The best Day One alternative depends on why you want to leave
Day One is a very good app. If it no longer works for you, or you need something like Apple Journal on Android, here is how to choose based on your real reason for switching.
The Emori team · Updated · 10 min read
The best Day One alternative depends on why you want to leave. If you would rather talk than type, pick a voice journal like Emori. If you are on Android and miss Apple Journal, Day One, Journey, Diarium and Emori all run there. If you want to write on a computer, try Journey or Diarium. And if you like Day One but never open it, the problem is probably writing, not the app.
One thing before we go further: this comparison is published by the team behind Emori. We have a bias, so we would rather say it out loud. For the other apps we only state facts we are sure of, and we list Emori's limitations too.
Which Day One alternative is right for you?
Start by asking what is not working today. Here are the most common reasons people look elsewhere, and the option that fits each one.
| Your reason for switching | What will suit you |
|---|---|
| You would rather tell your day than type it | A voice journal that transcribes, like Emori |
| You moved to Android, or your household mixes iPhone and Android | An app on both: Day One, Journey, Diarium, Emori |
| You also want to write on a computer or in a browser | Journey (web and computer), Diarium (Windows), Day One (Mac) |
| You want something calmer that asks almost nothing of you | Emori, or simply a paper notebook |
| You want your memories to come back to you | Emori, which brings old moments back in the app and in its widgets |
| You only want to track your mood | Daylio, a micro diary built on icons |
If none of these rows sounds like you, stay on Day One. An app that works for you beats switching for the sake of it.
What Day One does really well
Day One has been the reference journaling app for years, and for good reason.
- It is built for writing. If you enjoy taking the time to find the right words, Day One gives you a pleasant, mature place to do it.
- It follows you across devices. Day One runs on iPhone, Android and Mac.
- Photos have a real place. An entry can mix text and pictures.
- End to end encryption. Day One offers it, which is a strong guarantee for something as personal as a journal.
- It is long established. It has many writing tools, where younger apps, Emori included, have fewer.
Our verdict fits in one sentence: for someone who loves to write, Day One is one of the best journal apps there is.
Why do people look for Day One alternatives?
Most people do not leave Day One because it is bad. They leave because writing does not fit into their day. The same reasons come up again and again.
Writing takes effort. Typing on a phone is slow: a large study of 37,000 volunteers measured an average of about 36 words per minute (Palin and colleagues, 2019). At night, tired, a full page quickly becomes a chore.
The blank page. An empty text field is intimidating. You put it off until tomorrow, and the journal stops after ten days.
Advanced features sit in the paid plan. With Day One, audio recordings and several advanced features are part of the paid plan. That is a fair choice, but worth knowing if voice is what you are after.
Apple Journal is not on Android. It only runs on Apple devices, so it will not follow you if you switch to an Android phone.
If writing is the real blocker, our guide on how to journal without writing covers several approaches, from voice to one line lists.
Day One vs Apple Journal: which should you choose?
Both are writing first journals, but they are aimed at different people.
Apple Journal is free, made by Apple and only available on Apple devices. It offers suggestions drawn from your photos and activity. It is a good pick if you live entirely in the Apple world.
Day One runs on iPhone, Android and Mac, focuses on writing and photos, and offers end to end encryption. It is the better choice of the two if your household mixes platforms or if that encryption matters to you.
And if you never write in either one, the problem is the keyboard. A voice journal is then a more serious option than a third writing app.
What is the best Apple Journal alternative for Android?
Apple Journal does not exist on Android, so you need another app. There are four serious options.
- Day One, the closest in spirit: a written journal with photos, on Android as on iPhone.
- Journey, if you also want to write in a browser or on a computer, with sync.
- Diarium, if you use a Windows PC alongside your phone.
- Emori, if you would rather tell your day out loud than write it.
A practical tip if you move from iPhone to Android with Emori: Sign in with Apple only exists on iPhone. Sign in with your email address instead, the one shown in Profile, and your memories will follow you to the new phone.
Day One vs Emori vs Apple Journal vs Journey vs Diarium
We only list what we know for sure. Apps change fast, so check the current version before you decide.
| App | Platforms | How you journal | Voice | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emori | iPhone and Android (phone only) | You tell your day, Emori transcribes and tidies it | At the heart of the app | People who would rather talk than type |
| Day One | iPhone, Android, Mac | Writing, with photos | Audio recordings in the paid plan | People who love to write and want end to end encryption |
| Apple Journal | Apple devices only | Writing, with suggestions from photos and activity | Writing first | People fully on Apple who want a free journal |
| Journey | Android, iPhone, web, computer | Journal synced across devices | Writing first | People who also write on a computer |
| Diarium | Windows, Android, iPhone | Classic diary | Writing first | People who use a Windows PC |
For a wider overview that also covers Daylio, AI coaching journals and paper notebooks, see our guide to the best journal apps.
