Best Free Journal Apps

229+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated July 2026

With an average user rating of 4.7★, the free journal apps category is one of the App Store's strongest. Browse all 229+ apps we track, sorted so the most loved ones surface first.

Compare top Free Journal Apps (July 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1JournalJournalFree4.8★ (231K)NoNoJul 2026
2Day One: Daily Journal & DiaryDay One: Daily Journal & DiaryFree4.8★ (117K)NoYesJul 2026
3Notebook - Diary & Journal AppNotebook - Diary & Journal AppFree4.7★ (14K)YesYesJul 2026
4My Diary - Journal with LockMy Diary - Journal with LockFree4.7★ (28K)YesYesJul 2026
5Diary With PasswordDiary With PasswordFree4.7★ (26K)NoYesJul 2026
6Prompted Journal - Shadow WorkPrompted Journal - Shadow WorkFree4.8★ (6.9K)NoYesJul 2026
7Дневник и Трекер НастроенияДневник и Трекер НастроенияFree4.8★ (5.4K)YesYesJul 2026
8DailyBean - простой дневникDailyBean - простой дневникFree4.8★ (70K)YesYesJul 2026

Top Picks for Free Journal Apps

Journal#1

Journal by Apple

Reflect on life’s moments
Editor's Choice
💪 Health & Fitness
4.8😊(231K ratings)
Free
Journal screenshot 1
Journal screenshot 2
Journal screenshot 3
Journal screenshot 4
Journal screenshot 5
Journal screenshot 6

Capture and reflect on life's moments with rich media like photos, videos, and audio. Intelligent suggestions and prompts help you start writing, while multiple journals and goal tracking support a consistent practice. Sync across devices for seamless access.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Journaling made easy
  • 🔒 Private and secure
  • 👍 Organized and intuitive
  • 👍 Helpful suggestions and prompts

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Cursor jumps around while typing
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Lack of search and filtering options
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary#2

Day One: Daily Journal & Diary by Bloom Built Inc

Личный дневник благодарности
Strong Contender
💪 Health & Fitness
4.8😊(117K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#91in Health & Fitness
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary screenshot 1
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary screenshot 2
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary screenshot 3
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary screenshot 4
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary screenshot 5
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary screenshot 6

Record your life with a private digital journal. Securely save text, photos, audio, and video. Features include reminders, prompts, and automatic data import to help you stay consistent and reminisce.

What We Love

  • 💻 Excellent journaling app
  • 🗓️ Ability to create multiple journals
  • 🎨 Customizable journal templates
  • 🔍 Powerful search and filtering

Room to Improve

  • 🔒 Subscription model for premium features
  • 🗓️ Issues with syncing and data loss
  • 🖌️ Limited customization options
Notebook - Diary & Journal App#3

Notebook - Diary & Journal App by Koji Ito

A diary that flips like a book
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(14K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Notebook - Diary & Journal App screenshot 1
Notebook - Diary & Journal App screenshot 2
Notebook - Diary & Journal App screenshot 3
Notebook - Diary & Journal App screenshot 4
Notebook - Diary & Journal App screenshot 5

This app offers a natural journaling experience by organizing daily notes on a single page, allowing you to flip through your entries like a physical book. It prioritizes simplicity, security with passcode locks, and seamless iCloud synchronization for easy access across devices.

What We Love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🔒 Password protection
  • 💡 Convenient for journaling and note-taking
  • 🚀 Smooth and responsive

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
  • 🚫 Unable to insert photos or attachments
  • 🚫 Limited formatting options

More Free Journal Apps apps to explore

4
My Diary - Journal with Lock
My Diary - Journal with Lock
My Diary - Journal with Lock
Journaling Diary with password
Free

This app offers a secure and personalized digital journal for recording daily thoughts, memories, and emotions. Enhance entries with photos, themes, and mood tracking. It's designed to support mental well-being by providing a private space for self-reflection and emotional processing.

