The 8 Best Journal Apps for 2020

With the right journal app, you can make a journal or diary entry truly yours by adding images, tagging locations, setting reminders to write, enabling password protection, and so much more.

Here are the best journal and diary apps you can use both online and offline, either from a web browser or on a mobile device.

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Diario: The Best Journal App for Including Images in Your Entries

An image of the Diaro app on various devices. — Pixel Crater Ltd.

What We Like

The ability to attach an unlimited number of images to your entries.
You can search for entries by folder, tag, location, date, or other helpful filters.

What We Don't Like

You'll need to upgrade to Diaro Pro for an ad-free journaling experience, import/export functionality, and multilingual support.

Diario's powerful interface is great for journaling enthusiasts who love to stay organized and liven up their entries with a wide variety of visuals. You can even swipe between entries just like a real journal or diary.

Available on:

iOS
Android
Amazon
Web

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Journey: The Most Intuitive Interface and Best Looking Layout

What We Like

The ability to attach multiple images and videos to journal entries.
You can protect your journal with Touch ID, Face ID, or PIN-protected journals.
Automatic backups in Google Drive.

What We Don't Like

You'll have to upgrade to a recurring $3.99 monthly or $29.99 annual fee if you want access to more features.
You'll have to pay a separate fee for each different platform version if you plan to use the app on different platforms.

Whether you're keeping a dream journal, a gratitude journal, a work journal, or any other type of journal, Journey is simply one of the best apps out there. Its crisp, clean layout is a pleasure to use for crafting your journal entries so they suit your personal journaling style.

Available on:

Mac
Windows
iOS
Android
Chrome
Web

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Penzu: The Most Secure Journal App to Protect Your Information

A screenshot of the Penzu app on a laptop.

What We Like

An incredibly secure journal for ultimate protection and privacy.
Fully customizable journal features for personalized journal covers, backgrounds, and font faces.
You can easily insert images between text in entries.

What We Don't Like

You'll have to upgrade to a $4.99 a month plan or a $19.99 a year plan if you want access to its full offering of customization features.
Some users report issues with saving entries and the app crashing.

Many journal apps offer security and privacy features, but Penzu is one that excels at it. This great journal app keeps your entries 100% safe with double password protection and military-grade 256-bit AES encryption.

Available on:

iOS
Android
Web

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Day One: Simple and Beautiful Design With All the Right Features

An image of the Day One app on various devices. — Day One

What We Like

You can create multiple journals if you upgrade to a premium account for $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year.
There's a nifty dark mode for writing in lower light.
You can take advantage of IFTTT integration for creating automatic journal entries.
It's available for Android. Previously, it was only available for iOS devices.

What We Don't Like

It's inaccessible from a web browser.
There's a Mac app, but no options for PC users.

Similar to Journey, Day One features an interface that's clean, minimal and very pleasing to the eye. Despite its simple look, it packs all the features you'd want in a powerful journal app – including search, tags, maps, photos, and so much more.

Available on:

Mac
iOS
Android

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Diary: Great Diary App for Quick, Short Journal or Diary Entries

A screenshot of the Diary app in a YouTube video.

What We Like

Fully customizable background colors, text, and fonts.
The ability to share diary/journal entries with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.
You can insert emojis directly into your entries.

What We Don't Like

Only available on Android and via the web. No iOS app.
Occasional pop-up ads with no premium version to upgrade to if you want to get rid of them.

If you're looking for an app that makes it as quick, easy, and effortless as possible to start and keep a diary or journal, Diary has you covered. It's a simple, yet powerful journal app that combines an easy-to-use interface with more advanced features like password protection, cloud storage, reminders and more.

Android
Web

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Daylio: Capture Your Exeriences Without Having to Write Anything

Two screenshots of the Daylio app for Android.

What We Like

Ideal for people who want to journal without having to write anything.
A smart interface and beautiful icons.
If you do want to write more, you can always add notes to your entries.

What We Don't Like

No traditional diary/journal writing options for wordier entries.

Not so much into writing, but want to find a super quick and easy way to record the things you experience in a day? Daylio is a micro-diary app that lets you simply pick your mood state and activities so you can spend more time doing things and less time writing.

Available on:

iOS
Android

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Grid Diary: Use Grid-Style Templates to Encourage Yourself to Write

An image of the Grid Diary app on a tablet and a smartphone.

What We Like

Inspirational questions and prompts to help give you ideas for what to journal about.
The freedom to pick what you want to write about and personalize journal entries with images, etc.

What We Don't Like

Only available on iOS. No access via the web or from an Android device.
Features like password protection and cloud storage syncing are only available to Pro users for either a $1.99 monthly subscription or a $4.99 one-time purchase.

Grid Diary puts a unique spin on journaling by displaying a series of different questions in a grid-style layout, essentially making it easier for you to keep a diary or journal. It has a built-in library of suggested prompts so you never get stuck with writer's block.

Available on:

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Dyrii: Best Journal App to Bring Your Entries to Life With Advanced Features

Two screenshots of the Dyrii app for iOS.

What We Like

Offers a truly premium journaling experience.
You can insert anything anywhere into your entry with its nifty inline editor – be it a photo, a video clip or anything else.

What We Don't Like

Only available on iOS. No access via the web or from an Android device.
No free plan version and it's far more expensive than most apps at $9.99 from the iOS App Store and $39.99 from the Mac App Store.

Want to add more than just text to your journal entries? Dyrii lets you record audio and video, add drawings or sketches, make handwritten notes, automatically log the places you visit and even track your mood and health incidents.

Available on: