Apple Journal vs Reflection

Apple Journal is a free journaling app for recording everyday moments and special events. Entries can combine text, photos, videos, audio, places, drawings, and a logged state of mind. On-device intelligence groups outings, workouts, photos, and media into suggestions, while reflection prompts and scheduled notifications support regular writing. You can create multiple journals, search and sort entries, browse a calendar, and view entries by location. Writing tools include formatting, inline attachments, drawings, and audio recording with transcription; Apple says transcription in English excludes Singapore and India locales. State-of-mind entries can be saved to Health, and writing time can become Mindful Minutes. Suggestions are processed on device, with sharing controlled by the user. Device passcodes encrypt entries; iCloud entries receive end-to-end encryption with default two-factor authentication and a passcode. iCloud sync covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but Journal entries are not included in iCloud backups.

Reflection is a private journaling app for personal reflection and mental wellness. Its AI Coach can ask follow-up questions about entries and help identify patterns, while the journaling library contains more than 100 expert-led guides and programs. Users can dictate entries for transcription or hold spoken back-and-forth conversations through Voice Call, with transcripts saved. The app imports from Day One or CSV and exports to PDF, JSON, or CSV. Its maker says entries are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS 1.2 or greater, and are not used to train AI models. Users can disable all AI features and continue using the rest of the app. The free plan includes private entries, prompts, reminders, and import and export, but limits cross-device syncing and allows one photo per entry. Premium adds unlimited syncing and multiple photos, along with AI search and writing support. Premium costs $5.75 per month when billed annually or $8.00 per month. A seven-day trial is available. Reflection runs on Android, iOS, macOS, and the web.