Regular journaling has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health, and the iPad is an excellent device for digital journaling. While we hope Apple will eventually release its Journal app for iPad, there are already plenty of great alternatives to choose from. After testing several options, I’ve compiled a list of the best journaling apps available on iPad, designed to take full advantage of the device’s screen size and accessories like the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
1. Day One: Best iPad Journaling App
Day One has long been a favorite in the journaling community, and it’s easy to see why. It offers a user-friendly, clean interface with a comprehensive set of features, making it one of the top journaling apps for iPad. The app allows text entries, photos, audio recordings, and even location tagging. You can organize your journal entries with tags and categories, ensuring your thoughts are easy to find.
Day One places a strong emphasis on privacy, with all data syncs being end-to-end encrypted. It also offers password protection for added security, and you can easily export your journal data if you decide to switch apps or devices.
However, the iPad experience does fall short when it comes to handwriting support. Handwritten notes are saved as drawings instead of being transcribed into text. Without OCR (optical character recognition) support, these handwritten entries are not searchable or indexable.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Secure and private (end-to-end encryption available) |
LFeatures like cross-device syncing, handwritten notes, multiple photos per entry, etc., are only available with a subscription |
Minimalist interface |
Handwriting with Apple Pencil is not a great experience |
Supports multimedia entries (photos, audio, video, drawings) |
|
Advanced search and tagging for easy organization |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $5.99
2. Bears Gratitude – Best Gratitude Journaling App on iPad
Bears Gratitude stands out as a unique journaling app for iPad, thanks to its charming hand-drawn artwork and beautiful user interface. If you’re looking for something more expressive than the usual minimalist designs, this app could be the perfect choice. Focused entirely on gratitude journaling, Bears Gratitude encourages mindfulness and reflection, offering an inspiring, calming experience. It even won an Apple Design Award, a testament to its exceptional design and user experience.
However, the app is quite limited in terms of features. It’s specifically designed for gratitude journaling, so it doesn’t support text entries, images, or audio, aside from the cute hand-drawn illustrations the app includes. Additionally, the app lacks a password protection feature, which might be a dealbreaker for some users. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive journaling app, you may want to explore other options on this list.
Despite these limitations, the warm, inviting interface and the lack of features like streaks or excessive reminders make Bears Gratitude a judgment-free zone for journaling. It allows you to journal at your own pace without any pressure. The app also includes thoughtful self-reward mechanisms, encouraging personal reflection as you go.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Beautiful and unique UI with handdrawn artwork |
Limited features beyond gratitude journaling |
Limited features beyond gratitude journaling |
No support for images or audio |
Get reminders for journaling |
No password protection or encryption |
Pricing: Free, $2.99
3. Zinnia – Best App for Creative Digital Planning & Journaling on iPad
Zinnia is an elegantly designed app that seamlessly combines journaling with digital planning, offering a highly customizable and interactive experience. Perfect for users who want to write with both Apple Pencil and traditional typing, Zinnia supports handwriting and sketching, giving you the freedom to express yourself in various ways. You can insert photos, text, and doodles across pages, making it an ideal choice for both journaling and creative expression.
The app stands out for its wide variety of decorative options, including frames, stickers, washi tapes, and other design elements, making it an excellent tool for bullet journaling, vision boards, or scrapbooking. You can easily add images from your photo library, and moving around different elements within the journal is simple and intuitive. Zinnia excels in creativity and personal expression, offering hundreds of templates with prompts to inspire your journaling sessions. However, these features are only available with a premium subscription. The free version also limits the number of pages you can add to a journal.
In addition to its creative features, Zinnia also includes traditional journaling options like password protection, iCloud syncing, notifications, and PDF export capabilities. Overall, it’s a beautifully crafted app for iPad that combines both form and function.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Highly customizable with creative tools and templates |
Not ideal for long-form journaling |
Excellent Apple Pencil support |
|
Great for planning and journaling |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $3.99
4. Daylio – Best for Mood & Activity Tracking
Daylio goes beyond being just another journaling app for iPad—it doubles as a powerful mood and activity tracker. Its main focus is tracking your emotional states and daily routines, and you can even personalize the color schemes for moods and activities to suit your style.
