Best Personal Journal Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated August 2026

Out of 250+ personal journal apps on iOS, 19 are free and the rest sit in the paid tier. This page sorts them so you can compare both sides before you commit.

Compare top Personal Journal Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1JournalJournalFree4.8★ (231K)NoNoAug 2026
2My Diary - Journal with LockMy Diary - Journal with LockFree4.7★ (28K)YesYesAug 2026
3Day One: Daily Journal & DiaryDay One: Daily Journal & DiaryFree4.8★ (118K)NoYesAug 2026
4Notebook - Diary & Journal AppNotebook - Diary & Journal AppFree4.7★ (14K)YesYesAug 2026
5My Daily Diary - Mood JournalMy Daily Diary - Mood JournalFree4.7★ (11K)YesYesAug 2026
6Diary With PasswordDiary With PasswordFree4.7★ (27K)NoYesAug 2026
7Think: Personal Diary, JournalThink: Personal Diary, JournalFreeYesYesMay 2026
8LifeLogix: Personal JournalLifeLogix: Personal JournalFreeNoYesJul 2026

Top Picks for Personal Journal

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
My Diary - Journal with Lock#2

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

Journaling Diary with password
Strong Contender
🌟 Lifestyle
4.7😊(28K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
My Diary - Journal with Lock screenshot 1
My Diary - Journal with Lock screenshot 2
My Diary - Journal with Lock screenshot 3
My Diary - Journal with Lock screenshot 4
My Diary - Journal with Lock screenshot 5
My Diary - Journal with Lock screenshot 6

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
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary#3

Day One: Daily Journal & Diary by Bloom Built Inc

Private Gratitude Journaling
Worth Considering
💪 Health & Fitness
4.8😊(118K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#71in 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

More Personal Journal apps to explore

4
Notebook - Diary & Journal App
Notebook - Diary & Journal App
Notebook - Diary & Journal App
A diary that flips like a book
Free

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.

Realistic page-turning effectOne page per day organizationiCloud sync and backup
📊 Productivity
(14K)
free with in-app purchases
5
My Daily Diary - Mood Journal
My Daily Diary - Mood Journal
My Daily Diary - Mood Journal
Mood Tracker & Daily Journal
Free

This app allows you to document your thoughts, feelings, and important moments. It offers extensive customization options, including stickers, voice notes, and images, to enhance your entries. Track your moods over time to gain emotional insights and ensure your private journal remains secure with password protection.

Capture thoughts and feelingsCustomize entries with stickers, voice notes, and imagesTrack moods with each journal entry
🌟 Lifestyle
(11K)
free with in-app purchases
6
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
(27K)
free with in-app purchases
7
Think: Personal Diary, Journal
Think: Personal Diary, Journal
Think: Personal Diary, Journal
Daily Journal, Mood Tracker
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
8
LifeLogix: Personal Journal
LifeLogix: Personal Journal
LifeLogix: Personal Journal
Your Life. Your Story.
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
9
Plai. Personal Journal
Plai. Personal Journal
Plai. Personal Journal
Capture thoughts, find clarity
Free
💪 Health & Fitness
(0)
10
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
11
Dear Diary: My Private Journal
Dear Diary: My Private Journal
Dear Diary: My Private Journal
A Journal Just for You
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
12
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
(61K)
free with in-app purchases
13
COUNT - Personal Journal
COUNT - Personal Journal
COUNT - Personal Journal
Your Personal Diary
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
14
Chronicle - A Personal Journal / Writing Diary
Chronicle - A Personal Journal / Writing Diary
Chronicle - A Personal Journal / Writing Diary
by Steven Romej
$2.99

This app provides a digital space for personal reflection and writing, offering features like multi-photo integration and robust search. It aims to improve well-being and productivity through journaling, with secure storage and export options.

Distraction-free writingMultiple photos per entry with text wrappingReliable storage and autosave
🌟 Lifestyle
(879)
free with in-app purchases
15
Expressive - Personal Journal
Expressive - Personal Journal
Expressive - Personal Journal
Stories Worth Keeping
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
16
FlowJournal: Personal Journal
FlowJournal: Personal Journal
FlowJournal: Personal Journal
Your Thoughts. Your Space.
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
17
Stillroom – Personal Journal
Stillroom – Personal Journal
Stillroom – Personal Journal
Your private daily diary
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
18
IntimateMap: Personal Diary
IntimateMap: Personal Diary
IntimateMap: Personal Diary
Map & track your memories
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
19
Life : Personal Diary, Journal
Life : Personal Diary, Journal
Life : Personal Diary, Journal
Keep your memories forever!
Free

Capture and preserve your life's journey with a secure digital journal. Record memories, notes, to-do lists, and daily plans with customizable themes and privacy features. This offline diary offers voice-to-text input and photo integration for a rich journaling experience.

Password and fingerprint lockPhoto memory collectionVoice to text input
🌟 Lifestyle
(72)
free with in-app purchases
20
YOONOTE - Personal Journal
YOONOTE - Personal Journal
YOONOTE - Personal Journal
Your most precious moments
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)

FAQ about Personal Journal

What are the best personal journal apps for iPhone?
Journal tops our personal journal apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 231K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 19 of the top personal journal apps we rank are free to download, including Journal and My Diary - Journal with Lock.
Journal has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 250+ personal journal apps on the iOS App Store as of August 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.

Related searches