Day One vs Diarly Switch from Day One.
Your journal, in your own iCloud.
Day One is a well-made journal app with a long history. Switch to Diarly to keep the same daily habit on Apple devices, with your writing kept on your own device and iCloud, in plain Markdown you can take anywhere.
4.7 from 23,000+ ratings across iPhone, iPad and Mac worldwide · Free to start · Imports Day OneDay One may suit you better if
You write on Android, Windows or in a web browser as well as on Apple devices. You prefer a service that syncs and backs up your entries on its own servers.
Diarly may suit you better if
You use only Apple devices. You want your journals on your own device and iCloud, with no separate Diarly account. You like Markdown files you can open anywhere, undated notes beside your daily entries, and a page that looks the way you choose.
Day One vs Diarly The two apps, side by side.
| Topic | Day One | Diarly |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | Apple devices, Android, Windows, and web | iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch |
| Where your journal is kept | On your device, and on Day One's servers when you sync. | On your device, and in your own iCloud when you sync. No Diarly account. |
| Sync across devices | Through Day One's servers, on the Silver plan. | Through your own iCloud, with Premium and a 7-day free trial. |
| Encryption | End-to-end encryption when syncing through Day One's servers, on the Silver plan. | Optional encryption for entry text with Premium. |
| Free plan | Unlimited entries and journals, one photo per entry, one device. | Unlimited entries, photos and videos in one journal, on one device. |
| Photos | Kept in your journal, and on Day One's servers when you sync. One per entry on the free plan, up to 30 on Silver. | Any number of photos can be linked manually or automatically from your Photos library, for free. |
| Apple Health | Saves your journaling time as Mindful Minutes. | Adds your steps, sleep, workouts and mindful minutes to entries on iPhone. Saves your moods to State of Mind and your writing time as Mindful Minutes. |
| Mood tracking | Moods you log in Apple Health can appear as Journaling Suggestions. | Built in. Log a mood on any entry and see mood Insights over time. Each mood check-in is saved to State of Mind in Apple Health. |
| Markdown | Rich text formatting with Markdown. | Markdown-first editor, with your journals exported in Markdown files. |
| Export | PDF, JSON, plain text or Markdown, on the Basic plan, and CSV on the Silver plan. Photos and attachments are not included in text exports. | Full Markdown export with all attachments for free. PDF, Rich Text and EPUB exports available with Premium. |
Day One details checked on September 30, 2026 against Day One's pricing page, features page, export guide, data storage guide, Apple Health guide and Journaling Suggestions guide. Plans and features change, so check there for the latest.
“Love Diarly- never thought I’d leave Day One but this app is so awesome, has more features and costs less!”“I am so pleased to find Diarly. I love the clean simplicity of the app, the writing experience is beautiful. … The import from Day One is seamless, it does take a bit of time for the first sync, but after that it is very smooth indeed.”“I've switched from Day One to Diary more than a year ago and never looked back. … I feel at ease that my notes are stored in future-proof markdown and enjoy using the app on both Mac and iPhone, since sync is super fast.”What you get in Diarly The three things people notice first.
Your writing stays with you
Your journal lives on your device and works offline. With Premium, sync runs through your own iCloud account.
A journal and a notebook
Daily entries go on the timeline. Lists, drafts and plans go in undated notes beside them, so you do not need a second app.
A page that looks like yours
Choose a theme, a font and a line width. Templates can add the weather, today's photos, your calendar and Apple Health details before you start writing.
Import from Day One Moving takes a few minutes.
Your Day One journal stays where it is. You import a copy.
- Export from Day One. Choose the JSON format. Day One saves your journal as a ZIP file.
- Import into Diarly. On Mac, choose File → Import. On iPhone and iPad, open Settings and choose Import. Pick Day One and select the ZIP file.
- Keep writing. Your entries appear on the timeline with their dates and photos.
Questions from Day One users
Can I import my Day One journal into Diarly?
Yes. Export your journal from Day One as JSON, then choose Import in Diarly and select Day One. Your entries arrive with their dates and photos. Find the full Day One migration guide here.
Does Diarly work on Android, Windows or the web?
No. Diarly is made for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. If you need Android, Windows or a web app, Day One is the better fit.
Where does Diarly store my journal?
On your device. With Premium it syncs through your personal iCloud account. Diarly has no account of its own. How Diarly keeps your journal private.
What does Diarly Premium cost?
Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial. You can find the current price for your country in Diarly or in the App Store, before you subscribe. One subscription covers all your Apple devices and can be shared with up to five family members through Apple's Family Sharing. See what Premium includes.
Can I use Diarly for free?
Yes. The free plan gives you one journal on one device with unlimited entries, photos and videos, templates, mood tracking and a password lock.
Can I get my journal back out of Diarly?
Yes. Export everything as Markdown files at any time, included on the free plan. Premium adds PDF, Rich Text and EPUB exports. Explore export options.
Try Diarly today for free.
Import a copy of your journal and get the full experience of Diarly for free for a week. Your Day One entries stay where they are.
Free forever · No ads · No account needed