The 8 Best Journal Apps for 2019

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.

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.

Available on:

• iOS
• Android
• Amazon
• Web

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. 

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.

Available on:

• Mac
• Windows
• iOS
• Android 
• Chrome
• Web

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.

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.

Available on:

• iOS
• Android 
• Web

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.

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 finally 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.

Available on:

• Mac
• iOS
• Android

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.

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.

Available on:

• Android
• Web

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.

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.

Available on:

• iOS
• Android

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.

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.

Available on:

• iOS