Grid Diary
Prompt-based diary and planner laid out as a grid of questions
Grid Diary report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 9, 2026
Best for answering prompts in place of a blank page
Grid Diary swaps the blank page for a grid of questions, so you write your diary one small box at a time. The same format runs daily, weekly, monthly and yearly, which makes it good for reviews as well as diary entries. Many features are free. But sync between your devices and the passcode lock both need the membership.
Who Grid Diary is for
- Great if a blank page stops you and answering prompts gets you going
- Handy when you want weekly, monthly and yearly reviews next to a daily diary
- Good for building your own journal or planner from templates
Who Grid Diary is not for
- Skip it if you want a locked diary for free, as the passcode lock is members only
- Tight if you're staying free on two devices, since sync needs the membership
- Not for you if you're on Windows, as no Windows app is offered
Why Grid Diary gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyMembership is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year on the US App Store, about typical for a journaling app. One subscription covers all your devices and adds sync, the passcode lock and more colour themes. Oddly, Grid Diary's own site quotes less: $2.99 monthly and $22.99 annual.
- BFree plan and trialMany of the features are free, though the listing can't say exactly where the line falls. What's clearly held back is sync between devices, the passcode lock and extra themes. So free means one device and an unlocked diary. The US App Store gives 3 days free on monthly and 1 week on annual.
- BFeaturesA grid of prompted boxes per entry, from a built-in library or your own. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly entries, templates for gratitude, goals and planning, a Markdown editor, several journals, tags and export to PDF, Markdown and JPG. Solid. Photos are the only attachments named, and the lock is for members.
- AEase of use4.6 from 963 App Store ratings. Answering one short question per box is easier than facing an empty page, and templates set the grid up for you. One thing to check: the App Store version needs iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26 or later.
- BPlatforms and integrationsiPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. There's no Windows app, and no web version is listed, so on a PC you're out of luck. The only connection on record is Apple Health, and sync between devices is members only.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Grid Diary's own pages on 9 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/grid-diary#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/grid-diary.svg" alt="Grid Diary: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>What is Grid Diary?
Grid Diary is a journaling app from Sumi Interactive that replaces the blank page with a grid of prompts, so each entry is written one question at a time. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly entries share the same format, and templates turn it into a gratitude journal, goal tracker or planner. Apps are listed for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. Many features are free, and one membership subscription unlocks sync between devices, a passcode lock and extra themes.
Grid Diary has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. See every plan
Good for
- People who find a blank page hard and prefer answering prompts
- Weekly, monthly and yearly reviews alongside a daily diary
- Building a custom journal or planner from templates
Worth knowing
- Sync between devices, the passcode lock and extra color themes require the paid membership.
- The vendor's site quotes $2.99 monthly and $22.99 annual, while the US App Store lists $4.99 and $29.99.
- Apps are listed for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android; no Windows app is offered.
- The App Store version requires iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26 or later.
Key features
- Grid format with prompts
- An entry is a customizable grid of prompted boxes on a single page. Prompts come from a built-in library, or you can write your own.
- Day, week, month and year entries
- Separate daily, weekly, monthly and yearly entries let you plan and review at each time scale within the same journal.
- Templates
- Customizable templates cover a gratitude journal, a goal tracker, a weekly planner and more, so the app can double as a planner.
- Mandala layout
- A 9-grid layout inspired by the mandala keeps a fixed center cell, which the vendor compares to journaling as a mind map.
- Markdown editor and attachments
- The editor supports Markdown with rich preview, inline images and to-dos, and photos can be attached to entries.
- Multiple journals, tags and export
- Keep dedicated journals for areas such as family, work and travel, organize entries with tags, and export in PDF, Markdown, JPG and other formats.
Grid Diary pricing
- Starts at
- $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year
- Free plan
- Many of the app's features are free to use. Sync between all your devices, the passcode lock and more color themes are member-only.
- Free trial
- The US App Store gives 3 days free on the monthly plan and 1 week on the annual plan; the vendor's site says 14 days on annual.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Many of the app's features without a subscription. Sync between devices, the passcode lock and extra color themes are excluded. |
| Membership | $4.99per month, or $29.99 per year (US App Store) | One in-app subscription covering all your devices: sync, passcode lock, more color themes and future member-only features. |
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Grid Diary before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountAbout 50% less with the annual membership
The US App Store lists the membership at $4.99 monthly or $29.99 annual, which is about 50% less than twelve monthly payments.
Stated on apps.apple.com
How people rate the Grid Diary app
4.6
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars82%
- 4 stars9%
- 3 stars3%
- 2 stars2%
- 1 star4%
963 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 5, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
Grid Diary alternatives
- Grid Diary vs Day One
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
- Grid Diary vs Journey
Free plan · from $17.99 one-time
- Grid Diary vs Five Minute Journal
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
- Grid Diary vs Daylio
Free plan · from $4.99
- Grid Diary vs Diarium
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
Common questions
Is Grid Diary free?
Grid Diary has a free plan. Many of the app's features are free to use. Sync between all your devices, the passcode lock and more color themes are member-only. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
How much does Grid Diary cost?
Grid Diary lists 2 plans. Free: $0. Membership: $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year (US App Store). Prices were read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026.
What platforms does Grid Diary work on?
Grid Diary is available on macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Grid Diary offer any discounts?
Grid Diary publicly lists the following: About 50% less with the annual membership.
How is Grid Diary rated?
Grid Diary's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 963 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Grid Diary have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Grid Diary is listed for macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Grid Diary have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Grid Diary is listed for macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Grid Diary open source?
Grid Diary is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Grid Diary integrate with?
Grid Diary's listing names Apple Health. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Grid Diary have a free trial?
Yes. The US App Store gives 3 days free on the monthly plan and 1 week on the annual plan; the vendor's site says 14 days on annual.
Who makes Grid Diary?
Grid Diary is made by Sumi Interactive. It dates from 2013.
What are the alternatives to Grid Diary?
The closest alternatives to Grid Diary in our directory are Day One, Journey, Five Minute Journal, Daylio and Diarium. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Grid Diary.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.