| DiaryFast | Day One | Daylio | Rosebud | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited entries. 3 AI replies a day. | Basic plan: unlimited entries, 1 photo per entry, 1 device. | A free version with the core features (its Premium page says so). | Retired on 30 September 2026 according to its help centre. The homepage still says "free to use"; this conflicts. |
| Paid prices | 24-hour pass $4.99 once. Pro $9.99 a month or $59 a year. | Silver $49.99 a year, Gold $74.99 a year, with a 1-month free trial. Currency not named on the page. | Not published on its website. Check the app store for your region. | Bloom $12.99 a month or $107.99 a year. Free trial offered. |
| AI replies | Free: 3 a day. Pro: unlimited (fair use). Your own OpenAI or Anthropic key: no daily limit. | Only on the Gold plan, with daily usage limits. Described on the page as optional. | No AI features listed on its official pages. | Weekly usage limit with no published number. Blocks "Dig Deeper" at 100%. |
| Where entries are stored | On your device by default. Optional passphrase lock (AES-GCM). Sync is end-to-end encrypted. AI replies pass through our server to the AI provider. | Its pricing page says end-to-end encryption is included on all plans. Storage details were not checked here. | On the device. Backups go to your own Google Drive or iCloud. Daylio does not describe its own app as end-to-end encrypted. | "Encrypted in transit and at rest" according to its homepage and help centre. Storage location not stated on the pages checked. |
| Export | JSON backup from Settings, free. PDF book of a month: preview free, saving needs Pro or the 24-hour pass. | PDF export listed for all plans. | PDF or CSV export: its homepage lists it without a Premium label, but its Premium page lists PDF as Premium. Check in the app. | Markdown export from Settings. |
Where each app is the better choice
- Day One suits people who want a polished, multi-device journal with photos and years of entries, and who are happy to pay for the higher tiers.
- Daylio suits people who want a quick mood tracker with tap-to-log moods and simple statistics.
- Rosebud suits people who want an AI companion for reflection and accept a weekly usage limit.
- DiaryFast suits people who want a free journal that works without an account, keeps entries on the device by default, and wants AI replies they can turn off or replace with their own key.
How this page is kept accurate
Each fact comes from the vendor's own website. Where two pages from the same vendor disagree, the cell says so instead of picking one. Prices are checked on the date shown above. If you spot an error, tell us and we will fix it.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Nothing here implies endorsement by, or affiliation with, any of them.