The Diarly Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Diarly 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.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Diarly

The Insider’s Guide

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

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among journaling apps, read from Diarly’s own pages.

Made by PureForm Studio · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.8GPA

01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Diarly’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Diarly’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.8

GPA, above 19 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade

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.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Diarly, taken from its own pages and our grades.

There's no Diarly account to create, so you install it and write, and the Mac version is native with a menu bar and keyboard shortcuts.

From our grade for ease of use

1
Best for a Markdown journal across your Apple devices
Diarly is a Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that keeps everything on your devices and in your own iCloud, never on Diarly's servers.
2
Paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases).
3
There is 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.
4
It runs on 2 platforms
macOS and iOS.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
A 2.8 GPA, above 19 of 35
That is against the other journaling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
Keep it
The plain part of Diarly you could make: daily notes, Markdown, mood tracking and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

Diarly at a glance

Pricing: Free plan, from $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year (US App Store in-app purchases)
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: 7-day free trial of Premium.
Runs on: macOS, iOS
Made by: PureForm Studio
Category: Journaling Apps
Our grade: 2.8 GPA, good
Store rating: 4.7 on the App Store, 1,461 ratings

The report card

Best for a Markdown journal across your Apple devices

Diarly is a Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that keeps everything on your devices and in your own iCloud, never on Diarly's servers. Premium is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year. But it's Apple only, the free version is one journal on one device with no sync, and transcription costs $1.99 a month more.

ToolGPA report cardDiarlyGraded Oct 10, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	B	Premium is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year, which is $2.08 a month and inside the cheapest quarter for journaling apps here. It covers iCloud sync, multiple journals, entry encryption, themes and the AI Assistant. Transcription and OCR are another $1.99 a month as AI+.
Free plan and trial	C	Free forever gets one journal with unlimited entries and media. The cap is where it hurts: one device, no sync, and encryption held back for Premium. A 7-day trial lets you see the rest.
Features	B	It covers the whole job: a Markdown editor with slash commands, checklists and tables, entries holding photos, video, drawings and audio, templates that drop in the weather, your calendar and Apple Health, views by timeline, calendar, map and gallery, a mood calendar and importers.
Ease of use	A	4.73 from about 1,500 App Store ratings. There's no Diarly account to create, so you install it and write, and the Mac version is native with a menu bar and keyboard shortcuts. Importers bring old entries over from Day One, Apple Journal or Journey.
Platforms and integrations	C	One family of devices: Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, synced through iCloud on Premium. No Windows, Android or web version at all. It works with Apple Health and Siri Shortcuts.

Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.8

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 Diarly is for

Fits if you're all Apple and want your journal on your devices and in your own iCloud
Works for moving from Day One, Apple Journal or Journey, which all have importers

Who it is not for

Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it's built only for Apple devices
Tight if you're staying free, as that's one journal on one device with no sync
Not for you if you lose passwords, since encrypted entries can't be recovered if you forget yours
Pricey if you want audio transcription or OCR, as AI+ is another $1.99 a month on top of Premium
Watch out: the pricing page shows no amounts, and the App Store lists yearly Premium at both $24.99 and $29.99

Good to know

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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$2.08

A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too

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

It covers iCloud sync, multiple journals, entry encryption, themes and the AI Assistant.

From our grade for value for money

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.

The 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.

Trying it first

7-day free trial of Premium.

Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.

Ways to pay less

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.
Stated on apps.apple.com

What the app costs elsewhere

Each country’s App Store price for “Premium Journal – Yearly Plan”, against $24.99 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
Turkey	₺329,99	$6.71	73% less
India	₹ 1,299	$13.43	46% less
South Africa	R249.99	$15.12	39% less
Philippines	₱ 1,050.00	$16.71	33% less
Brazil	R$ 119,90	$23.96	about the same
United Kingdom	£18.99	$25.11	about the same
Germany	22,49 €	$25.20	about the same
Mexico	$509.00	$27.97	12% more

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: macOS and iOS

Private Markdown journal for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, end-to-end encrypted, AI features, Markdown, daily notes, templates, mood tracking.

One family of devices: Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, synced through iCloud on Premium.

From our grade for platforms and integrations

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.

Where it runs

macOS
iOS

What it works with

Apple Health
iCloud
Siri Shortcuts

Diarly is made by PureForm Studio.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

19/35

Other journaling apps it is graded above

Diarly's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 19 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 9.

It stands best on ease of use (A, above 19 of 35) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 2).

Its paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3.66 for the category: 3 of the 21 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 36 journaling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Diarly’s own letter is outlined.

BValue for money
Above 22 of 35
CFree plan and trial
Above 2 of 35
BFeatures
Above 30 of 35
AEase of use
Above 19 of 35
CPlatforms and integrations
Above 2 of 35

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 29 journaling apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Diarly is the marked dot.

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

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.

Keep it

The plain part of Diarly you could make: daily notes, Markdown, mood tracking and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

It costs $24.99 a year.

What you could make

Daily notes, Markdown, mood tracking and templates: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
End-to-end encryption done properly.
AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
Hooks into the device itself: an Apple Watch app.
The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Diarly’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 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Day One, Apple Journal, Diarium, Journey and Stoic

The 5 tools Diarly 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 Windows and Android apps.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
Diarly and Day One compared in full
3.2GPA
Apple Journal
Free
Apple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Diarly also covers Markdown and templates.
- Apple Journal also covers transcription.
Diarly and Apple Journal compared in full
3.2GPA
Diarium
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync.
- Only Diarium lists Windows and Android apps.
- Diarly is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Diarium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Diarly and Diarium compared in full
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 Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Diarly also covers Markdown.
Diarly and Journey compared in full
2.6GPA
Stoic
Free plan · from $6.99
Guided journal with morning and evening reflections and mood tracking.
- Only Stoic lists a web app.
- Only Stoic lists an Android app.
- Diarly is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Diarly and Stoic compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

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 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.

How much does Diarly cost?

Diarly lists 4 plans. Free: $0.

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.

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.

How does Diarly compare with other journaling apps?

Diarly's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 19 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 9.

Is Diarly good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Diarly B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3.66 for the category: 3 of the 21 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Diarly?

The plain part of Diarly you could make: daily notes, Markdown, mood tracking and templates.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Diarly’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Diarly's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-31.

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 PureForm Studio. Prices change, so check diarly.app before you buy.

Part 07 · 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

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, "Diarly: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/diarly

Know someone choosing between journaling apps?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/diarly/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded journaling apps after Diarly, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Diarly’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. Diarly is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by PureForm Studio. Prices and plans change: check diarly.app before you buy.