Journalistic vs Penzu
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Journalistic
Micro journaling web app built around short bulleted entries
Penzu
Private online journal for the browser, with iOS and Android apps
Where they differ
- Journalistic is free. Penzu starts at $19.99 per year, or $4.99 per month.
- Only Penzu lists iOS and Android apps.
- Penzu can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journalistic also covers notes and goals.
- Penzu also covers long-form writing.
At a glance
| Journalistic | Penzu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $19.99 per year, or $4.99 per month |
| Free plan | Everything is free at present: unlimited entries, every module and sync across devices. A Pro plan is listed at $4.90 a month but marked coming soon, and its features are free until it launches. | Basic plan: unlimited entries, the mobile apps, basic journal covers and fonts, and simple writing reminders. No credit card is required. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Toni Engelhardt | Penzu Inc. |
| Price read from | journalisticapp.com | penzu.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Journalistic
- People who want a few bullet points a day instead of long entries
- Keeping count of activities and people with #tags and @mentions
- Logging dreams alongside a daily journal
Penzu
- People who mostly write at a computer in a web browser
- Writers who want unlimited entries on a free plan
- Keeping several journals, each with its own cover and lock
Worth knowing
Journalistic
- A Pro plan at $4.90 a month is announced but not on sale; the docs say Focus, Insights and other Pro features will leave free accounts when it launches.
- There is no App Store app, and the Google Play listing the site links to was not found when checked; phones install it from the browser.
- Nothing can be imported, not even Journalistic's own exports; Day One and Journey imports are on the roadmap.
- End-to-end encryption is planned but not available, and the site's news page has no post after January 2024.
Penzu
- There is no desktop app: on a computer Penzu runs in a web browser, with apps for iOS and Android only.
- Encryption locking, entry tagging, PDF export and writing prompts require Penzu Pro.
- Versions with entry recovery and the fullscreen zen-mode are limited to Pro+.
- The App Store listing shows English as the only supported language.
Key features
Journalistic
- Bulleted micro entries
- Each day is logged as a few short bullet points instead of long paragraphs, which the vendor describes as a bullet journal with a low word count.
- Tags, people and highlights
- A #tag marks an activity and an @mention marks a person, and tapping a bullet marks it as a highlight. Tags and mentions are visible only to you.
- Optional modules
- Dreams, Notes, Wisdom (quotes and lessons), Ideas and Focus (a prioritized goal list) sit beside the daily log, and each module can be switched off.
- Reflect
- A customizable stream shows yesterday's entry, the past week's notable items, the entry from one year ago and a random older entry called Memory lane.
- Insights
- Statistics, timelines and charts are compiled from your entries, such as words per day or which weekdays you dream most. It is marked as a Pro feature and is free for now.
- Data export
- All journal data can be downloaded from the Account page as plain text, Markdown or JSON. The JSON file carries most of the metadata.
Penzu
- Unlimited entries with autosave
- Every plan, including the free one, allows unlimited entries, and Penzu saves as you type on a computer or in the mobile apps.
- Custom journals
- Each journal and entry can have its own cover, background and fonts. Basic includes a basic set; Pro adds custom covers, fonts and colors.
- Locks and encryption
- Journals and entries can be locked with a password, and the mobile app with a PIN. Encryption locking is a Pro feature, and Pro+ lists military grade encryption locking.
- Reminders and look-backs
- Daily, weekly or custom reminders prompt you to write, and Penzu emails links to past entries so you can reread them later.
- Tags, search and prompts
- Journals can be searched to find past entries. Entry tagging and writing prompts are part of Penzu Pro.
- Penzu Post, PDF export and versions
- Pro adds writing to a journal by email (Penzu Post) and PDF export. Pro+ adds versions and entry recovery plus a fullscreen zen-mode.
Plans
Journalistic
Basic$0
Unlimited entries, the standard modules (Reflect, Dreams, Highlights, Tags, People, Notes, Wisdom, Ideas) and sync on unlimited devices.
Penzu
Basic$0
Unlimited entries, mobile apps, basic journal covers and fonts, and simple writing reminders.
Penzu Pro$19.99
per year, or $4.99 per month
Adds encryption locking, custom covers, fonts and colors, entry tagging, PDF export, writing prompts and writing by email (Penzu Post).
Penzu Pro+$49.99
per year, or $9.99 per month
Everything in Pro, plus premium handwritten fonts, fullscreen zen-mode, versions and entry recovery, and premium support.
Penzu Pro+ Lifetime$199.99
one-time payment
Everything in Pro+ for a single payment with no renewal, plus 24-hour support.
Ways to pay less
Journalistic
No public discounts listed.
Penzu
- Annual discount
Up to 66% off with yearly billing
Penzu's Pro page labels yearly billing as 66% cheaper: Pro is $19.99 a year against $4.99 a month, and Pro+ is $49.99 a year against $9.99 a month.
- Lifetime license
Penzu Pro+ Lifetime for $199.99
A one-time payment of $199.99 buys the Pro+ feature set with no renewal, as listed on Penzu's Pro page.
