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Productivity · head to head

Day One vs Kahoot

Day One logo

Day One

Productivity

Journalling app for iOS, Android and Mac now sold as a subscription after years as a one-time purchase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kahoot logo

Kahoot

Productivity

Make learning awesome with game-based quizzes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Day One it moved from a one-time purchase to a subscription after the Automattic acquisition, so long-term cost is materially higher than the original pricing implied.; Kahoot no free tier available; all plans are paid subscriptions starting at $19/month
  • They diverge on capability: Day One covers Multiple journals, Kahoot covers Quiz games.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Day One and Kahoot actually diverge.

Attributes where Day One and Kahoot differ
AttributeDay OneKahoot
Pricing modelFree tier plus subscriptionsubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOS, WebCloud-based SaaS, Mobile apps (iOS, Android)
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Day One

  • Multiple journals
  • Rich entries
  • End-to-end encryption
  • On This Day
  • Cross-platform sync
  • PDF and Day One export

Only in Kahoot

  • Quiz games
  • Surveys
  • Puzzles
  • Word clouds
  • Live games
  • Self-paced challenges
  • Reports
  • Question bank

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Day One

  • Someone wanting a private daily journal with photos that syncs between phone and laptopnot Kahoot
  • A person keeping a travel journal that auto-attaches location and weather to each entrynot Kahoot
  • Someone who wants encrypted entries kept separate from an unencrypted general journalnot Kahoot
  • A user who wants automated daily writing prompts and On This Day nostalgia reviewnot Kahoot

Kahoot

  • Interactive quizzes and learning assessments for educationnot Day One
  • Employee training and development programsnot Day One
  • Conference and event audience engagementnot Day One
  • Team building and company-wide meetingsnot Day One

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Day One

  • It moved from a one-time purchase to a subscription after the Automattic acquisition, so long-term cost is materially higher than the original pricing implied.
  • The free tier caps at one journal and 25 photo entries, which is restrictive enough that anyone journalling seriously for more than a few weeks needs to pay.
  • End-to-end encryption is opt-in per journal rather than on by default, so users have to actively choose it and understand which journals are protected.
  • Cancelling Premium after using multiple journals or heavy photo storage can leave content viewable but with sync and some features disabled, so people should export before cancelling.
  • As an Automattic product, its roadmap sits behind a company whose primary focus is WordPress and Tumblr, not journalling specifically.

Kahoot

  • No free tier available; all plans are paid subscriptions starting at $19/month
  • Participant limit increases significantly with plan tier, from 50 to 5,000 maximum

Pricing, plan by plan

Day One

Free
  • FreeFree
    • One journal
    • Up to 25 photo entries
    • Basic sync
  • Day One Premium$3.99/month
    • Unlimited journals and photos
    • End-to-end encryption
    • On This Day and audio transcription
  • Day One Premium Annual$34.99/year
    • Same as monthly Premium at a lower effective rate

Kahoot

Free
  • Kahoot! 360 Pro Start$19/month
    • Up to 50 participants per session
    • Interactive quizzes and polls
    • Basic hosting
  • Kahoot! 360 Pro Standard$25/month
    • Up to 200 participants per session
    • Brainstorms and word clouds
    • Slide syncing and Q&A
  • Kahoot! 360 Pro Plus$49/month
    • Up to 1,000 participants per session
    • Courses with certificates
    • NPS surveys
  • Kahoot! 360 Pro Max$69/month
    • Up to 2,000 participants per session
    • Custom theming
    • Immersive branding

Which should you pick?

Choose Day One if

  • You need multiple journals.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Web.
  • You also want rich entries.
Day One review

Choose Kahoot if

  • You need quiz games.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS, Mobile apps (iOS, Android).
  • You also want surveys.
Kahoot review

Questions people ask

Is Day One or Kahoot better?
Neither clearly leads. Day One starts at Free and Kahoot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Day One or Kahoot?
Day One starts at Free and Kahoot at Free.
Does Day One or Kahoot run on more platforms?
Day One runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Web. Kahoot runs on Cloud-based SaaS, Mobile apps (iOS, Android).
Can I use Day One for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Day One best used for?
Day One is most often used for someone wanting a private daily journal with photos that syncs between phone and laptop, a person keeping a travel journal that auto-attaches location and weather to each entry, someone who wants encrypted entries kept separate from an unencrypted general journal, a user who wants automated daily writing prompts and on this day nostalgia review. Of those, someone wanting a private daily journal with photos that syncs between phone and laptop and a person keeping a travel journal that auto-attaches location and weather to each entry are not what Kahoot is typically brought in for.
What can Day One do that Kahoot cannot?
Day One covers Multiple journals, Rich entries, End-to-end encryption, On This Day. Kahoot covers Quiz games, Surveys, Puzzles, Word clouds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Day One: Is Day One still a one-time purchase?

No. Since the 2021 Automattic acquisition it is sold as Day One Premium, a subscription. Older lifetime purchasers were grandfathered but new users pay a subscription.

Kahoot: What is the cheapest Kahoot plan and what audience size does it support?

Kahoot! 360 Pro Start is $19 per month (or $228 annually) and supports up to 50 participants per session. It includes interactive quizzes, polls, basic hosting, and AI kahoot creation.

Source
Day One: Is encryption on by default?

No, end-to-end encryption is an option users turn on per journal, not a default for all entries.

Kahoot: Which Kahoot plan supports the largest audience, and what is its participant limit?

Kahoot! 360 Pro Ultra is the top tier at $79 per month (or $948 annually) and supports up to 5,000 participants per session. It includes full AI assistant access, event consultation, commercial licensing, and large document processing up to 500 pages.

Source
Day One: Can I export my entries if I cancel?

Yes, PDF and native Day One export formats are available regardless of subscription status, though some sync and premium features stop working.

Kahoot: How much does a Kahoot plan cost annually if I pay upfront?

Annual pricing is available for all plans and includes a discount: Pro Start is $228/year ($19/month), Pro Standard is $300/year ($25/month), Pro Plus is $588/year ($49/month), Pro Max is $828/year ($69/month), and Pro Ultra is $948/year ($79/month).

Source
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