The Diarium Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Diarium in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Diarium
The Insider’s Guide
Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among journaling apps, read from Diarium’s own pages.
Made by Timo Partl · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02Insider tipsWhat most people miss: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches
- 03What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 04What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 05Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Diarium’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Diarium’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade
Diarium is a private journal app by Timo Partl for Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac. Entries take rich text, photos, video, audio and files, and can be browsed by calendar, timeline, map or an On this day page. Integrations add context such as calendar events, weather, fitness data and social posts. No account is needed: the journal stays on the device, with optional sync through your own cloud storage. Pro is a one-time purchase per platform, not a subscription.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Diarium, taken from its own pages and our grades.
But you pay per platform, iOS and macOS count as separate purchases, there's no free version on Windows, and there's no web version.
- 1
Best for paying once for a private journal
It runs on Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, and syncs through your own cloud storage on Pro.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $14.99 one-time purchase per platform.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free to use on Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, without Pro features such as Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, widgets, custom fonts, weather and integrations. Windows is a paid app.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
- 5
Rich entries with attachments
Entries support rich text formatting, tags and locations, plus photos, videos, audio recordings, PDFs and other files. Several entries can be created per day.
- 6
Calendar, timeline and map views
Look back through a calendar, a scrolling timeline, a map of places visited, an attachments gallery and an On this day page with optional notifications.
- 7
Automatic feeds
Connected services add context to a day: camera roll photos, calendar events, weather, Strava and Apple Health data, Microsoft To Do tasks and Last.fm scrobbles. Some feeds require Pro.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 32 of 35
That is against the other journaling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos.
Diarium at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $14.99 one-time purchase per platform
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day trial of all Pro features on Android, iOS and macOS before buying.
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Timo Partl, since 2016
- Category
- Journaling Apps
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 2,034 ratings
The report card
Best for paying once for a private journal
Diarium is a private journal you pay for once: $14.99 per platform, with no subscription, no account and no ads. It runs on Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, and syncs through your own cloud storage on Pro. But you pay per platform, iOS and macOS count as separate purchases, there's no free version on Windows, and there's no web version.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Pro is a one-time $14.99 on Android, iOS or macOS, where a year of a middling journaling subscription here is about $50, and the one-time prices in this category sit around $17.99. Windows is $19.99 with Pro included. You do pay again per platform, and iOS and macOS count as two. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free on Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, but without Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, widgets or integrations, so it's one device and your own backups. Windows has no free version at all. A 7-day trial of Pro runs on the other three. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job: formatted text with photos, video, audio and files, several entries a day, views by calendar, timeline, map and On this day, import from Day One, Journey, Daylio and five more, and export to Word, text, HTML or JSON. The feeds and sync all sit behind Pro, bought per platform. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.81 from about 2,000 App Store ratings. There's no login or sign-up at all: install it and write. The only setup is sync, where you point it at your own OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or WebDAV storage. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Computer and both phones: Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, with no web version listed. It syncs through your own OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or WebDAV, and connects to Strava, Apple Health, Microsoft To Do and Last.fm. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Diarium is for
- Fits if you'd rather pay once than subscribe
- Works for journaling across Windows, Android and Apple devices with no account
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want sync for free, as Cloud Sync is a Pro feature
- Not for you if you hate buying the same app twice, since iOS and macOS are separate purchases
- Tight if you're on Windows, where there's no free version and it's $19.99 up front
- Watch out: without Cloud Sync the journal lives only on the device, so backups are up to you
- Not for you if you want a web version, as none is listed
Good to know
Good for
- People who want to pay once instead of subscribing
- Journaling across Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Keeping a journal on your own device and cloud storage with no account
- Pulling calendar, fitness and social activity into daily entries
Worth knowing
- Pro is bought separately for each platform, and iOS and macOS count as separate purchases.
- Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, widgets and integrations require Pro.
- There is no free version on Windows, where Diarium is a paid app listed at $19.99 in the Microsoft Store.
- By default the journal is stored only on the device, so without Cloud Sync you need to make your own backups.
Part 02 · Tips
Insider tips
What most people miss: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches
7
Things most people miss, each from its own help pages
The things about Diarium that are easy to miss until they cost you: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches at renewal or when you leave. Each one is from Diarium’s own pages, linked beside it.
