Diarly vs Everlog
We give Diarly and Everlog the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Diarly
Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Everlog
Markdown journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac with threaded comments
How we grade them
| 3.4GPADiarlyVery good | 3.4GPAEverlogVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APremium is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year on the US App Store, well below what journaling apps usually charge. It adds iCloud sync, multiple journals, entry encryption, themes and an AI Assistant. Audio transcription and OCR are a separate $1.99 a month, called AI+. | APremium is $1.99 a month on the US App Store, where paid journal apps typically start at about $4.99. Don't like subscriptions? Lifetime is $49.99 once, and every plan works with Family Sharing. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever gets one journal with unlimited entries and media, plus Markdown editing and export. That's generous on content. But it lives on a single device with no sync, and encryption needs Premium. There's a 7-day free trial of Premium. | BFree for good with one journal, photos, tags, bookmarks, search and a passcode lock. But it won't sync between your iPhone and Mac, and a second journal or automatic backups mean paying. |
| Features | AA Markdown editor with slash commands, checklists and tables. Entries hold photos, videos, drawings and audio, and templates can drop in the weather, calendar events and Apple Health details. Browse by timeline, calendar, map or gallery, and track moods in a mood calendar. | AA Markdown editor, a timeline with a calendar, journals, tags, search and a lock that opens with Face ID. You can thread comments under an old entry, attach video, audio and PDFs with Premium, and get a written recap of your month. That last one needs iOS 27. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 1,500 App Store ratings. There's no Diarly account to create, and the Mac version is a native app with a menu bar and keyboard shortcuts. Importers bring entries over from Day One, Apple Journal or Journey. | A4.6 from about 300 App Store ratings. It's an editor and a timeline, and you can hide the word count, location and weather if they get in the way. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, synced through iCloud on Premium. That's all Apple: there's no Windows, Android or web version. It works with Apple Health and Siri Shortcuts. | CiPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through your own iCloud. That's it. No Android, no Windows and no web version. |
| Best for | a Markdown journal across your Apple devices | a Markdown journal on Apple devices |
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: Diarly and Everlog. How we grade
Where they differ
- Diarly starts at $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases). Everlog starts at $1.99 per month (Premium Monthly on the US App Store).
- Diarly is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Everlog can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Diarly also covers mood tracking.
At a glance
| Diarly | Everlog | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases) | $1.99 per month (Premium Monthly on the US App Store) |
| Free plan | Free forever: one journal with unlimited entries and media, kept on the device. iCloud sync, multiple journals, encryption, themes and extra export formats need Premium. | One journal, image attachments, tags, bookmarks, search and a passcode lock. Sync between devices, extra journals and automatic backups need Premium. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Premium. | The App Store listing shows a free trial of Everlog Premium; its length is not stated. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | PureForm Studio | Wessley Roche |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Diarly
- Apple users who want a journal stored on their devices and their own iCloud
- Writers who prefer plain-text Markdown entries they can export
- People moving from Day One, Apple Journal or Journey, which have importers
Everlog
- Apple users who want a plain Markdown journal on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- People who revisit old entries and add notes beneath them
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
Worth knowing
Diarly
- Built only for Apple devices: there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- Sync between devices needs Premium and runs through iCloud; the free version keeps one journal on one device.
- Encryption covers the text of entries, needs Premium, and entries cannot be recovered if the encryption password is forgotten.
- The vendor's pricing page shows no amounts; the US App Store lists yearly Premium at both $24.99 and $29.99.
Everlog
- Apple platforms only: there is no Android, Windows or web version.
- Syncing between devices needs Premium, and the free version is limited to one journal and image attachments.
- If Premium lapses, sync turns off and new entries can only be written in the default journal.
- iCloud data is end-to-end encrypted only when Apple's Advanced Data Protection is switched on.
Key features
Diarly
- Markdown editor
- Entries are written in Markdown with slash commands, checklists, tables and a typewriter mode. The Mac version is a native app with a menu bar and keyboard shortcuts.
- Media and context in entries
- Add photos, videos, drawings, audio recordings, files, tags and map locations. Templates can insert the weather, calendar events and Apple Health details automatically.
- Timeline, calendar, map and gallery
- Browse entries by date on a timeline or calendar, by place on a map or by image in a gallery. On This Day brings back entries from earlier years.
- Mood tracker and insights
- Log moods and emotions inside entries and see how they change in a mood calendar and Insights. Writing goals, streaks and reminders support a daily habit.
- On-device storage and iCloud sync
- Journals are saved on the device and never on Diarly's servers. Premium syncs them through your iCloud Drive and can encrypt entry text with a password only you know.
- AI Assistant and AI+
- Premium includes an OpenAI-powered assistant reached with the /ask command, plus daily affirmations and advice. AI+ is a separate subscription for audio transcription and OCR.
Everlog
- Markdown editor and timeline
- Entries are written in Markdown and shown on a timeline with a weekly or monthly calendar. Font, size and details such as word count, location and weather can be shown or hidden.
- Comments and threads
- A comment is an entry nested inside another entry. It is meant for annotating a journal or adding a later reflection to something written earlier.
- Journals, tags and bookmarks
- Entries are grouped into journals and tags, important ones can be bookmarked, and everything is searchable. The free version is limited to one journal.
- Attachments and suggestions
- Entries take images for free, and video, audio recordings and PDFs with Premium. Journaling Suggestions can start an entry from photos, workouts, songs, locations or prompts.
- Lock and iCloud sync
- Journals lock with a passcode and unlock with Touch ID, Face ID or an Apple Watch. Premium syncs every journal across devices through your private iCloud.
- Recaps
- A written look back at any month or year, generated with Apple Intelligence from your entries and shown with writing stats. It requires iOS 27 or iPadOS 27.
Plans
Diarly
Free$0
One journal with unlimited entries and media, Markdown editing and export, saved on a single device without sync.
Monthly Premium$2.99
per month
iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, multiple journals, entry encryption, themes, more export formats and the AI Assistant.
Yearly Premium$24.99
per year
The same Premium features billed yearly. The US App Store lists the promoted yearly plan at $24.99 and a second yearly entry at $29.99.
AI+$1.99
per month
Optional separate subscription that transcribes audio entries into text and extracts text from photos with OCR.
Everlog
Free$0
One journal with image attachments, tags, bookmarks and search, and no sync between devices.
Premium Monthly$1.99
per month
Sync between devices, unlimited journals, scheduled automatic backups, video, audio and PDF attachments, weather on entries, and extra app icons and fonts.
Everlog Premium$19.99
period not labelled on the listing; the FAQ names an Annual plan
The same Premium features. The App Store lists this purchase without a period, and the vendor's FAQ offers Monthly, Annual and Lifetime plans.
Premium Lifetime$49.99
one-time payment
Permanent access to every Premium feature with no recurring fee.
Ways to pay less
Diarly
- Annual discount
Yearly Premium saves about 30% over monthly
The US App Store lists Monthly Premium at $2.99 and the yearly plan at $24.99. Twelve monthly payments come to $35.88, so paying yearly saves $10.89.
Everlog
- Lifetime license
Premium Lifetime for $49.99
The US App Store lists Premium Lifetime at $49.99. The vendor's FAQ describes it as a one-time purchase with permanent access to all Premium features.
- Other savings
Family Sharing on every plan
The FAQ says all Premium plans, including Lifetime, support Apple Family Sharing, so family members get the Premium features too.
