Best diary and journal apps in 2026

For a full diary, Day One is free forever with unlimited entries, and Premium adds unlimited photos, video and audio. To keep a diary without writing a line, Daylio logs your mood and activities in a couple of taps. On iPhone, Apple’s Journal suggests moments to write about and syncs through iCloud. Journey gives rich formatting and media, with a subscription for its cloud features. Details below.

How we picked: a diary app has to make writing easy enough that you keep doing it. We checked each app’s own store description for what is free, what needs a subscription and what it does to help you write.

A diary you write in

Day One saves text, photos, audio and video, adds the time, date and weather to each entry automatically, and is free forever with unlimited entries; unlimited media comes with Premium. Apple’s Journal suggests moments from your photos, places and activities so you never start from a blank page, and lets you keep several journals. Journey has a rich editor with styles, lists, tables and checklists.

A diary without writing

Daylio is a micro-diary: you pick your mood and what you did, no typing needed, and it shows how your habits and mood connect over time.

Compared from each developer’s own store description.
App	Best for	Platforms	Price	Style
Day OneApp Store Google Play	a full diary with media	iOS, Android	free, unlimited entries; Premium membership	written journal
DaylioApp Store Google Play	a mood diary without typing	iOS, Android	free to download	micro-diary
JournalApp Store	writing suggestions on iPhone	iOS	free	written journal
JourneyApp Store Google Play	rich entries with formatting	iOS, Android	free to download; Journey.Cloud subscription	written journal

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free diary app with no entry limit?

Yes, Day One is free forever with unlimited entries; Premium adds unlimited photos, video and audio.

Can I keep a diary without writing?

Daylio lets you log mood and activities in a couple of taps, no typing.