Daily Journal: The 5 Best Digital Daily Journals Reviewed

Looking to start a journaling habit but not sure which app to use? The right daily journal can help you reflect, stay grounded, and track your thoughts over time. Whether it be boosting self-awareness, improving mental health, or simply staying organized, a good daily journal is a powerful tool. 

In this guide, we’ve reviewed the five best daily journal apps to help you find the one that fits your lifestyle. All of them are simple, beautifully designed, and built to make journaling feel easy (not like another chore). 

Quick Comparison of The Best Daily Journals

NotePlan - Best Overall Daily Journal

NotePlan is more than just a personal journal. With a built-in calendar, task manager, and markdown-powered notes, it’s the ideal choice for people who want to reflect and plan in one place.

You can jot down thoughts, track habits, plan your day, and even use its built-in AI assistant to summarize or tag your entries. Perfect for journaling fans who want more structure and productivity baked in. 

Key Features:

• AI assistant to organize and summarize entries
• Daily notes with calendar integration
• Markdown formatting with backlinks
• Task management + time blocking
• Local data with iCloud sync

Pricing: Free trial, then $8.33/month ($99 billed annually)

What Users on Reddit Say About NotePlan

NotePlan on iPad Overview on YouTube

Day One - Best Daily Journal for Traditional Journaling

Day One is one of the most beloved daily journal apps for a reason. It’s clean, private, and loaded with features to make journaling a daily ritual. You can add photos and audio, and even automatically log weather and location. 

It supports multiple journals, templates, and reminders - making it a great choice for anyone serious about personal writing or memory keeping. From morning routines to long-term habits, Day One is a solid choice. 

Key Features:

• Automatic metadata (location, weather, step count)
• Rich media entries (photos, audio, video)
• Multiple journals with tags and filters
• Journaling reminders and prompts
• End-to-end encryption for privacy

Pricing: Free basic plan, premium at $2.92/month (billed annually)

Journey - Best Daily Journal for Mood + Photo Journaling

Journey makes journaling visual and emotional. With an elegant interface and integrated mood tracking, it helps you log thoughts, emotions, experiences - all while syncing across devices. 

You can attach images, record voice notes, and even write entries offline. Its coaching and prompts make it especially good for beginners who want some guidance. If you want a daily journal for mental health, this is a great option. 

Key Features:

• Voice recordings and photo attachments
• Mood tracker with journaling prompts
• Daily reminders and guided sessions
• Cloud backup via Google Drive
• Calendar and timeline views

Pricing: $4.17/month (billed annually)

Diarium - Best Daily Journal for Rich Media

Diarium is perfect for people who like to journal with photos, voice notes, and links. It automatically pulls in activity data from social media, Fitbit, calendar, and more - turning your daily entries into a digital scrapbook.

It also supports handwriting with a stylus on tablets and has excellent tagging and search functions. 

Key Features:

• Import data from social platforms, Fitbit, etc.
• Add images, videos, audio, and drawings
• Tagging system for easy organization
• One-time purchase (no subscription)
• Built-in calendar view

Pricing: Free, with a $9.99 lifetime PRO option

Reflectly - Best Daily Journal for Guided Reflection

Reflectly is a mindfulness-first journaling app that asks you guided questions and encourages positive thinking. It’s simple, stylish, and focused on mental well-being. With daily reflections, gratitude prompts, and a mood tracker, it helps you become more self-aware and optimistic over time. 

It’s an excellent choice for people who want to build emotional resilience with minimal effort. 

Key Features:

• Daily push notifications to keep you writing
• Mood tracking and emotion tagging
• Motivational quotes and challenges
• AI-generated journal prompts
• Clean, minimalist design

Pricing: Free basic plan, with premium plans starting at $4.99/month

Conclusion

A daily journaling habit can shift your mindset, improve your focus, and help you process life’s ups and downs. But the key is finding a tool that fits your style.

If you want a powerful planner-journal hybrid, NotePlan is hard to beat. For a clean and classic journal, Day One is a top pick. Prefer emotion tracking or visual logs? Try Journey or Diarium. 

Start simple. Write daily. And let the habit change you - one entry at a time. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Do You Write in a Daily Journal?

You can write whatever you want in your daily journal. It can be tasks you need to complete, how you felt throughout the day, or even an idea for a business you have. 

What is a Daily Journal?

A daily journal is a journal that allows you to write down your thoughts on a daily basis. This helps to declutter the mind, and helps you look at things from a different perspective. 

How to Write a Journal for Beginners?

To write a journal for beginners, simply write whatever you want, whenever you want. Perhaps one day you felt particularly good - write it down. Or, perhaps another day you felt a little low; write that down too. Whatever comes to mind.