The How We Feel Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about How We Feel 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.
How We Feel
The Insider’s Guide
Free emotion check-in journal from a science nonprofit
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among journaling apps, read from How We Feel’s own pages.
Made by The How We Feel Project, Inc. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 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 How We Feel’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on How We Feel’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
3.2
GPA, above 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade
How We Feel is a free emotional wellbeing journal for iPhone and Android, made by a nonprofit with Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence. A check-in means picking a precise word for how you feel from a color-coded grid, then adding context such as tags, a note or a photo. The app charts patterns over time, includes short video strategies for regulating emotions and lets you share check-ins with friends. It is funded by donations and has no paid plans.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about How We Feel, taken from its own pages and our grades.
A check-in is picking a word off a grid, there's no account to set up, and some strategy videos run a minute.
- 1
Best for a free check-in on how you really feel
How We Feel is a free emotion journal made by a nonprofit with Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence.
- 2
It is free
How We Feel has no paid plan at all. The whole app is free and funded by donations. The US App Store listing shows a price of Free with no in-app purchases, and no account is needed.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and Android.
- 4
Mood Meter check-ins
Each check-in starts with choosing a word for how you feel from a color-coded grid of emotions split into quadrants, which is meant to build a more precise emotional vocabulary.
- 5
Tags, journal notes and photos
A check-in can carry tags, a written journal entry, photos and a body sensation map, so the situation around a feeling is kept with it.
- 6
Pattern analysis
An Analyze tab and a weekly review chart check-ins over time. On iPhone the app reads sleep, exercise and other health trends through HealthKit to set beside them.
- 7
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.
- 8
Keep it
How We Feel is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
How We Feel at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- iOS, Android
- Made by
- The How We Feel Project, Inc., since 2020
- Category
- Journaling Apps
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 29,923 ratings
The report card
Best for a free check-in on how you really feel
How We Feel is a free emotion journal made by a nonprofit with Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence. You pick an exact word for how you feel from a colour-coded grid, add a note or a photo, and see the patterns over time, with no subscription and no account. But it's phones only, needs iOS 17, comes in English and Spanish only, and isn't built for long-form writing.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free, with no in-app purchases on the US App Store and no paid plan at all, where journaling apps here sit around $4.17 a month in the middle. A nonprofit runs it on donations, so there's nothing to weigh up. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Every feature is free: check-ins, journal notes and photos, pattern charts, the video strategies and sharing with friends. No account is needed and nothing is held back, so there's no cap to meet. |
| Features | C | It does the emotion check-in fully, with a grid of feeling words, tags, a written entry, photos, a body sensation map, an Analyze tab and short videos on steadying yourself. But that's a smaller job than keeping a journal, and it's in English and Spanish only. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.87 from about 29,900 App Store ratings. A check-in is picking a word off a grid, there's no account to set up, and some strategy videos run a minute. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Phones only: the App Store listing says iPhone, alongside the Android app, on iOS 17 or later, with no iPad, Mac or web version. On iPhone it reads sleep and exercise from Apple Health and can sync to iCloud. |
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 How We Feel is for
- Fits if you want a mood journal with no subscription and no in-app purchases
- Works for therapy clients who want to note feelings between sessions
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to journal on a tablet or computer, as it's phones only
- Not for you if you need another language, as it's in English and Spanish only
- Too light for anyone after a long-form diary, since every entry starts from a mood check-in
- Watch out: the iPhone app needs iOS 17 or later, and the vendor says it's no replacement for therapy
Good to know
Good for
- People who want a mood journal with no subscription or in-app purchases
- Learning more precise words for emotions and spotting patterns in them
- Therapy clients who want to capture feelings between sessions
Worth knowing
- Phone only: the App Store listing says it is only for iPhone, alongside the Android app; no iPad, Mac or web version is listed.
- The App Store listing gives English and Spanish as the only languages.
- The iPhone app requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- The vendor describes it as a wellbeing journal, not a replacement for therapy or professional care.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
How We Feel is free to use.
A nonprofit runs it on donations, so there's nothing to weigh up.
Free
$0
Every feature: emotion check-ins, journal notes and photos, pattern charts, video strategies and sharing with friends.
The free plan
The whole app is free and funded by donations. The US App Store listing shows a price of Free with no in-app purchases, and no account is needed.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: iOS and Android
Free emotion check-in journal from a science nonprofit. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, daily notes, mood tracking.
But that's a smaller job than keeping a journal, and it's in English and Spanish only.
- Mood Meter check-ins
- Each check-in starts with choosing a word for how you feel from a color-coded grid of emotions split into quadrants, which is meant to build a more precise emotional vocabulary.
