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Diarly

Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch

Free plan · from $2.99/moJournalingChecked Oct 6, 20264.7 on the App Store
Visit diarly.app
Diarly, as pictured on diarly.app
How Diarly presents itself. Image from diarly.app.

What is Diarly?

Diarly is a private journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch built around a Markdown editor. Entries can hold photos, videos, drawings, audio, tags, locations and weather, and can be browsed by timeline, calendar, map or gallery. Journals stay on the device with no Diarly account; Premium syncs them through your own iCloud and adds multiple journals, password encryption of entry text, themes, more export formats and an AI Assistant.

Diarly has a free plan. Paid plans start at $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases). See every plan

Good for

  • 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

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Key features

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.

Diarly pricing

Starts at
$2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases)
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.
Free trial
7-day free trial of Premium.
Free$0One journal with unlimited entries and media, Markdown editing and export, saved on a single device without sync.
Monthly Premium$2.99per monthiCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, multiple journals, entry encryption, themes, more export formats and the AI Assistant.
Yearly Premium$24.99per yearThe 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+$1.99per monthOptional separate subscription that transcribes audio entries into text and extracts text from photos with OCR.

Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Diarly before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discountYearly 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.

    Stated on apps.apple.com

How people rate the Diarly app

4.7

out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app

  1. 5 stars84%
  2. 4 stars10%
  3. 3 stars3%
  4. 2 stars<1%
  5. 1 star2%

1,461 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 6, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing

Diarly reviews, and where to read more

Works with

Diarly alternatives

All Diarly alternatives comparedAll journaling apps

Common questions

Is Diarly free?

Diarly has a 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. Paid plans start at $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases).

How much does Diarly cost?

Diarly lists 4 plans. Free: $0. Monthly Premium: $2.99 per month. Yearly Premium: $24.99 per year. AI+: $1.99 per month. Prices were read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.

What platforms does Diarly work on?

Diarly is available on macOS and iOS.

Does Diarly offer any discounts?

Diarly publicly lists the following: Yearly Premium saves about 30% over monthly.

How is Diarly rated?

Diarly's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1,461 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.

Does Diarly have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Diarly is listed for macOS and iOS.

Does Diarly have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Diarly is listed for macOS and iOS.

Is Diarly open source?

Diarly is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.

Is Diarly end-to-end encrypted?

Diarly describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.

What does Diarly integrate with?

Diarly's listing names Apple Health, iCloud and Siri Shortcuts. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does Diarly have a free trial?

Yes. 7-day free trial of Premium.

Who makes Diarly?

Diarly is made by PureForm Studio.

What are the alternatives to Diarly?

The closest alternatives to Diarly in our directory are Day One, Apple Journal, Diarium, Journey and Stoic. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Diarly.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.