



Day One is described as 'Simple way to journal application for the Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android' and is a popular Journaling app in the security & privacy category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Day One for a variety of platforms, including iPhone, Android, iPad, Web-based and Mac apps. The best Day One alternative is Journey, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Day One are Lunatask, Pile, Memos and memoria — private journal.




Capture memories with private, on-device journaling suggestions from your activities, including photos and workouts, customizable data sources, secure entry locking, encrypted iCloud syncing, developer API access, and habit-building notifications to encourage reflection.


Pick your mood and add activities you have been doing during the day. You can also add notes and keep an old school diary.




Engage in daily life reflection via convenient WhatsApp prompts, creating a unique online journal. Enjoy automatic organization, seamless access, and privacy. Receive gentle nudges at 8pm to encourage reflection and reminisce with past journal entries.


Capture the moments that matter. Daily You helps you log your thoughts, track your mood, and keep a diary of meaningful moments, every day. Whether you're journaling, reflecting, or just noting what made you smile, Daily You gives you a private space that's truly yours.




Diarly lets you securely keep a diary. A distraction-free interface packed with advanced features makes daily journaling a simple and enjoyable experience.




Markdown support is a great feature in Diarly. It is also much more customizable than Day One. There is also the added benefit of this being included in SetApp, so it is a nobrainer to pick this over Day One if you have the SetApp subscription rather than pay for Day One's additional subscription.


A simplified, RedNotebook-type journal/diary app. With a focus on minimal design and a distraction free writing environment. Makes a folder full of dated text files that are easy to access even without the journal program.

Diaro is designed to record your activities, daily events, appointments, experiences, thoughts, secrets and ideas throughout the day and sync data across all your devices. It is the easiest and most secure way to keep a diary.




Pixy is a minimalistic approach to track your mood within one pixel a day.




Elisi is your one-stop shop for productivity and personal achievement. View your whole week ahead, clearly laid out, all in one app: tasks to do, habits to keep track of, and the notes that you need.







LINA is a Virtual Art Therapist using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to provide mental health support and art journal activities. It aims to boost confidence, improve self-esteem, heal past trauma, relieve anxiety, and promote personal growth.




Diarly is simple, minimalistic, and beautiful, it packs so many great features but also gets out of the way to let you focus on your writing and nothing else. Day One is too cluttered, in my opinion.