Best Simple Journal Apps

233+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated May 2026

Finding the right simple journal app can be overwhelming with so many options. We've analyzed 233+ apps to bring you the best choices for 2026, from free options to premium solutions with advanced features.

Top Picks for Simple Journal

Notebook - Diary & Journal App#1

Notebook - Diary & Journal App by Koji Ito

A diary that flips like a book
Editor's Choice
📊 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
Quick Journal: just write#2

Quick Journal: just write by Charlie Deets

Simple, easy and customizable
Strong Contender
🌟 Lifestyle
4.9(20 ratings)
Free
Quick Journal: just write screenshot 1
Quick Journal: just write screenshot 2
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Quick Journal: just write screenshot 5

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.

Simple Diary, Journal, Notes#3

Simple Diary, Journal, Notes by Futoshi Niiho

Simple and cool diary app
Worth Considering
🔧 Utilities
4.9😊(121 ratings)
FreeAds
Simple Diary, Journal, Notes screenshot 1
Simple Diary, Journal, Notes screenshot 2
Simple Diary, Journal, Notes screenshot 3
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Simple Diary, Journal, Notes screenshot 6

This app offers a straightforward and aesthetically pleasing way to maintain a daily journal. Designed for users seeking simplicity, it avoids complex settings for an intuitive and stress-free journaling experience.

What We Love

  • 👍 Simple and efficient
  • 📝 Convenient for quick note-taking
  • 🗓️ Automatic date tracking
  • 📷 Ability to attach photos

Room to Improve

  • 🔤 Unable to adjust font size
  • 🐛 Occasional data loss or disappearing entries
  • 🖼️ Photo attachment process can be cumbersome

More Simple Journal apps to explore

4
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary
Day One: Daily Journal & Diary
Private Gratitude Journaling
Free

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.

Unlimited text entriesRich text formattingPhoto and video support
💪 Health & Fitness
(117K)
freemium
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
Skrive - Simple Journal
Skrive - Simple Journal
Skrive - Simple Journal
Private, encrypted journal
Free

A straightforward and secure journaling app focused on daily writing. It offers a clean interface with no distractions, allowing users to easily record thoughts and memories. Entries are encrypted and can be exported as plain text.

One entry per dayPlain text writingClean interface
📊 Productivity
(1)
freemium
7
Simple Diary - Daily Journal
Simple Diary - Daily Journal
Simple Diary - Daily Journal
Journaling with lock, notebook
Free

This app provides a simple and convenient way to journal your thoughts and experiences. It allows you to add images, secure your entries with a passcode, and customize the app's appearance. Data backup and search functions ensure your memories are safe and easily accessible.

Insert images into entriesSecure passcode lock (Face ID/Touch ID)Customizable theme colors and app icon
🌟 Lifestyle
(906)
free with in-app purchases
8
Journal
Journal
Journal
Reflect on life’s moments
Free

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.

Journaling suggestions and promptsRich media attachments (photos, video, audio)Handwriting and sketching support
💪 Health & Fitness
(231K)
free
9
DailyBean - simplest journal
DailyBean - simplest journal
DailyBean - simplest journal
The simplest way to log a day
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
10
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
11
5 Minute Journal・Daily Diary
5 Minute Journal・Daily Diary
5 Minute Journal・Daily Diary
Gratitude・Journal・Mood Tracker
Free

This app guides users through a daily gratitude journaling practice using principles of positive psychology. It helps cultivate a more positive outlook by focusing on what's good, with features like guided prompts, reminders, and secure entry protection. The app aims to improve overall well-being and mental health through consistent practice.

Guided journaling promptsDaily gratitude entriesMood tracking
💪 Health & Fitness
(17K)
free with in-app purchases
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
(60K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Moleskine Journal
Moleskine Journal
Moleskine Journal
Record your life
Free

This app helps you capture life's moments by allowing you to add various media to written entries, adding depth to your memories. It's designed to transform your journaling routine into a daily ritual that inspires consistency and mindfulness.

Text journal entriesCustom and suggested promptsHabit tracker
💪 Health & Fitness
(2.6K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Reflectly - Journal & AI Diary
Reflectly - Journal & AI Diary
Reflectly - Journal & AI Diary
Mood Tracker & Daily Quotes
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
15
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
16
Planner & Journal - Zinnia
Planner & Journal - Zinnia
Planner & Journal - Zinnia
Notebook & Creative Diary
Free

This app offers a creative digital journaling and planning experience with a vast library of stickers, templates, and tools. It supports natural handwriting, doodling, and integrates with digital calendars for enhanced productivity and self-care tracking. New content and features are added monthly.

Customizable digital studioMonthly content additionsCalendar and habit trackers
🌟 Lifestyle
(54K)
free with in-app purchases
17
Daily Journal: Diary with Lock
Daily Journal: Diary with Lock
Daily Journal: Diary with Lock
Your Private Secret Journaling
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
(5.3K)
free with in-app purchases
18
Simple Daily Diary
Simple Daily Diary
Simple Daily Diary
Easiest way to journal
Free

Capture your everyday moments with a fast, easy, and beautifully designed journaling app. Add custom titles, personalize with themes, and easily find past entries with smart search. Sync across devices and enjoy local backups for peace of mind.

Add custom titles to entries20+ handpicked color themesSmart search by date or keywords
🌟 Lifestyle
(1.2K)
free with in-app purchases
19
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
20
stoic. mental health journal
stoic. mental health journal
stoic. mental health journal
AI Self Care & Daily Gratitude
Free

This app guides users through daily preparation and reflection to improve mental well-being. It offers journaling prompts, habit tracking, mood monitoring, and various mental health tools like meditation and breathing exercises. Users can also journal via voice notes or pictures.

Morning preparation & evening reflectionGuided journaling with promptsMood and habit tracking
💪 Health & Fitness
(35K)
freemium

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