Looking for a Day One alternative?
Day One is a genuinely good journal app and has been for a decade — if you landed here looking for the Day One journal or diary app itself, it's at dayoneapp.com. Here's an honest read on where Inlet is different, and where Day One is still the better answer.
Where Inlet is different
It asks you something. Day One is a beautiful blank page. Inlet is a short prompt a day — a check-in, a photo, one good thing. If the reason your last journal died was the empty screen, that's the difference that matters.
It reads you back. Day One stores entries and finds them again. Inlet keeps a living summary of you that regenerates as you write — the path behind you and the aims you're still carrying. Day One has AI, but it's per-entry and it sits in the top tier.
Sharing one entry at a time. Day One's Shared Journals share a whole journal with the people you invite. That's close to all-or-nothing. In Inlet the default is that your family sees you're showing up and can cheer you on — not everything you write. When you do want someone to read one, you tag them in that entry and share it, one at a time, and you can stop sharing it later.
It's free. Inlet costs nothing today. Day One's free tier is real but narrow — one photo per entry, one device.
Where Day One is still better
- Every platform. iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and web. Inlet is iPhone, Android and the web.
- End-to-end encryption. Day One encrypts entries end-to-end. Inlet protects your writing with access control, not E2E — an honest difference, and it matters if that's your bar.
- Ten years of polish, and a decade of your history already in it if you're a long-time user.
- It prints your journal as a book. Inlet has nothing like it.
- Rich media. Unlimited photos, audio, and handwritten entries on paid tiers.
If those are what you're after, stay on Day One — we'd rather tell you that than win the click.
Side by side
| Inlet | Day One | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily prompts | Every item is a prompt | Optional prompts |
| Summary of you over time | Free, core | Per-entry AI, top tier |
| Share one entry at a time | Yes — you pick each one | No — shares a whole journal |
| Price | Free | Free tier · $49.99–$74.99/yr |
| Platforms | Android, web | iOS, iPadOS, Mac, Android, web |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Yes |
| Print as a book | No | Yes |
Day One details as of July 2026, from their public pricing page. If something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.