What is Day One?
One of the best-known journal apps there is. It was Apple's App of the Year, runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android and the web, encrypts entries end to end, and has been owned by Automattic since 2021.
It's also generous for free. The Basic plan has unlimited entries and unlimited journals.
Why do people look for a Day One alternative?
Mostly the subscription. Day One moved to a subscription in 2017, and today the free plan has limits that matter once you journal every day:
- One photo per entry, and audio, video and drawing are paid.
- One device at a time. Your journal is backed up, but only one device is active, and you can switch it once every 30 days.
- Sync across devices needs Silver, $49.99 a year, or Gold, $74.99 a year with AI features. There's no one-time purchase.
- An account is required for sync.
None of that makes Day One bad. It makes it a subscription product, and some people want a journal they can pay for once, or not at all.
What do these alternatives do differently?
All three are made by indie makers and are smaller in scope. Two need no account at all. Each has a way to pay once: triday and Lumarii sell a lifetime purchase next to their plans, and Hibi's extras are a single one-time purchase.
How do they compare with Day One?
| App | Free | To pay | Account | Where entries live |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day One (for comparison, not listed here) | Unlimited entries, 1 photo per entry, 1 device | Silver $49.99/yr, Gold $74.99/yr | Needed for sync | Synced through Day One, end-to-end encrypted |
| triday | One entry of three lines a day | $14.99/yr, or $39.99 once | None | On your device; iCloud sync if you turn it on |
| Lumarii | Unlimited writing, tones and habits | $34.99/yr, or $59.99 once | Not needed, its maker says | iCloud sync comes with membership |
| Hibi | A paper-like page for each calendar day | Hibi Plus, a one-time purchase | None | Works with your Apple calendars and reminders |
Which apps are good Day One alternatives?
- triday: daily journal & diaryFor people who'd journal every day if it only took a minute.
triday is the smallest possible diary: three short lines, once a day, and no streaks to protect. There's no account and no sign-up, and entries stay on your device unless you turn on iCloud sync.
- LumariiFor reflecting without streaks, scores or daily targets.
You write, speak or note how you feel, at your own pace. Writing, tones, gentle habit tracking and a fading to-do list stay free; membership adds designed exports, extra skies, iCloud continuity and a privacy lock.
- Hibi Calendar: Daily JournalFor a journal that lives on your calendar.
Hibi turns each day of your Apple calendar into a paper card you write on and tear away with a swipe. It reads the calendars and reminders you already have, so there's no account and nothing to set up. Widgets and extras are one Hibi Plus purchase.
When should you stay with Day One?
Stay with Day One if:
- you also journal on Android, Windows or the web
- you want photos, audio and video in entries, or printed books of your journal
- you want end-to-end encrypted sync across all your devices and don't mind a yearly plan
- you write on one device: the free plan is generous there
Common questions
Is Day One free?
Yes, on one device. The free Basic plan has unlimited entries and journals but one photo per entry and one active device. Silver, $49.99 a year in the US, adds all your devices and more media.
Is there a Day One alternative with no subscription?
Hibi's core app is free, with a one-time purchase for widgets and extras. triday and Lumarii have subscriptions, but both also sell a lifetime purchase you pay once.
Is there a journal app that doesn't need an account?
triday and Hibi need no account at all, and Lumarii's maker says it doesn't either. Day One needs an account to sync.
Sources
- Day One plans, Day One (checked October 17, 2026)
- Day One: Daily Journal & Diary App, App Store (checked October 17, 2026)
- Using Day One Sync on a single device (Basic plan), Day One (checked October 17, 2026)
- Creating a Day One account, Day One (checked October 17, 2026)
- The next chapter of Day One at Automattic (2021), Day One (checked October 17, 2026)
- Day One goes Premium (2017), Day One (checked October 17, 2026)
- triday: daily journal & diary, App Store (checked October 17, 2026)
- Privacy, triday (checked October 17, 2026)
- Lumarii, App Store (checked October 17, 2026)
- Hibi Calendar: Daily Journal, App Store (checked October 17, 2026)