Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Day One VS Drafts

Compare Day One VS Drafts and see what are their differences

Day One logo Day One

A simple journal application for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. AboutTo learn more about Day One, see these two excellent reviews . PublishPublish is not available in Day One 2.

Drafts logo Drafts

Quickly capture text on iOS and send it anywhere
  • Day One Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14
  • Drafts Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-26

Day One features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Day One features a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users of all skill levels to navigate and use the app effectively.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Available on iOS, macOS, and Android, allowing users to access their journal entries across multiple devices.
  • Rich Media Support
    Supports various types of media, including photos, audio recordings, and videos, enriching journal entries beyond just text.
  • End-to-End Encryption
    Provides robust security for journal entries with end-to-end encryption, ensuring user data privacy.
  • Synchronization
    Automatic syncing across devices ensures that users always have the most up-to-date version of their journal.
  • Prompts and Templates
    Offers writing prompts and templates to help users overcome writer's block and get inspiration for their entries.

Possible disadvantages of Day One

  • Premium Subscription
    Many advanced features require a subscription to Day One Premium, which might be a drawback for users looking for a fully free solution.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version is quite limited in terms of functionality and storage, which could be restrictive for avid journaling users.
  • No Windows or Web Client
    Currently does not offer a native Windows application or a web-based client, limiting access for users who primarily use these platforms.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic functionality is user-friendly, advanced features and customization options may require a learning curve.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported occasional performance problems, such as slow syncing or app crashes, which can hinder the user experience.

Drafts features and specs

  • Quick Capture
    Drafts allows users to capture text quickly with minimal friction, making it ideal for jotting down ideas or notes on the go.
  • Extensive Scripting
    The app supports extensive scripting and automation capabilities, enabling users to tailor workflows to their specific needs.
  • Integration
    Drafts integrates seamlessly with many third-party apps and services, enhancing its utility as a central hub for text-based workflows.
  • Cross-Platform Sync
    With cross-platform support, notes and drafts can be accessed on different devices, ensuring continuity and accessibility.
  • Customizable Interface
    Users can personalize the interface with themes, font choices, and organizational methods to suit their preferences.

Possible disadvantages of Drafts

  • Subscription Model
    Drafts operates on a subscription model which can be seen as costly over time compared to one-time purchase apps.
  • Learning Curve
    The app's extensive features and scripting capabilities can be overwhelming for new users, requiring time to learn.
  • Platform Limitation
    Primarily designed for Apple ecosystems, Drafts is less accessible for users relying on non-Apple devices.
  • Complexity for Basic Users
    For users seeking a simple note-taking app, Drafts might be more complex than necessary given its numerous features.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Drafts is limited in functionality, potentially pushing users towards the paid version for full capability.

Analysis of Day One

Overall verdict

  • Day One is considered a top choice for digital journaling due to its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set. Whether you need a simple daily journal or a detailed diary with photos, audio, and more, Day One provides a robust solution.

Why this product is good

  • Day One is a well-regarded journaling app praised for its intuitive design, robust features, and cross-platform syncing. It offers capabilities like multimedia entries, location tagging, and end-to-end encryption, making it both secure and versatile for users who wish to document their daily lives or specific events comprehensively.

Recommended for

  • Individuals who appreciate a clean, organized journaling interface.
  • Users who value privacy and security, with features like encryption and passcode protection.
  • Those who wish to include multimedia elements in their entries, such as photos and audio recordings.
  • Journalers who prefer seamless syncing across multiple devices.
  • People who enjoy recording details like weather and location to add context to their entries.

Analysis of Drafts

Overall verdict

  • Drafts is an excellent tool for anyone who needs a versatile and efficient solution for capturing and managing text. It is particularly suited for users who prioritize speed and automation in their note-taking process.

Why this product is good

  • Drafts, available at getdrafts.com, is widely praised for its flexibility and ease of use. It allows users to quickly capture and process text, making it ideal for jotting down thoughts or tasks on the go. Drafts features robust automation capabilities, integration with numerous apps, and a customizable interface, which appeals to both casual users and power users looking to streamline their workflow.

Recommended for

  • Individuals who frequently capture spontaneous ideas or tasks.
  • Users seeking an app with strong automation and integration features.
  • Professionals looking to streamline their note-taking and text-processing workflow.
  • People who prefer customizing their tools to suit their specific needs.

Day One videos

Day One Journal App Review | all features, pricing and opinions

More videos:

  • Review - Best Journal App: Day One App Review

Drafts videos

Drafts Tips & Tricks: The Best Note Taking App

More videos:

  • Review - Tips for Using Drafts: The One Notes App to Rule Them All
  • Review - Why I Use Drafts For Collecting To-dos and Notes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Day One and Drafts)
Note Taking
82 82%
18% 18
Journal
100 100%
0% 0
Personal Notes
0 0%
100% 100
Todos
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Day One and Drafts

Day One Reviews

  1. Elizabeth Howard
    ยท Writer at Elizabeth Howard Digital Marketing ยท
    I live in Day One

    I have been using Day One since it was in beta. I am a writer and digital content specialist so I do a lot of writing. Day One has grown in capability and beauty since its inception -- I use it more and more everyday.

