The Journalistic Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Journalistic 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.
Journalistic
The Insider’s Guide
Micro journaling web app built around short bulleted entries
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among journaling apps, read from Journalistic’s own pages.
Made by Toni Engelhardt · 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 Journalistic’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Journalistic’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
3.0
GPA, above 29 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade
Journalistic is a micro journaling app: a day's entry is a handful of short bullet points, with #tags for activities and @mentions for people. Optional modules hold dreams, notes, collected quotes, ideas and goals, and a Reflect page brings older entries back into view. It is a progressive web app that runs in the browser and can be installed from it on phones and desktops. Everything is free at present; a paid Pro plan is announced on the site but has not launched.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Journalistic, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a few bullet points a day
Journalistic asks for a few bullet points a day, with a #tag for what you did and an @mention for who you saw.
- 2
It is free
Journalistic has no paid plan at all. Everything is free at present: unlimited entries, every module and sync across devices. A Pro plan is listed at $4.90 a month but marked coming soon, and its features are free until it launches.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Bulleted micro entries
Each day is logged as a few short bullet points instead of long paragraphs, which the vendor describes as a bullet journal with a low word count.
- 5
Tags, people and highlights
A #tag marks an activity and an @mention marks a person, and tapping a bullet marks it as a highlight. Tags and mentions are visible only to you.
- 6
Optional modules
Dreams, Notes, Wisdom (quotes and lessons), Ideas and Focus (a prioritized goal list) sit beside the daily log, and each module can be switched off.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 29 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
Journalistic is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Journalistic at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Toni Engelhardt, since 2019
- Category
- Journaling Apps
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a few bullet points a day
Journalistic asks for a few bullet points a day, with a #tag for what you did and an @mention for who you saw. Everything's free right now, sync included, but a $4.90 a month Pro plan is announced and some features will move to it. Nothing can be imported, encryption is only planned, there's no App Store app, and the news page stops at January 2024.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Right now it costs nothing at all, where journaling apps here sit around $4.17 a month in the middle. The catch is on the same page: a Pro plan at $4.90 a month is announced as coming soon, above that middle, and its features are free only until it launches. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Unlimited entries, every standard module and sync on unlimited devices, with no cap to meet. The warning is in the docs, though: Focus, Insights and the other Pro features will leave free accounts once Pro goes on sale. |
| Features | C | It does micro journaling fully, with bulleted days, #tags, @mentions, highlights, modules for dreams, notes, quotes, ideas and goals, and a Reflect stream. But that's a smaller job, and its own pages list the holes: nothing can be imported, encryption is only planned, and the news page stops at January 2024. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: a day is a handful of short bullets, which is hard to get wrong, and any module you don't want switches off. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only. You install it from the browser on a phone or a desktop, there's no App Store app, the Google Play listing the site links to wasn't found when checked, and it connects to nothing else. |
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 Journalistic is for
- Fits if you'd keep a journal as long as it's three bullets and not three paragraphs
- Works for counting things, like how often you ran or saw a friend
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're bringing years of entries from Day One or Journey, as nothing can be imported yet
- Not for you if you want end-to-end encryption today, because it's only planned
- Too light for long-form writers who want pages, not bullets
- Watch out: Focus, Insights and other Pro features leave free accounts when the $4.90 Pro plan launches
- Watch out: there's no App Store app, the linked Google Play listing wasn't found, and the news page stops at January 2024
Good to know
Good for
- People who want a few bullet points a day instead of long entries
- Keeping count of activities and people with #tags and @mentions
- Logging dreams alongside a daily journal
Worth knowing
- A Pro plan at $4.90 a month is announced but not on sale; the docs say Focus, Insights and other Pro features will leave free accounts when it launches.
- There is no App Store app, and the Google Play listing the site links to was not found when checked; phones install it from the browser.
- Nothing can be imported, not even Journalistic's own exports; Day One and Journey imports are on the roadmap.
- End-to-end encryption is planned but not available, and the site's news page has no post after January 2024.
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
Journalistic is free to use.
Unlimited entries, every standard module and sync on unlimited devices, with no cap to meet.
Basic
$0
Unlimited entries, the standard modules (Reflect, Dreams, Highlights, Tags, People, Notes, Wisdom, Ideas) and sync on unlimited devices.
