Day One
A polished, end-to-end encrypted journaling app for Apple devices, Android, Windows and the web.
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About Day One
Day One is one of the best-known digital journals. Entries can mix text with photos, video, audio, drawings and scanned documents, and each one is stamped with location, weather and other metadata, so the journal fills in context without extra effort. Features like On This Day, a map and calendar view, templates, daily prompts and streaks help people keep the habit going, and shared journals let families or couples write together. Journals are end-to-end encrypted, protected by passcode or biometrics, and can be exported as PDF, CSV or JSON or printed as books. Day One is owned by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. A free Basic plan allows unlimited text entries with one photo per entry; paid Silver and Gold plans add unlimited media, multi-device sync and guided AI reflection features, billed yearly after a trial. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android, Windows and the web. The free plan is limited to one device.
Best for: People who want a rich, media-friendly journal that stays private and lasts for years.
Pros and cons
What works
- End-to-end encryption on every plan
- Rich entries with photos, audio and automatic metadata
- Apps on nearly every platform
- Exports and printed books
Why people leave
- Free plan limited to one device and one photo per entry
- Yearly subscription for sync
- AI features may not appeal to private journalers
Top Day One alternatives
See all 5- 1
Journey66.5Cheaper cross-platform journal with Linux support and an option to self-host sync.
- 2
Apple Journal62.6Free and built into Apple devices if you only need simple entries.
- 3
Penzu59.6A simple, private online diary that is free to start in any browser.
- 4
jrnl57.2Plain-text, encrypted journaling from the command line, free and open source.
- 5
Reflection55.3A guided journal with prompts and AI insights at a lower price.
Why people left Day One
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Day One: common questions
Is Day One free?
Day One has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Basic at $0/year (checked on Day One's own site).
Is Day One open source?
No, Day One is not open source. Open-source alternatives include jrnl.
What platforms does Day One run on?
Day One is available for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Web.
What are the best alternatives to Day One?
The highest-ranked Day One alternatives right now are Journey, Apple Journal and Penzu. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.