    To be frank, I tried to use EverNote but found to cumbersome and a bit much. For my mind, Day One provided the perfect palelette for me to sit down and write anything -- the tag it, or easily move it to another journal. It allows up to 10 journals, one of which I have synced to my Instagram, as I like to keep a record of what I post there.

    If you are writing daily, doing Morning Pages, if you blog and need a place to work on drafts, Day One's set up is so easy. It syncs over the cloud to your phone (I'm on Apple products, recognizes voice to text smoothly and allows images to be easily drag and dropped.

    The interface with tagging could be slightly more intuitive but the team is constantly doing updates and I am sure that will be worked out soon.

    I love it and recommend it to anyone writing.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Evernote, Scrivener, Microsoft Word, Google Docs
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Intuitive|Beautiful search experience|Instagram|Easy user interface|Inexpensive|Great for writers|Great value for the money
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Tagging needs to be made easier

The 8 best journal apps of 2022
Perhaps Day One's best feature is the ability to customize multiple reminders. Most other journal apps only send you one reminder during the day. But with Day One, you can get prompted to write, say, when you start the day, at lunchtime, and then at the end of your workday to keep track of your activities and thoughts throughout the day.
Source: zapier.com
5 Best Apps That Make Journaling Super Convenient In 2022
For a journaling app with a beautiful design and basic features, the Day One journal is an excellent option. This digital journaling app is easy to use but doesnโ€™t scrimp when it comes to useful tools that make journaling fun and easy.
Source: integrately.com
Day One Alternatives: 7 Best Journal Apps You Can Use
Day One Journal has adopted the subscription model for its pricing and it has made many of its users angry. I can live with a subscription model for apps like Day One which I use on a daily basis, however, I do think that the subscription is a bit over priced. If you were looking for its alternatives, we have covered the best ones available in the market today. Do tell us if...
Source: beebom.com

Drafts Reviews

We have no reviews of Drafts yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Drafts should be more popular than Day One. It has been mentiond 75 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Day One mentions (32)

  • Show HN: Text Lambda, a versatile notebook for your personal data
    Well done! itโ€™s cross platform. I can see this be used as a geek-friendly Day One [1]. [1] https://dayoneapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Looking for a windows app
    Have you tried dayoneapp.com - its been a long time since I used it, it's more of an iOS app than Windows but I think it works on the web. Source: over 2 years ago
  • desperate for help
    I journal on and off but I find it difficult to get myself to make it stick as a habit. Physical journaling is tough sometimes because I'm not home etc etc... But I'm thinking of trying out the Day One journal. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Appleโ€™s new journaling app turns your iPhone into a digital diary
    Thereโ€™s been journaling apps since iPhone came out, like the excellent Day One. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What laptop and apps do you use to write?
    For general diary writing, I use Day One. It's clean, easy to use, and has no frills. You just...write. When I got it, it was one price but now it's a subscription for $2.99 a month. Source: about 3 years ago
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Drafts mentions (75)

  • Notetime: Minimalistic notes where everything is timestamped
    Interesting. I have almost the same workflow with https://getdrafts.com/ where I only take short notes and I have custom action which sets the creation date+time of the note as its first line. But, having a separate entry for each line is the next level of this approach. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What note taking app do you use and why?
    I use https://simplenote.com - Syncs across multiple platforms. - Plaintext based (with MD support). - Search + edit UI similar to https://notational.net and https://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt - Simple to publish/share notes - Free (as in beer and speech) --- If I used MacOS or there were web versions, I would love to use the following (they are all better at plaintext than SimpleNote): -... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What software sparks joy when using?
    In no particular order: Prologue [0] - iOS Audiobook player, used Plex as a media source Overcast [1] - iOS Podcast player CleanShotX [2] - macOS screenshot/video/gif capture with annotation Drafts [3] - iOS/macOS note taking tool Paprika [4] - Cross platform recipe app YNAB [5] - "You Need A Budget" - web/mobile budgeting app 1Password [6] - Cross platform password manager Carrot Weather [7] - iOS weather app... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Question: Best Statistics/Dashboard Solutions for Todoist?
    Finally, using Google Apps Script, I email myself a weekly summary of tracker/Todoist tasks completed with a comparison versus the previous week. It also contains a link to the graph that is published on the web. I also send this to Drafts using the mail drop feature. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Taking notes on podcasts/audiobooks
    When I want to take notes on something I'm listening to, like a book quote or a thought I have while listening, I stop and make a note right then. Because I don't know if the next paragraph is going to suck me in more and make me forget whatever I wanted to note. I have a few ways to do this. I often take a voice recorder with me in the car, so if I have interesting ideas while driving I can just push a button,... Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Day One and Drafts, you can also consider the following products

Journey - A diary that keeps your private memories forever.

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

Daylio - Daylio enables you to keep a private diary without having to type a single line.

Bear - Bear.app is a note-taking and content writing app that helps you boost productivity with its intuitive tools.

Evernote - Bring your life's work together in one digital workspace. Evernote is the place to collect inspirational ideas, write meaningful words, and move your important projects forward.

Simplenote - The simplest way to keep notes. Light, clean, and free. Simplenote is now available for iOS, Android, Mac, and the web.