Day One app icon

Day One

A private journal for text, photos, audio and video

MaciPhoneiPadWatch4.8119K ratingsFree to start

The verdict

Free for unlimited entries on 1 device, Day One already gives you end-to-end encryption, separate journals and daily prompts before you pay anything. Silver at $49.99 a year is the real upgrade, adding sync across devices, up to 30 photos or videos per entry and transcribed audio. Apple's free Journal app covers the basics, so Day One makes sense once you want encrypted, media-rich entries on every device.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Get it if

You want to keep a journal with photos and voice notes that nobody else can read.

Skip it if

You jot down a few lines now and then, and Apple's free Journal app covers that.

Screenshots 4

What it helps you do

  • Write a daily entry from a prompt
  • Save voice notes with automatic transcripts
  • Revisit what you wrote on this date
  • Keep separate journals for work and family

What it really costs

Pay once or subscribe? Drag to see the total after each year.

  • Yearly plan
  • Monthly plan

Pay-once totals leave out paid upgrades to future major versions.

Plans and prices

  • Basic

    Free

    Free, with unlimited entries and journals, 1 photo per entry and end-to-end encryption, on 1 device

  • Silver

    $49.99

    $49.99 a year, or $8.99 a month in the App Store, adds sync across unlimited devices, up to 30 photos or videos per entry, audio recording with transcription, drawings and PDF scanning

  • Gold

    $74.99

    $74.99 a year, adds Daily Chat, AI summaries and prompts, and image generation, with daily limits on AI use

What changed

  1. Version 2026.22

    · New: Add color to your writing with text and highlight colors · New in Labs: Daily Chat can now search, read, and open your past entries · Support for iPhone Duo and improved resizable iPad windows · Improved translations in various languages · Various accessibility improvements · Stability improvements and bug fixes Learn more at dayoneapp.com/releases

  2. Added to The Useful Apps

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The details

Runs on
Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires
macOS 18.0 or later
Version
2026.22
Size
210 MB
Made by
Bloom Built Inc
Rating
4.8 from 119K ratings on the App Store
Free trial
Try the paid version first

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