What are the best journaling apps?
HerFound lists 14 journaling apps: DailyBean, Day One, Daylio, FeelinMySkin, Finch, Floret, Goodnotes, How We Feel, Journey, Moodfit, Munch, Rosebud, Stoic and Zinnia. 12 of 14 have a free version (DailyBean, Day One, Daylio, FeelinMySkin, Finch, Goodnotes, How We Feel, Moodfit, Munch, Rosebud, Stoic and Zinnia). Day One, FeelinMySkin, Finch, Goodnotes, How We Feel, Journey, Moodfit, Munch, Rosebud and Stoic say outright that they do not sell personal data. Each fact below comes from the app's own pages, last checked Nov 14, 2026.
Updated . How an app gets on this list: Apps whose own pages describe journaling or daily reflection as a core feature. We don't rank by rating or popularity and we don't publish ratings; sponsored listings are labelled.
Journaling Apps compared
- DailyBean
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- —
- Sells your data?
- —
- Data used for ads?
- Yes
- Account
- Not needed
- Data kept
- On your device
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Day One
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $49.99/year
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- Optional
- Data kept
- —
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Daylio
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $4.99 to $59.99
- Sells your data?
- —
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- —
- Data kept
- On your device
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- FeelinMySkin
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $4.99 to $8.99/month, $18.99 to $39.99/year
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- Required
- Data kept
- —
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Finch
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $9.99/month or $69.99/year
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- Yes
- Account
- Optional
- Data kept
- Device option
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Floret
- Free version
- —
- Paid plan
- —
- Sells your data?
- —
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- Not needed
- Data kept
- On your device
- Platforms
- iOS
- Goodnotes
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $11.99/year
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- Yes
- Account
- —
- Data kept
- —
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
- How We Feel
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- —
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- No
- Account
- Not needed
- Data kept
- Device option
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Journey
- Free version
- —
- Paid plan
- $6.99/month or $49.99/year
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- Optional
- Data kept
- —
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
- Moodfit
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $9.99 to $39.99
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- —
- Data kept
- Company servers
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Munch
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $3.99/month, $24.99/year or $34.99 lifetime
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- —
- Account
- Optional
- Data kept
- Company servers
- Platforms
- iOS
- Rosebud
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $12.99/month
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- Yes
- Account
- —
- Data kept
- Company servers
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
- Stoic
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $6.99 to $299.00
- Sells your data?
- No
- Data used for ads?
- No
- Account
- Not needed
- Data kept
- Device option
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
- Zinnia
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid plan
- $34.99/year
- Sells your data?
- —
- Data used for ads?
- Yes
- Account
- Required
- Data kept
- —
- Platforms
- iOS
| App | Free version | Paid plan | Sells your data? | Data used for ads? | Account | Data kept | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DailyBean | Yes | — | — | Yes | Not needed | On your device | iOS, Android |
| Day One | Yes | $49.99/year | No | — | Optional | — | iOS, Android |
| Daylio | Yes | $4.99 to $59.99 | — | — | — | On your device | iOS, Android |
| FeelinMySkin | Yes | $4.99 to $8.99/month, $18.99 to $39.99/year | No | — | Required | — | iOS, Android |
| Finch | Yes | $9.99/month or $69.99/year | No | Yes | Optional | Device option | iOS, Android |
| Floret | — | — | — | — | Not needed | On your device | iOS |
| Goodnotes | Yes | $11.99/year | No | Yes | — | — | iOS, Android, Web |
| How We Feel | Yes | — | No | No | Not needed | Device option | iOS, Android |
| Journey | — | $6.99/month or $49.99/year | No | — | Optional | — | iOS, Android, Web |
| Moodfit | Yes | $9.99 to $39.99 | No | — | — | Company servers | iOS, Android |
| Munch | Yes | $3.99/month, $24.99/year or $34.99 lifetime | No | — | Optional | Company servers | iOS |
| Rosebud | Yes | $12.99/month | No | Yes | — | Company servers | iOS, Android, Web |
| Stoic | Yes | $6.99 to $299.00 | No | No | Not needed | Device option | iOS, Android, Web |
| Zinnia | Yes | $34.99/year | — | Yes | Required | — | iOS |
Sources: each app's own privacy policy, help pages and US App Store listing. Open an app to read the exact passage and the date we checked it. “—” means we have not sourced that fact yet. This is what each company states, not an audit of what it does.
All 14 apps
DailyBean
A no-writing journal and mood tracker: log your whole day in a few taps.
Day One
A journal app: a private diary for words, photos, audio and video, with end-to-end encryption.
Daylio
A mood tracker and micro-diary: two taps a day to build self-awareness
FeelinMySkin
A skincare routine planner: track your products, check ingredients and keep a skin journal.
Finch
A self-care pet app: grow a little bird by taking care of yourself.
Floret
A self-care planner and journal: your events, tasks, habits, moods and gratitude in one calm place.
Goodnotes
A handwriting and note-taking app: digital planners, journals and stickers on your tablet or phone.
How We Feel
A free emotion check-in app: name your feelings and spot your patterns over time.
Journey
A journal and diary app: mood tracking, a chat companion and sync across all your devices.
Moodfit
A mental health app: mood journal, CBT thought records, breathwork and mood insights
Munch
A visual food diary: snap your meals, see them on a calendar and spot patterns, with no calories or guilt.
Rosebud
An AI journal app: guided reflection that asks follow-up questions and spots patterns in your entries.
Stoic
A journaling app for daily reflection: guided journals, mood tracking, breathing and meditation.
Zinnia
A digital planner and journal: templates, stickers, trackers and handwriting tools
Common questions
DailyBean, Day One, Daylio, FeelinMySkin, Finch, Goodnotes, How We Feel, Moodfit, Munch, Rosebud, Stoic and Zinnia have a free version.
Day One, FeelinMySkin, Finch, Goodnotes, How We Feel, Journey, Moodfit, Munch, Rosebud and Stoic say they do not sell personal data. This is what each company states in its own policy, not an audit.
DailyBean, Day One, Finch, Floret, How We Feel, Journey, Munch and Stoic can be used without creating an account, according to their own pages.
DailyBean, Day One, Daylio, FeelinMySkin, Finch, Goodnotes, How We Feel, Journey, Moodfit, Rosebud and Stoic are on Android. Floret, Munch and Zinnia are not.
Head to head
Alternatives
More guides
- Period trackers that say they don't sell data (8)
- On-device period trackers (5)
- Free period trackers (10)
- Perimenopause apps (17)
- Menopause apps (10)
- Pregnancy apps (22)
- Postpartum apps (12)
- Trying-to-conceive apps (13)
- Long-distance couples (7)
- Apps for couples (13)
- Mood trackers (13)
- Strength training apps (10)
- Fitness apps for beginners (6)
- Apps with an Apple Watch app (29)
- Apps that say they don't sell data (59)
- Cute and aesthetic apps (8)
- Habit trackers (13)
- Planner apps (6)
- Wardrobe apps (11)
- App privacy data