- Tags, journal notes and photos
- A check-in can carry tags, a written journal entry, photos and a body sensation map, so the situation around a feeling is kept with it.
- Pattern analysis
- An Analyze tab and a weekly review chart check-ins over time. On iPhone the app reads sleep, exercise and other health trends through HealthKit to set beside them.
- Video regulation strategies
- Step-by-step videos, some as short as a minute, are grouped under four themes: Change Your Thinking, Move Your Body, Be Mindful and Reach Out.
- Sharing with friends
- The Friends feature shares how you feel in real time with people you choose. Check-ins stay private unless you decide to share them.
- On-device data
- Data stays on the device unless you opt in to send an anonymized copy of your check-ins for research. The iOS app can sync to iCloud, and no account is required.
Where it runs
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Apple Health
- iCloud
Who makes How We Feel
How We Feel is made by The How We Feel Project, Inc., which calls itself a non-profit company. The app is free and, its site says, paid for by donations, which it collects through a Donorbox page.
- Founded
- 2020howwefeel.org
- Based
- San Francisco, Californiahowwefeel.org
- Ownership
- Nonprofit. Its Terms of Service describe The How We Feel Project, Inc. as a non-profit company, and its About page calls the project a scientific non-profit created in 2020.howwefeel.org
- Funding
- No investment is mentioned anywhere on the site. The app is free and the home page says it is made possible by donations, which are taken through a Donorbox page.howwefeel.org
- Team
- No headcount given. Its About page says the product team includes current and former Pinterest employees, and names a scientific team at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.howwefeel.org
- Founders and leaders
- Ben Silbermann, Leads the product team; co-founder of Pinteresthowwefeel.org
- Marc Brackett, Leads the scientific teamhowwefeel.org
- Feng Zhang, Led the project at its starthowwefeel.org
- Xihong Lin, Led the project at its starthowwefeel.org
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · 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
How We Feel'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 free plan and trial (A, above 29 of 35) and worst on features (C, above 0).
How We Feel has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 36 journaling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. How We Feel’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 25 of 35
- AFree plan and trialAbove 29 of 35
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35
- AEase of useAbove 19 of 35
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 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. How We Feel 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
How We Feel is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade.
What you could make
- Mood tracking and daily notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. How We Feel’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
Daylio, DailyBean, Bearable, Moodflow and Moodistory
The 5 tools How We Feel is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Daylio
Free plan · from $4.99
Mood tracker and micro-diary you fill in with a couple of taps.
- Daylio also covers templates, habit tracking and goals.
- 2.4GPA
DailyBean
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
Tap-based mood diary that logs a day with icons instead of writing.
- DailyBean also covers habit tracking.
- 2.8GPA
Bearable
Free plan · from $34.99/yr
Symptom and mood tracker that links health to daily habits.
- Bearable also covers habit tracking and goals.
- 2.4GPA
Moodflow
Free plan · from $3.49
Mood tracker and journal that charts what shapes your days.
- Moodflow also covers habit tracking.
- 2.2GPA
Moodistory
Free plan · from $2.99
Mood tracker that logs a day in seconds and keeps data on-device.
Part 06 · 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 How We Feel free?
Yes. How We Feel is free to use.
How much does How We Feel cost?
How We Feel lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does How We Feel work on?
How We Feel is available on iOS and Android.
How is How We Feel rated?
How We Feel's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 29,923 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does How We Feel have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. How We Feel is listed for iOS and Android.
Does How We Feel have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. How We Feel is listed for iOS and Android.
Is How We Feel open source?
How We Feel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does How We Feel integrate with?
How We Feel's listing names Apple Health and iCloud. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes How We Feel?
How We Feel is made by The How We Feel Project, Inc. Its Terms of Service describe The How We Feel Project, Inc. as a non-profit company, and its About page calls the project a scientific non-profit created in 2020.
What are the alternatives to How We Feel?
The closest alternatives to How We Feel in our directory are Daylio, DailyBean, Bearable, Moodflow and Moodistory.
How does How We Feel compare with other journaling apps?
How We Feel's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 3.
Is How We Feel good value for money?
ToolGPA grades How We Feel A for value for money. How We Feel has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of How We Feel?
How We Feel is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from How We Feel’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 How We Feel's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-22.
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 The How We Feel Project, Inc. Prices change, so check howwefeel.org 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
- How We Feel, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/how-we-feel
- 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, "How We Feel: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/how-we-feel
Know someone choosing between journaling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/how-we-feel/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded journaling apps after How We Feel, 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
- Diarium Insider's GuidePrivate journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync3.2 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 How We Feel’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. How We Feel is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The How We Feel Project, Inc. Prices and plans change: check howwefeel.org before you buy.