Daylio vs My Diary

Daylio

• People who want to log a mood in a couple of taps instead of writing
• Seeing which activities go with better or worse moods over time
• Privacy-minded users who want entries kept on the phone, not a vendor server

My Diary

• People who want a decorated diary with themes, stickers and fonts
• Keeping a locked diary with photos, videos and recordings
• Tracking mood alongside entries in a calendar

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.

My Diary

• Both app stores label the app as containing advertising, and some themes and backgrounds require Premium.
• Phone and tablet only: no web or desktop version is listed.
• The vendor's site shows no prices, and the App Store lists several yearly and permanent purchases at different prices without explaining them.
• Google Drive and Dropbox sync and TXT or PDF export are described for the app in general; the App Store listing for iPhone and iPad does not mention them.

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.

My Diary

Diary lock

A passcode locks the app, with fingerprint unlock on supported devices. The vendor recommends setting a security question in case the password is forgotten.

Photo, video and audio entries

Entries can hold pictures, videos, recordings and drawings as well as rich text, and a media view shows all the photos in the journal.

Themes, backgrounds and stickers

Illustrated themes, a dark theme, entry backgrounds, stickers, emoji and font effects decorate the diary. Some themes and backgrounds are Premium only.

Mood tracker

Pick a mood symbol when writing an entry, then review moods in a mood calendar and see trends in statistics.

Tags

Tags sort entries into categories such as travel, work or daily notes, so you can view all the entries of one type together.

Sync and export

The vendor's product page describes syncing the diary to Google Drive or Dropbox for use on other devices, and exporting entries to TXT or PDF or printing them.

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.

My Diary

• Free$0

  Diary entries with photos, a passcode lock, mood tracking and tags. Shows advertising, and some themes and backgrounds are locked.

• Diary VIP (Month)$2.99

  per month

  Premium membership billed monthly, which unlocks the additional themes, backgrounds and other Premium extras.

• Premium Yearly$16.99 to $23.99

  per year

  The US App Store lists three yearly entries: Diary Subscription Yearly $16.99, My Diary Premium Yearly $19.99 and My Diary Yearly VIP $23.99.

• Permanent VIP$29.99 to $49.99

  one-time purchase

  Three permanent entries are listed at $29.99, $39.99 and $49.99. The listing does not explain how they differ.

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.

My Diary

• Lifetime license

  Permanent VIP as a one-time purchase

  The US App Store lists Permanent VIP in-app purchases at $29.99, $39.99 and $49.99 as alternatives to the monthly and yearly memberships.

• Annual discount

  Yearly membership costs less than twelve months

  The US App Store lists the monthly membership at $2.99 and yearly entries at $16.99 to $23.99, against $35.88 for twelve monthly payments.