Emori: the alternative for people who would rather talk
Emori starts from a different idea than Day One: instead of writing, you talk. Tap the mic, speak for a minute or two, and Emori transcribes your story, tidies it into a clear, dated memory, picks out the people and places, adds tags, a short summary and an illustration, then files it in a calm timeline. Speaking is several times faster than typing: on a phone, dictation was about three times faster than the keyboard (Ruan and colleagues, 2016).
Here is something said out loud, and the memory it becomes:
"So this morning I went running in the park with Sam, it was freezing. Then we grabbed hot chocolate at that little café on the corner. In the afternoon I finally called Grandma, she told me all about her trip to Maine with her friends."
Saturday, October 17. A run in the park with Sam on a freezing morning, then hot chocolate at the café on the corner. A long call with Grandma, who talked about her trip to Maine with her friends.
Your memories do not stay buried. The app regularly brings back a moment from a week, a few months or several years ago, and widgets show it on your phone, with a discreet mode for the lock screen. You find any memory by searching in your own words, like "the beach holiday", in any of the app's seven languages. Emori is free to download, has no ads, and your memories are not used to train AI models.
Emori's limitations, honestly
- Phone only. There is no web app and no desktop app. If you mostly write on a Mac or PC, Day One, Journey or Diarium will suit you better.
- Processing happens in the cloud. Transcription and tidying go through AI service providers, on their servers, not on your phone. Exchanges are encrypted in transit and your original voice recordings are not kept on the servers, but if you need end to end encryption, Day One offers it. Everything is in our privacy policy.
- A young app. Emori has fewer writing tools than journals that have been around for years.
- No import. Emori does not bring over your Day One or Apple Journal entries: you start fresh.
Who should stay on Day One?
Stay on Day One if this sounds like you:
- you love writing, and your entries are long and carefully crafted;
- you write on your Mac as much as on your phone;
- end to end encryption is a must for you;
- you have years of entries and the app works for you every day;
- you rely on advanced features you do not want to give up.
If your only issue is consistency, try changing the habit before changing the app. Our guide on how to start a journal has simple ways to make it stick.
How to switch journal apps without losing anything
You do not need to move your whole past to start again.
- Keep your old journal where it is. Do not delete anything on impulse: your old journal stays an archive you can reread.
- Start fresh, no import needed. Emori does not take over old entries, and that is fine. What matters is tonight's memory.
- Record a bridge memory. Tonight, say where you are in your life and why you are changing notebooks. It makes a perfect first page.
- Copy over only what matters most. If a few entries mean a lot, you can retype their text in Emori on the right date: pick the day in the calendar, then add the memory in writing.
- Run both for two weeks. Keep both apps for a fortnight and notice which one you actually open at night.
- Set a reminder. A notification at a fixed time does half the work, whatever the app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Day One?
It depends on your phone and the way you like to journal. Apple Journal is free, but only on Apple devices and built around writing. Emori is free to download, with no ads, on both iPhone and Android, and designed for telling your day out loud. Always check each app's current terms on its store page before you choose.
Day One vs Apple Journal: which is better?
Apple Journal suits you if you only use Apple devices and want a free journal with suggestions from your photos and activity. Day One suits you if you want a journal that also works on Android and Mac, or if end to end encryption matters to you. Both remain centered on writing, so neither is ideal if you hate typing.
Is there an Apple Journal app for Android?
No, Apple Journal only runs on Apple devices. On Android you can use Day One for a written journal, Journey if you also want to write on the web or a computer, Diarium if you use Windows, or Emori if you would rather tell your day out loud than type it.
Can Emori import my Day One entries?
No, Emori does not import entries from Day One or Apple Journal. The simplest approach is to keep your old journal as an archive and start a new notebook. If a few entries really matter to you, you can retype their text in Emori by hand, choosing the right day in the calendar.
Does Emori work on a computer?
No. Emori is a phone app, on iPhone (iOS 16.4 or later) and Android, with no web version and no desktop app. It is designed for the device you have in hand at the end of the day. If you mostly write on a computer, Day One, Journey or Diarium will suit you better.
Which languages does Emori support?
The app is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese. You tell your memories in whichever language comes naturally, and your story is transcribed in the language you speak, without being translated. Summaries and tags follow the language of the app.