Best Journaling App

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated October 2026

Looking for free journaling app? 20 of our 249+ tracked titles are free to download β€” no subscription, no trial. The rest are premium picks worth paying for.

Compare top Journaling App (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1JournalJournalFree4.8β˜… (338K)NoNoNov 2026
2Diary With PasswordDiary With PasswordFree4.7β˜… (27K)NoYesNov 2026
3Day One: Daily Journal & DiaryDay One: Daily Journal & DiaryFree4.8β˜… (119K)NoYesNov 2026
4Reflectly - Journal & AI DiaryReflectly - Journal & AI DiaryFree4.6β˜… (82K)NoYesNov 2026
5Notebook - Diary & Journal AppNotebook - Diary & Journal AppFree4.7β˜… (14K)YesYesNov 2026
6Daylio Journal - Mood TrackerDaylio Journal - Mood TrackerFree4.8β˜… (62K)NoYesNov 2026
7Tend Journaling AppTend Journaling AppFree5.0β˜… (1)β€”NoJul 2026
8My Diary - Journal with LockMy Diary - Journal with LockFree4.7β˜… (28K)YesYesNov 2026

Top Picks for Journaling App

Journal#1

Journal by Apple

Reflect on life's moments
4.8😊(338K ratings)
Free
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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

  • πŸš€ Journaling made easy
  • πŸ”’ Private and secure
  • πŸ‘ Organized and intuitive
  • πŸ‘ Helpful suggestions and prompts
  • πŸ‘ Convenient voice recording
  • πŸ‘ Integrates with photos and activities

Room to Improve

  • πŸ› Cursor jumps around while typing
  • πŸ› Occasional crashes and freezes
  • πŸ” Lack of search and filtering options
  • πŸ” Inability to organize entries into folders or tags
  • πŸ” Limited customization options for fonts, colors, etc.
  • πŸ“± Not available on iPad or Mac
Diary With Password#2

Diary With Password by εΈ† 杨

No Ads Journal Diary Notebook
Strong Contender
πŸ“Š Productivity
4.7😊(27K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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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.

What We Love

  • πŸ’» Simple and easy to use
  • πŸ”’ Password protection
  • πŸ“ Customizable fonts and layout
  • ⏱️ Time stamp feature
  • πŸ”“ No ads or paywalls
  • 🧠 Helps with mental health and journaling
  • πŸ—“οΈ Organized and easy to navigate entries

Room to Improve

  • πŸ” Difficulty finding/accessing past entries
  • πŸ–ΌοΈ No image/media support
  • πŸ”„ Lack of syncing across devices
  • πŸ”’ Password recovery issues
  • πŸ”§ Limited customization options
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary#3

Day One: Daily Journal & Diary by Bloom Built Inc

Private Gratitude Journaling
Worth Considering
πŸ’ͺ Health & Fitness
4.8😊(119K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#88in Health & Fitness
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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

  • πŸ’» Excellent journaling app
  • πŸ—“οΈ Ability to create multiple journals
  • 🎨 Customizable journal templates
  • πŸ” Powerful search and filtering
  • πŸ—ΊοΈ Location and weather tracking
  • πŸ”’ Secure and private
  • πŸ€– Voice recording and transcription
  • πŸ“š Ability to print journal books
  • 🧠 Helps with mental health and personal growth

Room to Improve

  • πŸ”’ Subscription model for premium features
  • πŸ—“οΈ Issues with syncing and data loss
  • πŸ–ŒοΈ Limited customization options
  • πŸ” Clunky search and navigation
  • πŸ› Bugs and crashes
  • πŸ—£οΈ Poor customer support

More Journaling App apps to explore

FAQ about Journaling App

What is the best journaling app for iPhone?
Journal tops our journaling app ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 338K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes β€” 20 of the top journaling app we rank are free to download, including Journal and Diary With Password.
Journal has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ journaling app on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.

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