You can easily log how you feel, track what you’ve been up to, and add quick notes, images, or voice clips. For those who prefer more detailed entries, the app also offers guided templates to help you get started with long-form journaling.
Daylio includes insightful stats to help you monitor your mood patterns and habits over time, making it a valuable tool for personal growth. Privacy is also a priority, with options like password protection. You can export your logs in PDF or CSV format, although some features—such as data exports and PIN security—require a premium subscription.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Supports notes, photos, and voice memos |
Not the best option out there for deep, text-heavy journaling |
Provides stats for your moods and activities over time |
Many essential features are behind the paywall |
Offers templates for longer journal entries |
No support for handwriting or drawing with Apple Pencil |
Can export data as PDF or CSV |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $4.99
5. Notability – Best for Bullet Journaling on iPad
While Notability is primarily known as a note-taking app, it also offers templates that make it a solid choice for bullet journaling on the iPad. If you enjoy using your Apple Pencil for journaling, Notability provides an excellent platform for both writing and sketching. You can easily add images, audio, and even transcribe audio recordings, giving you multiple ways to capture your thoughts.
Since Notability isn’t designed specifically as a journaling app, you may need to put in a bit of effort to tailor the app to your needs. One effective workaround is to create a dedicated “journal” subject within the app, lock it for privacy, and organize individual notes for each journal entry. This way, your journal remains secure, and you don’t need to repeat the locking process for each entry. You can even create separate journals for each year to keep things organized.
However, it’s important to note that Notability lacks many features typically found in traditional journaling apps. It doesn’t offer journaling prompts, mood tracking, or notifications to remind you to write, which could make it harder to establish a regular journaling habit. If you’re already accustomed to journaling and simply want a digital alternative to pen and paper, Notability is a fantastic option. Keep in mind, though, that its interface isn’t optimized for keyboard input.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Excellent for bullet journaling with Apple Pencil |
Lacks traditional journaling features (no prompts, mood tracking, or notifications) |
Supports handwriting, drawings, and typed text |
Handwriting search is only available with Notability Plus |
Can lock specific journals for privacy |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $4.99
6. Stoic – Best for Guided Reflection & Mindfulness
Stoic is a journaling app that goes beyond traditional journaling, designed to support mindfulness, day planning, and self-reflection. Its minimalist design helps prevent it from becoming overwhelming, allowing you to focus on the essential aspects of your day. The app offers separate morning and evening journaling flows to guide you through planning and reflecting, respectively, along with inspirational quotes and prompts to encourage deeper introspection.
You can add text, photos, voice recordings, or drawings to your entries, although the drawings are stored as images rather than being transcribed into text. Stoic also tracks trends based on your activity, encouraging consistency in your journaling habit. Additionally, it includes meditation and sleep exercises, though many of these features are locked behind a paywall.
While Stoic offers a lot of free features, the app isn’t without a learning curve. If you’re looking for something simple and easy to jump into, Stoic might not be the best fit. However, if you’re willing to invest some time in learning how to use it, it could be one of the most rewarding journaling apps you try.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Guided journaling with structured morning and evening flows |
Has a learning curve |
Supports text, photos, voice recordings, and drawings |
Many features (meditation, sleep exercises) are locked behind a subscription |
Provides quotes and prompts for inspiration |
No OCR support for handwritten entries |
Tracks trends to promote habit-building |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $6.99
7. Bubbles Journal: Top scrapbook-style journaling app for iPad.
Bubbles’ Journal is a password-protected and encrypted journaling app that brings a fun and creative twist to digital journaling. It offers a canvas for writing, drawing, and adding decorative elements such as photos, stickers, and washi tapes—perfect for those who enjoy scrapbook-style journaling.
