The best Daylio alternative depends on what you want your log to hold. If you want to tap a mood and move on, Daylio already does that well. If you want to remember what you actually did and how nervous it felt, Solo Era pairs each real-world mission with a photo, notes and a before-and-after rating. If you want longer writing, look at Day One, Stoic, Journey or Apple's Journal.
What Daylio does well
According to its App Store listing, Daylio lets you keep a private journal "without having to type a single line". You pick a mood, add the activities you did that day, and optionally add a note. The app then turns those entries into statistics and a calendar. The listing also mentions a Year in Pixels view, goals, a PIN lock, and PDF and CSV export. It says your data is stored locally on your phone, with optional backups to your own cloud storage. It is free to download, runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch per the listing, and Daylio's own website did not load for us on 2026-11-01, so everything here comes from the listing.
That design is the reason many people like it: a log that takes seconds has a better chance of surviving a bad week. Reasons to look elsewhere are narrower. You may want to write longer entries. You may want photos attached to what you did. Or you may want the app to suggest something worth logging, because a mood chart only shows you what already happened.
1. Solo Era: best for logging what you did, not only how you felt
Solo Era is an iPhone app for practising things alone, such as eating out, going to a museum or taking a trip. It treats those outings as a skill you can train in small steps. You get a weekly mission as a place to start, you can write a custom mission of your own, and missions come in seven categories and five difficulty levels.
The journal is built around those outings. When you finish a mission you add a photo and notes, or you write a free entry of your own, and you can open any entry for the details. You share only when you choose. The rating is a different idea from a mood score: you rate how nervous you felt before and after, and Progress plots the two numbers over months, with XP and a weekly streak. A mood tracker tells you how Tuesday felt. This tells you whether the thing you were dreading turned out to be smaller than you expected.
Examples of the kind of task, quoted from the library: "Go to a local gig on your own." (culture, level 3) and "Buy something from a bakery and eat it on a bench." (food, level 1).
Best for: people who want to do more and keep a record of it. Be aware that it is iPhone only, it has no mood-by-activity statistics, and it is not a general diary. It is free to download, a subscription is required to start missions, and any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app. Solo Era is not therapy or medical care.
Solo Era for iPhone
See your own before-and-after ratings
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
2. Day One: best for long-form, photo-rich entries
Day One is a mature journaling app. Its official site lists the free app on iPhone, Android, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, with browser access too. You can add photos, videos, drawings and audio recordings, protect the journal with passcodes, biometric security and end-to-end encryption, and export your data. An "On This Day" view brings back older entries.
It is the opposite of Daylio in effort: you write. If a one-tap log feels too thin, Day One gives you room. Check the pricing page for what the free and paid plans include before you commit. Our Day One alternatives page covers the other direction.
Best for: people who like writing and want one journal across devices.
3. Stoic: best for a morning-and-evening routine
Stoic's listing describes morning preparation, evening reflection, guided journals with prompts, mood tracking and a habit tracker in one app. You can journal with voice notes and photos or videos as well as text. The official site says it is free to start with optional Premium, lists iPhone, iPad, Mac, web and Android, and mentions optional AI features, noting that entries are sent to its AI providers if you turn those on. Read that section before you write anything sensitive.
Best for: someone who wants prompts and a daily structure but also wants mood tracking in the same place.
4. Journey: best for multi-platform journaling with location and media
Journey's listing describes a diary with photos, videos and audio, mood tracking, a shared journal option, and end-to-end encryption. Its official site lists Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, web and Chrome OS, plus an Atlas view that places entries on a map. Be careful with the name: several unrelated products are called Journey. Our Journey journal alternatives page sorts them out.
Best for: people who switch between a phone and a laptop, or who want entries tied to places.
5. Apple's Journal app: best for a zero-setup start on iPhone
Apple's own Journal app is free on the App Store and, per its listing, syncs between iPhone, iPad and Mac with iCloud. It offers journaling suggestions based on things like photos and workouts, writing prompts, multiple journals, and insights and streaks. It requires a recent iOS version, so check compatibility.
Best for: anyone who wants a decent journal today without choosing among third-party apps.
Comparison
| App | Best for | Input style | Platform notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Era | Recording real outings and nervousness ratings | Mission, photo, notes, ratings | iPhone only |
| Daylio | Fast mood and activity log | Taps, optional note | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch per listing |
| Day One | Long, media-rich entries | Writing, media | Many devices per official site |
| Stoic | Daily routine with prompts | Prompts, mood, voice | Apple devices, web, Android per site |
| Journey | Cross-platform, maps | Writing, media | Many platforms per official site |
| Apple Journal | Simple, free start | Suggestions, writing | Apple devices |
How to choose
- Decide what you will log. Moods and activities suit Daylio. Longer thoughts suit Day One, Stoic or Journey. Experiences you went out and did suit Solo Era.
- Check your devices. Solo Era is iPhone only. Others cover Android, Mac or the web.
- Check privacy. Look for what each app says about encryption, backups and AI, and read it before you write something personal.
- Test for a week. Use two apps for the same week. The one you open without a reminder is the one to keep.
A mood log and an outing journal work well together. If you already track moods, you can keep that habit and use Solo Era for the weekly step you take. The self-rating method explains how to read before-and-after numbers without over-interpreting them, and how to start a journal is a gentle way in if blank pages put you off. For a wider list, see best journaling apps. If you mainly track routines instead of moods, our Streaks alternatives page may fit better.
Mood tracking and journaling can be useful habits, but neither is medical care. If low mood or anxiety is affecting your daily life, talk to a doctor or licensed therapist. If you are in crisis, findahelpline.com lists local helplines.
Last checked: 2026-11-01. Facts about other apps come from their App Store listings and official sites and can change, so confirm current details, including pricing, before you decide.
FAQ
Is Daylio a journal or a mood tracker?
Both, in a light form. The listing describes it as a micro-diary where you pick a mood and activities and can add notes, then view statistics and a calendar.
What is the closest app to Daylio?
For mood and habit style logging, Stoic combines mood tracking with a habit tracker and prompts. For something simpler, Apple's own Journal app is listed as free on the App Store.
Can Solo Era replace Daylio?
Not as a mood tracker. Solo Era records before-and-after nervousness ratings for outings, with a photo journal, but it has no mood-and-activity statistics.
Does Solo Era have Android or a web version?
No. It is an iPhone app only.
Is Daylio free?
The App Store listing shows Daylio as free to download. Check the listing or app for anything beyond the free features.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
