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One Good Thing vs Day One

Day One gives you a beautiful blank page. One Good Thing gives you the first line, so the page is never blank.

the short answer

Day One is where you write: a private journal for your own words, photos and memories. One Good Thing skips the blank page and hands you a daily idea to carry or let go.

why people compare them

Most people who compare these two have the same story: they bought a lovely journal app, wrote four entries, and then the cursor started blinking at them.

Day One is the best place on iPhone to keep your own words, photos and places. One Good Thing starts from the other end. It brings one idea a day from one of 12 fields, and all you decide is whether to carry it. If it stirs something, you can write a line about it.

If you are weighing reflection without the writing, our page on alternatives to journaling goes further.

side by side

What it is
ogtOne good idea a day, from 12 fields
day oneA private journal for your life
Time a day
ogtUnder two minutes
day oneAs long as you want to write
What you do
ogtRead, carry it or let it go, close the app
day oneWrite entries, add photos, audio and places
The blank page
ogtThere isn't one. The idea is the prompt
day oneYou start from empty, with optional prompts
What it builds
ogtYour house of thought, one room for every field you carry from
day oneA searchable record of your days
Going deeper
ogtAsk questions answered from your own collection, not the open internet
day oneTemplates, prompts and memories from past years
Cost
ogtThe daily idea and your whole collection are free for good. Membership is optional
day oneA free tier, with sync and extras on a subscription

What we say about Day One was checked against Day One's pricing page on . Prices and features change; if something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.

which one is for you

Day One, if

  • You process life by writing about it
  • You want photos, places and audio kept alongside your words
  • Looking back on this day five years ago sounds lovely
  • You already know what you want to say most days

One Good Thing, if

  • The blank page keeps winning
  • You want to think about something new, not narrate your day
  • Two minutes is what you honestly have
  • You like the idea of a collection that connects on its own

the honest part

They get along fine

Plenty of people use both: an idea from One Good Thing in the morning, a few lines in Day One at night, sometimes about that same idea. One Good Thing also has a small journal of its own for a sentence or two about what you carried.

questions

Is Day One worth paying for?
If journaling is already a habit, Day One is the most polished way to keep it, especially with photos, places and sync across devices. If the habit is the hard part, start with something that hands you the first thought.
What is a good alternative to Day One for daily reflection?
If you want reflection without the writing, One Good Thing gives you one idea a day to carry or let go in under two minutes. No blank page involved.
How do I journal when I never know what to write?
Start from something outside yourself. A single good idea is an easier prompt than "how was your day". Write one line about whether you agree with it, and stop there.
Does One Good Thing have a journal?
A small one. After you carry an idea you can jot a line about it, kept with that idea. It is a margin note, not a diary.
What is One Good Thing?
The daily idea app for curious people. Each day you get one good idea from one of 12 fields, at your quiet minute. You read it in under two minutes, carry it or let it go, and close the app. What you carry builds your house of thought, and the margin connects today's idea to one you kept weeks ago.
Is One Good Thing free?
Yes. The daily idea, everything you carry and your house of thought are free for good. Membership adds up to 10 Ask questions a day, every margin, the full bed of what you let go and a written portrait of how you think.

keep comparing

one good thing

Tomorrow’s idea arrives at your quiet minute.

Download on theApp StoreWhich of the 12 thinkers are you?