The free plan
Everything is free at present: unlimited entries, every module and sync across devices. A Pro plan is listed at $4.90 a month but marked coming soon, and its features are free until it launches.
Read from journalisticapp.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
1
Place it runs: Web
Micro journaling web app built around short bulleted entries. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: notes, daily notes, goals.
- Bulleted micro entries
- Each day is logged as a few short bullet points instead of long paragraphs, which the vendor describes as a bullet journal with a low word count.
- Tags, people and highlights
- A #tag marks an activity and an @mention marks a person, and tapping a bullet marks it as a highlight. Tags and mentions are visible only to you.
- Optional modules
- Dreams, Notes, Wisdom (quotes and lessons), Ideas and Focus (a prioritized goal list) sit beside the daily log, and each module can be switched off.
- Reflect
- A customizable stream shows yesterday's entry, the past week's notable items, the entry from one year ago and a random older entry called Memory lane.
- Insights
- Statistics, timelines and charts are compiled from your entries, such as words per day or which weekdays you dream most. It is marked as a Pro feature and is free for now.
- Data export
- All journal data can be downloaded from the Account page as plain text, Markdown or JSON. The JSON file carries most of the metadata.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Journalistic is made by Toni Engelhardt, and has been around since 2019.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
29/35
Other journaling apps it is graded above
Journalistic's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 29 of 35) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Journalistic has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 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. Journalistic’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 25 of 35
- AFree plan and trialAbove 29 of 35
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35
- BEase of useAbove 3 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. Journalistic 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
Journalistic is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade.
What you could make
- Daily notes, notes and goals: an app builder makes these well.
What this rests on. Journalistic’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
Grid Diary, Penzu, Dabble Me, 750 Words and Day One
The 5 tools Journalistic is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Grid Diary
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Prompt-based diary and planner laid out as a grid of questions.
- Only Journalistic lists a web app.
- Only Grid Diary lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Journalistic also covers notes and goals.
- 2.8GPA
Penzu
Free plan · from $19.99/yr
Private online journal for the browser, with iOS and Android apps.
- Only Penzu lists iOS and Android apps.
- Penzu can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Journalistic also covers notes and goals.
- 2.4GPA
Dabble Me
Free plan · from $4/mo
Private journal you keep by replying to email prompts.
- Dabble Me is open source, according to its own site.
- Journalistic also covers notes and goals.
- 2.0GPA
750 Words
Paid
Private daily writing site built around a 750-word goal.
- Journalistic has a free plan. 750 Words does not.
- Journalistic also covers notes and goals.
- 750 Words also covers long-form writing.
- 3.2GPA
Day One
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices.
- Only Day One lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
- Day One is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
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 Journalistic free?
Yes. Journalistic is free to use.
How much does Journalistic cost?
Journalistic lists one plan. Basic: $0.
What platforms does Journalistic work on?
Journalistic is available on Web.
Does Journalistic have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Journalistic is listed for Web.
Does Journalistic have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Journalistic is listed for Web.
Is Journalistic open source?
Journalistic is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Who makes Journalistic?
Journalistic is made by Toni Engelhardt. It dates from 2019.
What are the alternatives to Journalistic?
The closest alternatives to Journalistic in our directory are Grid Diary, Penzu, Dabble Me, 750 Words and Day One.
How does Journalistic compare with other journaling apps?
Journalistic's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 2.
Is Journalistic good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Journalistic A for value for money. Journalistic has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Journalistic?
Journalistic is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Journalistic’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 Journalistic's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-27.
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 Toni Engelhardt. Prices change, so check journalisticapp.com before you buy.
- journalisticapp.com/#pricing
- journalisticapp.com/faq
- journalisticapp.com/about
- journalisticapp.com/install
- journalisticapp.com/news
- journalisticapp.com/impressum
- journalisticapp.com/voynich
- docs.journalisticapp.com/pro-version.html
- docs.journalisticapp.com/advanced/data-import-export.html
- docs.journalisticapp.com/insights.html
- docs.journalisticapp.com/reflect.html
- docs.journalisticapp.com/features/focus.html
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
- Journalistic, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/journalistic
- 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, "Journalistic: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/journalistic
Know someone choosing between journaling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/journalistic/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded journaling apps after Journalistic, 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 Journalistic’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. Journalistic is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Toni Engelhardt. Prices and plans change: check journalisticapp.com before you buy.