Password-protected diaryAdd photos and drawingsCustomizable themes and backgrounds
🌟 Lifestyle
(28K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Diary With Password
Diary With Password
Diary With Password
No Ads Journal Diary Notebook
Free

This app provides a private digital space to record daily thoughts, emotions, and life events. It offers robust security features like password and biometric locks, alongside tools for organizing, searching, and exporting your entries. Enjoy a customizable and ad-free journaling experience.

Password and biometric securityDaily entry loggingFull text search
📊 Productivity
(26K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Prompted Journal - Shadow Work
Prompted Journal - Shadow Work
Prompted Journal - Shadow Work
Private journaling for therapy
Free

This app provides a guided journaling experience with over 190 prompts and "Dive Deeper" questions to encourage self-reflection and personal growth. It helps users establish a consistent self-care routine through daily reminders and offers privacy with no data storage required.

190+ journal prompts"Dive Deeper" questionsDaily reminders
🌟 Lifestyle
(6.9K)
free with in-app purchases
7
Дневник и Трекер Настроения
Дневник и Трекер Настроения
Дневник и Трекер Настроения
Мой личный дневник с паролем
Free

This app serves as a private digital journal to record daily experiences, emotions, and memories. Secure your entries with password, fingerprint, or face ID, and enhance them with photos. Track your moods and use built-in reminders to cultivate a consistent journaling habit.

Password, fingerprint, and face ID securityAdd photos to journal entriesMood and emotion tracking
🌟 Lifestyle
(5.4K)
free with in-app purchases
8
DailyBean - простой дневник
DailyBean - простой дневник
DailyBean - простой дневник
Просто Нажимай на Иконки !
Free

This app provides a simple and enjoyable way to log daily experiences and moods. Customize your journal with themes and icons, and gain insights into your patterns with analysis reports. Easily integrate health data and special moments.

Record in secondsFully customizable icons and blocksDecorate with themes
🌟 Lifestyle
(70K)
free with in-app purchases
9
Journey - Diary, Journal
Journey - Diary, Journal
Journey - Diary, Journal
Daily Motivation & Journal
Free

This app helps you capture memories, express yourself through writing, and track your emotions. It offers tools for creating rich journal entries, collaborative journaling, and secure storage. Enhance your experience with templates, plugins, and reminders for a more mindful and organized life.

Capture memories with photos, videos, and audioRich text editor with formatting optionsMood tracking and emotional fluctuation analysis
🌟 Lifestyle
(5K)
freemium
10
Untold - Voice Journal
Untold - Voice Journal
Untold - Voice Journal
Secure, Personalized Journal
Free

This app provides a secure and private space for users to record their thoughts and experiences through voice. It utilizes AI-powered speech-to-text and generates personalized content based on journal entries, offering a unique way to reflect and understand oneself.

Encrypted voice journalingSpeech-to-text AIPersonalized content generation
💪 Health & Fitness
(2.1K)
free
11
Best Journal - Diary, Notebook
Best Journal - Diary, Notebook
Best Journal - Diary, Notebook
journal for better life
Free

This app allows users to record their lives through a digital diary, notebook, and memo function. It offers a wide range of templates, stickers, and fonts to personalize entries, along with free typesetting and drawing tools. Privacy is a key focus, with all data stored locally and under user control.

Digital diary and notebookExquisite templatesMassive materials (wallpapers, stickers, tapes)
🔧 Utilities
(29)
ad-supported
12
Quill Journal
Quill Journal
Quill Journal
A Simple Journaling App
Free

A straightforward and user-friendly journaling application designed for all users. Secure your entries by signing out or switching accounts. Personalize your experience by changing the app's theme to reflect your current mood.

Intuitive journaling interfaceSecure account sign-in/outMood-based theme customization
🌟 Lifestyle
(3)
free
13
Memos - Digital Journal Diary
Memos - Digital Journal Diary
Memos - Digital Journal Diary
Private Journal - Photo,Video
Free

Document your life, track goals, and monitor your mood with this versatile journaling app. Enhance well-being, creativity, and productivity through daily reflection. Secure your entries with password protection and sync across devices.