What sets Bubbles’ Journal apart is its unique approach. Rather than overwhelming users with a full set of features all at once, the app gradually introduces new options based on your behavior, making the experience more intuitive and less stressful. You’ll also find beautiful themes, simple organization options, and the ability to export your entries for safekeeping.
However, the major downside is that the app is not free. There are no basic features available in the free version, so you’ll need to purchase the app after a trial period if you want to continue using it.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Creative, scrapbook-style journaling |
No free version beyond the basic one-time trial |
Supports drawing and decorative elements |
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Quick switching between typing and drawing |
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Password-protected and encrypted for privacy |
Pricing: Starts at $2.99
8.Penjo: Ideal iPad Journal for Apple Pencil
Penjo is a minimalist journaling app that’s designed with a focus on handwriting, making it ideal for Apple Pencil users. The app mimics the feel of pen and paper, offering a distraction-free environment for jotting down thoughts in your own handwriting. One standout feature is the advanced search tool for handwritten notes, which makes it easy to locate specific entries.
In addition to journaling, Penjo syncs with your Apple Calendar, allowing you to use it as a planning tool. The app also features an Image Playground, which lets you add photos from your gallery directly into your journal, along with widgets, themes, and a monthly habit-tracking calendar.
However, some essential features like password protection are only available with the paid version. It also lacks features like journaling prompts or reminders, which may make it less suitable for users looking for a more structured journaling experience. For those who prefer a simple, handwritten journaling approach, Penjo is a great, calming choice.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Great for handwritten entries with Apple Pencil |
Even essential features are behind a paywall |
Simple, distraction-free interface |
Limited journaling features |
Optimized for both handwritten and text entries |
|
The subscription is cheap |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $1.99
9. Diarium – Best Cross-Platform Journaling App
Diarium is a versatile journaling app available across multiple platforms, including iPad, Windows, Android, Mac, and iPhone. Its user interface is minimalistic yet highly feature-rich.
The app lets you enrich your journal entries with various media types such as audio clips, handwritten notes, attachments, and several photos. Prefer talking over typing? Diarium supports voice dictation for hands-free journaling. You can also assign ratings to your entries to keep tabs on your mood over time.
It stands out with its ability to integrate with other apps, pulling in information from sources like fitness trackers, social media platforms, and calendars. Data syncing is flexible, with support for services like OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Standard features like daily prompts and reminders are also included, making it a well-rounded tool for personal journaling.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Supports multiple media types and speech-to-text |
No in-app guided prompts or templates |
Multiple app integrations |
|
Flexible export options |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $9.99
10. My Diary – Best for Aesthetic yet Functional Journaling
If you’re seeking a cozy, expressive, and safe journaling experience, My Diary is an excellent choice. This free app combines both mood tracking and extensive customization options, perfect for those who want to reflect on their emotions while decorating their entries with photos, themes, and stickers.
You can write about your day, add drawings or pictures, and track your mood over time. My Diary doesn’t just focus on the aesthetic aspects; it also includes practical features like journaling guides for beginners, dark mode, font effects, and a lock feature for privacy. This makes it ideal for anyone who wants both a functional and visually engaging journaling experience.
Most of the features are available for free, with some premium backgrounds and themes behind the paywall. Whether you’re recording a travel diary, personal notes, or emotional reflections, My Diary enhances the journaling process, making it enjoyable and expressive.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Highly customizable: themes, stickers, fonts, backgrounds |
Sync and export options are limited compared to more advanced apps |
Built-in mood tracker with visual stats |
|
Supports photo and drawing attachments |
|
Password-protected for privacy |
Pricing: Free, Starts at $2.99
Those are some of the best journaling apps on iPad, in my opinion. Each of these apps excels in different areas, as the best app for journaling truly depends on your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for a dedicated journaling experience, a customizable canvas for your ideas, or something in between, there’s a perfect app for everyone on this list.