Read on Oct 17, 2026. Read from Diarium's FAQ, written by its developer on the Diarium community site (general questions, sync and the Pro version), on 17 October 2026. Not tried out: these tips are what its own pages say.
- 1
Setting
On Android or Windows, sync through OneDrive or Dropbox, not iCloud
Diarium's sync FAQ says iCloud needs you to sign in again every 30 days on Android and Windows. OneDrive and Dropbox are the two it calls reliable and fast. Google Drive can be a bit slower, and it doesn't recommend pCloud over WebDAV right now.
forum.diariumapp.com - 2
Easy to miss
Keep one journal with your partner by sharing a cloud account
Its FAQ says two people can write in the same journal if both sign into the same cloud account when they set up Cloud Sync. iCloud always uses the Apple account on the device, so pick OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox for this.
forum.diariumapp.com - 3
Pay less
Moving to a new phone doesn't need Pro
Without Cloud Sync, tap Backup diary in the app settings to save the whole journal as one file, then Import diary on the new device. Diarium keeps nothing on its own servers, so do this before you wipe or swap a phone.
forum.diariumapp.com - 4
Pay less
If Pro doesn't show on a new phone, start the purchase again
Pro is tied for good to the store account that bought it and can't be moved. On a new device, start the purchase again: it either unlocks, or asks you to pay, which means you're on a different account. Diarium says you can't be charged twice on the same platform and account.
forum.diariumapp.com - 5
Privacy
Switch off the photo and calendar feeds if you'd rather not see them
Diarium shows the photos you took and your calendar events on each day's page once you allow access. Photos aren't saved into the entry unless you pick Attach to entry. Turn either off in the settings under Feeds & events.
forum.diariumapp.com - 6
Leaving
The files in your cloud folder can't be opened anywhere else
Sync files sit in your own storage (Apps/Diarium on Dropbox, Applications/Diarium on OneDrive) but they're compressed and encrypted, so no other program can read them. Don't rename or delete them. For a copy you can read, use Export in the app.
forum.diariumapp.com - 7
Shortcut
Right-click or long-press a day to add a second entry
Diarium lets you write several entries a day. On Windows and Mac, right-click a day in the calendar view or use the + in the top menu. On a phone, press and hold the day in the calendar view.
forum.diariumapp.com
Part 03 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$14.99 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
Diarium has a free plan. Paid plans start at $14.99 one-time purchase per platform.
You do pay again per platform, and iOS and macOS count as two.
Free
$0
The app on Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac without Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, widgets, custom fonts, weather or integrations.
Pro version (Android, iOS or macOS)
$14.99
one-time purchase per platform
Unlocks Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, connected feeds, custom fonts, widgets and weather. iOS and macOS count as separate platforms.
Diarium for Windows
$19.99
one-time purchase (Microsoft Store)
A paid app that already includes Pro. The same app is also sold as a direct download on Gumroad for $30.
The free plan
Free to use on Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, without Pro features such as Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, widgets, custom fonts, weather and integrations. Windows is a paid app.
Trying it first
7-day trial of all Pro features on Android, iOS and macOS before buying.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 5, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Pro version (iOS)”, against $14.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $19.99 | $14.05 | 6% less |
| India | ₹ 1,499 | $15.50 | about the same |
| Philippines | ₱ 999.00 | $15.90 | 6% more |
| Australia | $22.99 | $16.05 | 7% more |
| South Africa | R299.99 | $18.14 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £14.99 | $19.82 | 32% more |
| Brazil | R$ 99,90 | $19.96 | 33% more |
| Germany | 17,99 € | $20.16 | 34% more |
Part 04 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, local-first, one-time purchase, daily notes, templates, mood tracking.
The feeds and sync all sit behind Pro, bought per platform.
- Rich entries with attachments
- Entries support rich text formatting, tags and locations, plus photos, videos, audio recordings, PDFs and other files. Several entries can be created per day.
- Calendar, timeline and map views
- Look back through a calendar, a scrolling timeline, a map of places visited, an attachments gallery and an On this day page with optional notifications.
- Automatic feeds
- Connected services add context to a day: camera roll photos, calendar events, weather, Strava and Apple Health data, Microsoft To Do tasks and Last.fm scrobbles. Some feeds require Pro.
- Sync through your own cloud
- Pro syncs the journal across platforms using your OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or WebDAV storage. The uploaded data is compressed and encrypted.