Add photos, videos, and audio recordingsTrack mood, goals, and activitiesCreate to-do lists and business plans
💪 Health & Fitness
(6.5K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Daylio Journal - Mood Tracker
Daylio Journal - Mood Tracker
Daylio Journal - Mood Tracker
Private Diary, Health, Habits
Free

This app helps you track your moods and activities to understand your well-being. It offers a private micro-diary experience without requiring extensive typing, allowing you to identify happiness triggers and build positive habits.

Mood tracking with icons and emojisActivity loggingPrivate journaling without typing
🌟 Lifestyle
(60K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Gratitude: Self-Care Journal
Gratitude: Self-Care Journal
Gratitude: Self-Care Journal
Affirmations and Vision Board
Free

This self-care app helps improve mental health with a private gratitude journal, positive affirmations, and vision boards. It offers daily motivation, prompts, and the ability to record voice entries and add photos to your journal.

Gratitude journal with photo and voice entryHundreds of positive affirmationsCreate multiple vision boards
💪 Health & Fitness
(45K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Quick Journal: just write
Quick Journal: just write
Quick Journal: just write
Simple, easy and customizable
Free

This app offers a straightforward journaling experience with extensive customization options. Personalize themes, fonts, icons, and layouts to create your ideal digital notebook. Widgets and draft saving features enhance usability for daily reflection.

Customizable themes and fontsApp icon and layout personalizationHome screen widgets
🌟 Lifestyle
(20)
free
17
Reflectly - Journal & AI Diary
Reflectly - Journal & AI Diary
Reflectly - Journal & AI Diary
Self-Care Mood Tracker & CBT
Free

This AI-powered journaling app helps you track your mood, process thoughts, and improve mental well-being. It offers personalized prompts and insights based on your entries to encourage self-care and mindfulness.

AI-powered journalingMood tracking and analysisPersonalized prompts and insights
💪 Health & Fitness
(82K)
free with in-app purchases
18
Confide - Video Journal
Confide - Video Journal
Confide - Video Journal
AI Journal and Mood Tracker
Free

Record your day on video and engage in conversations with an AI that remembers your past entries. This app transcribes your thoughts, offers mood insights, and helps you build a consistent journaling habit with reminders and streaks. Keep your private thoughts secure with biometric locks and end-to-end encryption.

Video journalingAI bestie conversationsTranscription and organization
💪 Health & Fitness
(7.8K)
free with in-app purchases
19
Penzu
Penzu
Penzu
Secure Diary & Private Journal
Free

This app provides a secure and private space for journaling, note-taking, and storing personal thoughts. It offers robust security features like password and PIN locks, encryption, and cloud syncing across devices. Users can also add photos and tags to their entries, making it a comprehensive digital diary.

Unlimited journalingCloud sync for freePassword and PIN locks
📊 Productivity
(2.5K)
free with in-app purchases
20
Personal Diary (Journal) App
Personal Diary (Journal) App
Personal Diary (Journal) App
No Ads, Simple & Easy to Use
Free

This app provides a simple and secure digital space for journaling. It offers passcode and biometric protection, iCloud sync across devices, and the ability to add photos, moods, and weather to your entries. It's designed to be an accessible and ad-free journalling experience.

Passcode & biometric protectioniCloud sync across devicesImport photos into entries
🌟 Lifestyle
(104)
free with in-app purchases

FAQ about Free Journal Apps

What are the best free journal apps for iPhone?
Journal tops our free journal apps ranking as of July 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 231K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Journal has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of July 2026.
We track 229+ free journal apps on the iOS App Store as of July 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app allows you to capture and reflect on your daily moments and special events. You can write entries, add photos, videos, audio recordings, and even your state of mind. It provides journaling suggestions and prompts to help you get started and maintain a consistent practice.
Key features include intelligent journaling suggestions based on your iPhone usage, the ability to illustrate entries with rich media, handwriting and sketching capabilities, organization into multiple journals, habit tracking with streaks and insights, and secure syncing across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud.