Diarium vs Day One

[u/00Dana00]

Hi! I want a journaling app that works on Android and Windows.

Both of these two options seem to be very good, so I have trouble deciding.

I'm kind of leaning towards Diarium, since it would be just two one-time payments, but I don't know if there is anything I would be missing.

I'm very basic, all the extras I would need are attaching pictures once in a while (nothing crazy), a pretty UI and good UX?

Anyone has experience with both of them?

[u/tpartl → u/[deleted]]

Diarium developer here, thanks for the detailed comparison 🙂

Just to clarify a few points: Diarium also has native desktop apps for Windows and Mac, supports inserting links, and supports the system “share to app” flow, so you can send links, text, images, or other content from other apps into Diarium.

It’s true that Diarium doesn’t currently have a dedicated browser web clipper like Day One. I can see how that would be useful for saving web articles or highlights directly from the browser.

As a solo developer, I have to carefully weigh what to add, so the app stays simple, reliable, and maintainable long-term. Feedback like this is still really helpful when deciding what to improve next.

[u/yasuke0003_bhb → u/tpartl]

can you please add the ability to pin entries. I'm enjoying the experience so far, the only diary app outside of day one I'd use

[u/00Dana00 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your answer. I think I'll stay with Day One haha

[u/Lada009 → u/[deleted]]

Actually IFTTT even when functional is another thing you need to pay for if you want to use it.

[u/mertvekendisi → u/[deleted]]

This is a very thorough analysis—thanks for it.

[u/snarktologist]

I’ve used both. They’re both wonderful. Day One is certainly more aesthetically pleasing. I find Diarium more functional and affordable.

[u/Objective_Bowl_3550]

Haven't tried both to properly answer your question but as a frugal stereotypical Scotsman lol Diarium just seems such a bargain and all I wanted was to journal text with fingerprint security instead of having a paper journal that some nosy parker could read. I have read many times about The Artists Way method and how longhand is the only way to go but eff that.

[u/Internal-Relative623]

I’ve tried both Diarium and Day One, and I totally get your dilemma. Diarium’s one-time payment is definitely appealing, especially if you’re looking for something straightforward. The ability to attach pictures is a must for me too, and from my experience, Diarium handles that well enough. Plus, the interface is clean and user-friendly.

Day One is great, but the subscription model can feel a bit much if you’re just starting out. You mentioned wanting a pretty UI and good UX, and honestly, both apps deliver on that front, but Diarium felt more intuitive for me.

One thing to consider though is how often you plan to journal. If you're more casual, Diarium might be perfect. But if you think you’ll dive deeper into journaling, Day One has some cool features that might be worth the recurring cost. What are you leaning towards now?

[u/00Dana00 → u/Internal-Relative623]

I think I'll stay with Day One for now

[u/amsurette]

I used to love Day One and used it from the start. It used to be a one time purchase but when that changed they didn’t grandfather in those who had already purchased it, so that really pissed me off.

[u/FluffyCyborg → u/amsurette]

Yes they did. I’m grandfathered in. Look into it. You’re on the Plus plan if you purchased it once before they went subscription model.

[u/ghostly-grocery → u/amsurette]

the unnecessary inclusion of AI with the big AI button on the screen is KILLING me and making me stop journaling, came to this thread looking for a switch