entries feed weekly, monthly and yearly charts, from simple mood lines to correlations between moods and activities. Advanced stats are a Premium feature.
- Year in Pixels
- A single chart shows the whole year with one dot for each day. It can be exported as a picture and shared with other people.
- Goals and reminders
- Daily, weekly or monthly goals sit alongside the diary, with achievements for habits. The free version limits the number of goals and reminders.
- On-device storage and backups
- Entries are stored on the phone and are not sent to Daylio's servers. Backups go to iCloud on iOS or Google Drive on Android; automatic backups need Premium.
- Lock and export
- The diary can be locked with a PIN, fingerprint or Face ID, and entries export to PDF or CSV. The PIN lock on iOS and PDF export are Premium features.
MoodTools
- Thought diary
- Analyze thoughts and spot negative or distorted thinking patterns, based on cognitive therapy.
- Activities
- Pick energizing activities and track mood before and after, based on behavioral activation.
- Depression test
- Take the PHQ-9 questionnaire and track symptom severity over time.
- Safety plan
- Build a suicide safety plan with emergency resources to use in a crisis.
- Information and videos
- Self-help guidelines, links to resources and curated videos such as guided meditations.
- Pro Mode
- Optional subscription that adds export, cloud sync and passcode protection.
Plans
Daylio
Free$0
The core mood and activity diary with no time limit, and caps on the number of moods, goals, reminders and important days.
Daylio Premium$4.99 to $59.99
billing period not shown on the US App Store listing
Unlimited moods and goals, advanced stats, automatic backups, PDF export and custom note templates. The US App Store lists $4.99, $17.99, $23.99, $35.99 and $59.99.
MoodTools
Free$0
Thought diary, activities, safety plan, PHQ-9 test, information and videos.
Pro Mode Monthly$4.99
per month
Adds export, cloud sync and passcode protection; auto-renewing.
Pro Mode Yearly$29.99
per year
The same Pro Mode features billed yearly; auto-renewing.
Ways to pay less
Daylio
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase instead of a subscription
Daylio's terms describe a One-Time Purchase that grants access without a time limit, alongside monthly and yearly Premium subscriptions. The price is shown in the app.
- Other savings
Apple Family Sharing for Premium
On iOS, a Daylio Premium purchase can be shared with family members through Apple Family Sharing once it is set up in Apple settings.
MoodTools
- Annual discount
Yearly Pro Mode costs less than monthly
The US App Store lists Pro Mode at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year; twelve monthly payments would total $59.88.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Daylio or MoodTools?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Daylio starts at $4.99 (lowest US App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown), and MoodTools starts at $4.99 per month (Pro Mode, US App Store).
Which has a free plan, Daylio or MoodTools?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Daylio and MoodTools have a free plan.
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.