Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Umer Malik
If you had told me a few years ago that one day I would be using journal apps instead of journaling in a notebook, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I’ve always been someone who journaled to get through my feelings, and there’s something uniquely satisfying about filling up notebook after notebook. But somewhere along the way, life got in the way and keeping up the practice in the journal became difficult. So I fell down the rabbit hole of digital journaling. And let me tell you, there are tons of great and helpful resources out there.
Some journaling apps are best for people who want a quick and convenient way to record important memories and events, while others focus more on mental health, self-care, and reflection. Others provide interesting guidelines so you can dig a little deeper and learn more about yourself. Plus, many of them let you tag, organize, and search your records in ways you never could with a regular old notebook.
Whether you’re about to switch from analog to digital, or you’re new to journaling, you might just find the best journal app for the job below. Let’s dive in!
Top 9 Motivational Journal Applications
1. Journy
Everything Journy does is derived from our belief in the human desire to become the best version of ourselves through self-discipline on the path to greatness as defined by everyone. We help ease your journey by providing you with a master plan of actions, reminders, techniques and tips gathered from the most effective leaders and people of our time. The information Journy provides will empower you to take charge of your life through practiced discipline, responsibility and preparedness. The result is a life that plants the seeds of success and an abundance of creative expression that positively shapes the lives of those around you.
2. Diaro
You can use this cross-platform diary app on all your devices, whether you want to tap entries on your phone, tablet or computer. Its interface is simple, but it has a lot of useful features, such as the ability to attach photos to entries, customize the look of the diary, and organize entries by folder, label or location.
3. Daylia
If you’re not the type to write long, rambling journal app entries, but still want to keep track of your life, Daylio might be a good choice for you. You can create a daily log with basically two taps of your finger, recording your mood and daily activities. Each daily entry has space for notes if you want to write about your day, think about your feelings or anything else you want to record. You can back up your recordings to cloud storage and export them to PDF. Just in case.
4. Day one
Users love Day One for its beautiful and easy-to-use interface. In addition to the elegantly designed journal app space, Day One also has plenty of prompts for those days when you have no idea what to write about. While the premium version comes with some extra bells and whistles like unlimited video and audio recordings and syncing between multiple devices, the free version has the most important thing: unlimited text entries for your journaling needs.
5. Happyfeed
Therapists often recommend a gratitude journal for better mental well-being. If you’ve had a hard time getting into this habit, try Happyfeed. In addition to recording the daily things you are grateful for, you can upload pictures and memories. When you need a pick-me-up, shake your phone to access the “Happiness Jar” and see a random day from the past.
6. Reflection application
Just because this digital journal app has a minimal look doesn’t mean it lacks functionality. The Reflection. app syncs between mobile devices and computers make it easy to organize and find your entries and have some useful frameworks to help you journal app, such as monthly and yearly reviews.
7. Jour
This interactive mindfulness journal encourages you to think about yourself and the world around you every day. Not only will this help you create a journaling habit, but it will also give you clear reports on your well-being over time.
8. Zinnia Journal & Planner
This digital journal app aims to mimic the experience of keeping a notebook written with a pencil on paper (especially when you use a stylus to mimic ~organic~ journaling). Use the templates, stickers and other designs in the app to express your creativity while creating a beautiful journal. Moreover, if you are a person who loves bullet journaling, this is a good app to transfer that habit to a digital platform.
9. Challenged journal
If you’re specifically looking for a journal app with lots of prompts, Prompted Journal is full of subtle and thought-provoking “conversation starters” for “chats between you and… you.” Get to know yourself better, develop self-compassion and reflect on your life so far. Even cooler, some challenges repeat every few months, so you can watch yourself change and grow over time.
10. Reflect
In addition to encouraging regular journaling by encouraging daily reflection, this popular app uses positive psychology, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), an action-based form of therapy designed to combat unhelpful thought patterns, all of which teach you how to reduce stress, develop gratitude and gain perspective in life. It also doubles as a mood tracker, thanks to AI-generated journaling prompts that gather information about how you’re doing.
11. Five Minute Journal
Based on the best-selling notebook Five Minute Journal ($29, Amazon), this app aims to make journaling for mental health as simple and maintainable as possible. Each entry – designed to be completed every morning – contains three questions designed to start your day off on the right foot.
