Gratitude journal apps for iPhone compared
Five iPhone apps for a gratitude journal, side by side: platforms, price, focus, guidance, account and storage, and languages. Every fact links to its source.
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| GratefulMe | Apple Journal | Day One | Grateful: A Gratitude Journal | Gratitude: Self-Care Journal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone 1 | iPhone, iPad, Mac 2 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android, web 4 | iPhone, iPad 7 | iOS and Android 9 |
| Price | Writing is free; Premium subscription 1 | Free 2 | Free; Silver and Gold subscriptions 5 | Free up to 15 entries; one-time upgrade or subscription 7 | Free; Pro plans 8 |
| Focus | Gratitude journal 1 | General journal 2 | General journal and diary 5 | Gratitude journal 7 | Gratitude journal with affirmations and a vision board 8 |
| Guidance | Six themes, paths of 14 questions, reflections 1 | Suggestions from photos, places and workouts; reflection prompts 2 | Daily prompts and templates 5 | A prompt at the start of each session; own prompts in Premium 7 | Hundreds of journal prompts and reminders 8 |
| Account and storage | No account; entries stay on the phone, no cloud or sync 1 | Syncs between iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud 2 | Sync needs a Day One account 6 | No login; data on the device; iCloud and Dropbox backup in Premium 7 | No account; data on the device; optional iCloud sync 10 |
| Languages | English and Polish 1 | Polish name “Dziennik”, Apple user guide in Polish 3 | English and 25 more, Polish included 5 | English only 7 | English only 8 |
Two kinds of app
The five apps fall into two groups.
Apple Journal and Day One are general journals. You write about anything: a trip, a workout, a thought. Gratitude is one possible subject among many.
Grateful, Gratitude and GratefulMe are made for gratitude. Each one asks you a question, and you answer it. Gratitude also adds affirmations and a vision board.
So the first choice is not between apps. It is between a journal for everything and a journal for one practice.
Apple Journal
Apple Journal is a free app from Apple. It suggests moments to write about from your photos, places and workouts. It also offers reflection prompts on gratitude, kindness and purpose. Your journal syncs between iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud.
It fits when you want one journal for your whole life and you already use Apple devices.
Day One
Day One runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android and the web. It offers daily prompts and templates. To sync between devices, you need a Day One account. The app is free, with Silver and Gold subscriptions.
It fits when you write on several devices, or switch between iPhone and Android.
Grateful: A Gratitude Journal
Grateful starts each session with a prompt, such as “What made you smile today?”. You can answer it, pick another one, or write your own prompt in Premium. There is no login, and your data stays on the device. The free version holds 15 entries.
It fits when you want short daily prompts and nothing else.
Gratitude: Self-Care Journal
Gratitude combines a gratitude journal with affirmations and a vision board. It sends reminders with prompts and has hundreds of them to choose from. It needs no account. Data stays on the device, with optional iCloud sync. It runs on iOS and Android.
It fits when gratitude is one part of a wider self-care routine.
GratefulMe
GratefulMe is a gratitude journal with six themes, such as “More calm” or “Closer to people”. In each theme you walk a path of 14 questions, one at a time. After step 7 and step 14 the path pauses for a reflection on your own answers. You can also write your own way, without a path.
Writing is free forever. Premium adds the reflections, steps 8–14 of a path and the full summary of your month and year. There is no account, and entries stay on your phone. The app is in English and Polish.
You can read the questions of each theme before you install.
Where GratefulMe falls short
- It runs on iPhone only. If you also write on an iPad, a Mac or an Android phone, GratefulMe is not there.
- It has no cloud and no sync. Your entries live on one phone.
- It speaks two languages. Day One speaks 26.
- It is a gratitude journal and nothing more. For a diary of everything, a general journal fits better.
How to choose
- You want a journal for your whole life: Apple Journal or Day One.
- You write on several devices, or on Android: Day One or Gratitude.
- You want gratitude with affirmations and goals: Gratitude.
- You want questions on one theme, guided step by step, in English or Polish, with no account: GratefulMe.
If you are new to the practice, start with how to start a gratitude journal. The method matters more than the app.
Sources
- GratefulMe website, checked
- Journal on the App Store, checked
- Apple iPhone User Guide in Polish: Pisanie w dzienniku na iPhonie, checked
- Day One website, checked
- Day One on the App Store, checked
- Day One guide: Creating a Day One account, checked
- Grateful: A Gratitude Journal on the App Store, checked
- Gratitude: Self-Care Journal on the App Store, checked
- Gratitude app website, checked
- Gratitude app privacy policy, checked
