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Best Free Writing Journal Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated September 2026

With an average user rating of 4.7★, the free writing journal category is one of the App Store's strongest. Browse all 250+ apps we track, sorted so the most loved ones surface first.

Compare top Free Writing Journal Apps (September 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1JournalJournalFree4.8★ (231K)NoNoSep 2026
2Notebook - Diary & Journal AppNotebook - Diary & Journal AppFree4.7★ (14K)YesYesSep 2026
3My Diary - Journal with LockMy Diary - Journal with LockFree4.7★ (28K)YesYesSep 2026
4Quick Journal: just writeQuick Journal: just writeFree4.7★ (24)NoNoSep 2026
5Day One: Daily Journal & DiaryDay One: Daily Journal & DiaryFree4.8★ (118K)NoYesSep 2026
6Werdsmith: Writing AppWerdsmith: Writing AppFree4.7★ (8K)NoYesSep 2026
7Kartka JournalKartka JournalFree—NoYesAug 2026
8Unfold — Journal & MagazineUnfold — Journal & MagazineFree—NoYesSep 2026

Top Picks for Free Writing Journal

Journal#1

Journal by Apple

Reflect on life’s moments
Editor's Choice
💪 Health & Fitness
4.8😊(231K ratings)
Free
Journal screenshot 1
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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
  • 👍 Convenient voice recording
  • 👍 Integrates with photos and activities

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Cursor jumps around while typing
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Lack of search and filtering options
  • 🔍 Inability to organize entries into folders or tags
  • 🔍 Limited customization options for fonts, colors, etc.
  • 📱 Not available on iPad or Mac
Notebook - Diary & Journal App#2

Notebook - Diary & Journal App by Koji Ito

A diary that flips like a book
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(14K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Notebook - Diary & Journal App screenshot 1
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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
  • 👍 Organized by date

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
  • 🚫 Unable to insert photos or attachments
  • 🚫 Limited formatting options
  • 🚫 No cloud sync or backup
  • 🚫 Not compatible with iPad
My Diary - Journal with Lock#3

My Diary - Journal with Lock by BetterApp Tech Co., Limited

Journaling Diary with password
Worth Considering
🌟 Lifestyle
4.7😊(28K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
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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.

What We Love

  • 🔒 Secure with password, fingerprint, and security question options
  • 📝 Easy to write and express thoughts
  • 🎨 Customizable with themes, stickers, and photos
  • 🗓️ Helpful for tracking moods and daily activities

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Many features locked behind premium paywall
  • 🔍 Limited free theme and sticker options
  • 🐛 Issues with formatting, text editing, and photo placement
  • 🔄 Requires restoring purchases frequently

More Free Writing Journal apps to explore

FAQ about Free Writing Journal

What are the best free writing journal apps for iPhone?
Journal tops our free writing journal apps ranking as of September 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 September 2026.
We track 250+ free writing journal apps on the iOS App Store as of September 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.