- Import and export
- Migrates journals from Day One, Diaro, Journey, Daylio, Diarly, Daybook, Evernote and Apple Journal, and exports to Word, plain text, HTML or JSON.
- Lock without an account
- No login or sign-up is required and the app carries no ads. The journal can be protected with a password, PIN or biometrics such as Face ID and Windows Hello.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- OneDrive
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- iCloud
- Strava
- Apple Health
- Microsoft To Do
- Last.fm
Who makes Diarium
Diarium is made by Timo Partl, an independent app developer in Germany who also makes WorkingHours, GeoPhoto, SubTotal and AtomicClock. Diarium is free on most platforms and earns money from one-time Pro purchases per platform, with no subscription.
- Based
- Germanytimopartl.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Timo Partl describes himself as an independent app developer from Germany, and his pages name no company, parent or investor behind Diarium.timopartl.com
- Team
- An independent app developer, in his own wordstimopartl.com
- Founders and leaders
- Timo Partl, Independent app developertimopartl.com
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 05 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
32/35
Other journaling apps it is graded above
Diarium's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 25 of 35) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 2).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 36 journaling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Diarium’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 25 of 35
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 35
- BFeaturesAbove 30 of 35
- AEase of useAbove 19 of 35
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 22 of 35
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos.
You could make the core of Diarium for yourself: daily notes, templates and mood tracking. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $14.99, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could make
- Daily notes, templates and mood tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Diarium’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 06 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Day One, Journey, Diaro, Diarly and Daybook
The 5 tools Diarium is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Day One
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices.
- Only Day One lists a web app.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Journey
Free plan · from $17.99 one-time
Cross-platform diary with maps, mood tracking and guided programs.
- Only Journey lists a web app.
- Only Journey lists a Linux app.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.0GPA
Diaro
Free plan · from $8.99/yr
Diary and notes app that syncs through your own Dropbox.
- Only Diarium lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Only Diaro lists a web app.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Diarly
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
- Only Diarium lists Windows and Android apps.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Diarly is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Daybook
Free plan · from $3.49/mo
Cloud-synced diary with guided journals and voice entry.
- Only Diarium lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Only Daybook lists a web app.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Diarium free?
Diarium has a free plan. Free to use on Android, iPhone, iPad and Mac, without Pro features such as Cloud Sync, unlimited attachments, Word export, widgets, custom fonts, weather and integrations.
How much does Diarium cost?
Diarium lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Diarium work on?
Diarium is available on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
How is Diarium rated?
Diarium's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2,034 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Diarium have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Diarium is listed for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Diarium open source?
Diarium is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Diarium work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Diarium integrate with?
Diarium's listing names OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, Strava, Apple Health, Microsoft To Do and Last.fm.
Does Diarium have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day trial of all Pro features on Android, iOS and macOS before buying.
Who makes Diarium?
Diarium is made by Timo Partl. Timo Partl describes himself as an independent app developer from Germany, and his pages name no company, parent or investor behind Diarium.
What are the alternatives to Diarium?
The closest alternatives to Diarium in our directory are Day One, Journey, Diaro, Diarly and Daybook.
How does Diarium compare with other journaling apps?
Diarium's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 3.
Could I make my own version of Diarium?
A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos. You could make the core of Diarium for yourself: daily notes, templates and mood tracking.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Diarium’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Diarium's own pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-05.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Timo Partl. Prices change, so check diariumapp.com before you buy.
- apps.apple.com/us/app/diarium-journal-private-diary/id1436044299
- diariumapp.com
- forum.diariumapp.com/d/15
- forum.diariumapp.com/d/14
- forum.diariumapp.com/d/13
- apps.apple.com/us/app/diarium-diary-private-journal/id1502834782
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=partl.Diarium&hl=en_US&gl=US
- apps.microsoft.com/detail/9NBLGGH4VZZ1?hl=en-US&gl=US
- timopartl.gumroad.com/l/diarium
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Diarium, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/diarium
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Diarium: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/diarium
Know someone choosing between journaling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/diarium/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded journaling apps after Diarium, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Journaling Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 36 journaling apps we grade, compared
- Apple Journal Insider's GuideApple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac3.2 GPA
- Day One Insider's GuideEncrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices3.2 GPA
- How We Feel Insider's GuideFree emotion check-in journal from a science nonprofit3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Diarium’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Diarium is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Timo Partl. Prices and plans change: check diariumapp.com before you buy.