Compared
The Sealed Journal vs Day One.
Both are journals. They're built on opposite assumptions about where your writing should live.
Day One is a beautifully made cloud journal owned by Automattic. Your entries sync across devices through their service.
The Sealed Journal does not sync. It does not have an account. It does not own a server that holds your writing — encrypted or otherwise.
If you want polished multi-device syncing and you trust the cloud model, Day One is excellent. If you want your words on your machine and nowhere else, you want this.
The Facts, Side by Side
| Day One | The Sealed Journal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription (free tier available) | One-time purchase |
| Current price | Silver: $49.99 / year · Gold (AI): $74.99 / year | One purchase: $24 (rising to $29) once |
| Free tier | — | No — a live demo, then one price |
| Platforms | iOS, macOS, Android, web | Any modern browser, any operating system |
| Account required | Yes — Account required for sync | No — no account, ever |
| Cloud sync | Required | No sync, no server — a single offline HTML file |
| Encryption | End-to-end encryption available; sync runs through Day One's servers | AES-256-GCM client-side, PBKDF2 at 600,000 iterations |
April 2026 restructure: the old Premium plan became Silver, and a Gold AI tier launched alongside it.
Day One prices checked 10 August 2026. Source: dayoneapp.com/pricing. If you find a figure out of date, tell us and we'll correct it.
The Typewriter Experience
The cursor stays. The text moves.
In Write mode, your cursor remains exactly at the centre of the screen. The page rises up to meet it. Past words fade into soft shadow at the edges, leaving the present sentence in clear focus. Switch to Read mode and the entry flattens into an evenly lit document — the fade is for writing; the flat light is for returning.
Radical Privacy & Encryption
AES-256-GCM, in your browser, with a key only you derive.
- ·PBKDF2 key derivation at 600,000 iterations — the OWASP 2024 recommendation. Existing journals upgrade transparently on first unlock.
- ·No accounts, no telemetry, no analytics, no cookies, no third-party scripts.
- ·IndexedDB storage with a localStorage fallback. Encrypted before it touches the disk.
- ·The file is not minified. You can read the source. We'd rather you trust it than us.
What It Does Not Do
- ✕No word counts chasing you across the screen.
- ✕No formatting toolbar wrestling your thoughts into neatness.
- ✕No cloud sync. No distant servers. Your words stay yours.
- ✕No social sharing. Your vulnerability is not content.
- ✕No AI assistant finishing your sentences.
- ✕No streak counters. No guilt. No gamification.
- ✕No subscriptions. No mood trackers. No noise.
Licensing & Gift Copy
One purchase covers up to three of your personal devices. It also includes a second untouched copy of the file — meant to be given to one person you trust. Lifetime updates. 30-day, no-questions refund. If you run a clinic, school, or workplace and want a copy for everyone, ask us about a site licence.
One Purchase. Yours Forever.
The price is $24 today. It will become $29.
One-time payment
Get The Sealed JournalQuestions
What is the main difference from Day One?
Day One syncs your entries through their servers and accounts. The Sealed Journal has neither, so your writing stays on the machine you wrote it on.
Can I import my Day One entries?
Export from Day One as plain text and paste in what you want to keep. There is no automated importer.
Is it cheaper than a Day One subscription?
Yes — The Sealed Journal is a single $24 payment, which is less than one year of either current Day One tier (the table above shows today's prices and the date we checked them). You are buying a different thing, though: no sync, no apps, no AI.
More in Comparisons
See all →The Sealed Journal vs journaling in Notion.
Notion is a brilliant tool for organising work. It is a strange place to put your inner life.
The Sealed Journal vs Apple Notes.
Apple Notes is the path of least resistance. The Sealed Journal is the path that takes the journaling seriously.
The Sealed Journal vs Obsidian for journaling.
Obsidian is for building a second brain. The Sealed Journal is for emptying the first one for a moment.
The Sealed Journal vs a paper notebook.
Paper is excellent. It also can't be locked, searched, or carried in the pocket of a thousand future devices.
The Sealed Journal vs Apple Journal.
One comes free with the phone. The other comes free of the phone.
The Sealed Journal vs 750 Words.
One counts your words. The other lets them go uncounted.
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A private, offline journal that asks nothing of you.
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What you write here feeds nothing.
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Core
A minimalist journal — by removing, not by adding.
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The cursor will be there when you return.
Centered. Blinking. Patient.
Start Writing