Day One is a place to write about your life; Solo Era is a place to practise something and then record it. Day One is a long-established journaling app for text, photos, audio and video. Solo Era is an iPhone app where each journal entry comes from a small mission you did alone, alongside nervousness ratings from before and after. Choose Day One for flexible, long-form journaling, and Solo Era if you want the journal to follow something you tried.
At a glance
| Solo Era | Day One | |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Practise small solo outings, then journal them | Capture your life in a flexible journal |
| What starts an entry | A completed mission, or a free entry | Whatever you want to write about |
| Media | Photo and notes | Text, photos, audio, video (plan limits apply) |
| Extra tools | Ratings before and after, XP, weekly streak, Solo Pass | Prompts, templates, reminders, multiple journals, export |
| Platform | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android and web (official site) |
| Cost | Free to download; a subscription is required to start missions | A free plan with limits plus paid tiers; see dayoneapp.com/pricing |
| Best for | Journaling what you tried | Journaling anything, in depth |
We quote no prices for either app. Day One's pricing page lists its tiers and what each includes.
What Solo Era is
Solo Era is an iPhone app built on one idea: doing things alone is a skill, and a skill is practised in small steps. The site's line is "A bucket list for doing things alone."
- Missions. Shown as a mission ticket; the task stays up front, and you can turn it over for instructions and what it helps you practise.
- Weekly mission and custom missions. A place to begin each week, plus missions you write yourself.
- Seven categories and five levels. Food, movement, culture, travel, everyday, solitude and people; level 1 is gentlest. A level 1 everyday mission reads "Buy flowers for someone you care about." A level 3 food mission reads "Try a restaurant with a courtyard."
- Before-and-after ratings. You rate how nervous you felt before and after.
- Progress. Ratings over months, XP and a weekly streak.
- Journal and Solo Pass. A photo and notes with each completed mission, or a free journal entry of your own; you open an entry for details and share only when you choose. Your Solo Pass keeps the same code as your story grows.
It is free to download, and a subscription is required to start missions. Any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app. Solo Era is iPhone only. It is not therapy or medical care.
What Day One is
Day One (Bloom Built Inc, checked 2026-11-01) is a journaling app. The App Store listing mentions saving audio, video, photos and notes, unlimited text entries, markdown formatting, different journals for different areas of your life, end-to-end encryption, passcode and Face ID locks, export options, daily prompts, templates, reminders, streaks and a calendar view. The official pricing page, checked 2026-10-21, describes a free plan with limits and paid tiers that add more photos, video, devices and AI-based features. It lists iPhone, Android, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and the web.
The listing also quotes download counts, star ratings and press quotes. These are undated marketing statements, so we do not repeat them.
Head to head
An empty page versus a prompt
Day One starts with a blank page, or a prompt or template. That is great if you already know what you want to write. It can also be where a journal stalls: many people open a journal app, stare at the page and close it. Solo Era starts with something to do. After a mission you have a photo, a rating pair and an obvious thing to write about. Our guide to starting a journal has other ways to avoid the blank page.
Breadth versus focus
Day One is broad: any topic, long entries, multiple journals, many platforms. Solo Era is narrow: its journal exists to record solo outings and free entries on your own phone. If you want a general life archive, Day One is the more complete tool. If you want your journal to be a record of things you did on purpose, Solo Era's focus is a feature.
Ratings and progress
Day One has streaks and a calendar view, which show consistency. Solo Era adds a before-and-after nervousness rating to each mission and plots it over months. That pairing is the thing a plain journal lacks. Our page on the self-rating method explains how it works.
Privacy and sharing
Day One highlights end-to-end encryption and passcode locks. Solo Era's journal is yours, with sharing only when you choose. We make no claim about Solo Era's encryption beyond that. If strong, well-documented privacy features are your top priority, read Day One's own security information.
Platforms
Day One covers more devices, including Android and the web. Solo Era is iPhone only. If you switch between devices, that matters.
Choose Solo Era if you...
- want a reason to do something and a ready-made thing to journal about
- like to rate how nervous you felt before and after
- prefer a photo-led journal of places you went
- are building comfort with doing things alone
Choose Day One if you...
- want a flexible journal for any topic, with long entries
- use several devices, including Android or a Mac
- want video, audio, templates or multiple journals
- do not need prompts to do things in the real world
Using both
Many people could keep Day One as their main diary and use Solo Era for the weekly step. After a mission, the photo and ratings live in Solo Era; if you want to write more, you can add a longer reflection elsewhere. There is no need to double up on everything. For a wider view, read the Day One alternatives page, the roundup of journaling apps, the comparison with Daylio and the comparison with Stoic.
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.
A note on wellbeing
Journaling is a personal practice, not treatment. This page is not medical advice. If you are struggling with anxiety or low mood, please talk to a doctor or licensed therapist. If you feel very low, findahelpline.com lists services by country.
Last checked: 2026-11-01. Facts about other apps come from their official sites and App Store listings and can change, so confirm current details before you decide.
FAQ
Is Solo Era a Day One alternative?
Partly. Both include a journal, but Day One is a general journaling app, while Solo Era is built around small solo missions with a journal and ratings attached.
Can I use both?
Yes. Day One suits long writing; Solo Era suits a weekly mission and a photo entry. They cover different needs.
Is Day One free?
The official pricing page lists a free plan with limits, plus paid tiers. Check dayoneapp.com/pricing for current details; we do not quote prices.
Does Solo Era have audio or video journaling?
We do not claim that it does. The Solo Era journal holds a photo and notes with each completed mission, or a free entry.
Is either app therapy?
No. Neither replaces professional help. Solo Era is not therapy or medical care.
Does Solo Era work on Android?
Solo Era is an iPhone app. We do not claim Android, Mac or web support.
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.
