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Productivity · head to head

Day One vs Mealime

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
Mealime logo

Mealime

Productivity

Freemium meal planning app that suggests simple recipes and builds a grocery list, subscription for full customisation

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.; Mealime its recipe library is its own and deliberately simple, so it does not accommodate importing or organising an existing personal recipe collection the way Paprika does.
  • They diverge on capability: Day One covers Multiple journals, Mealime covers Personalised weekly meal plans.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Day One and Mealime differ
AttributeDay OneMealime
Pricing modelFree tier plus subscriptionFreemium subscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOS, WebiOS, Android, Web

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 Mealime

  • Personalised weekly meal plans
  • Consolidated grocery list
  • Simple recipe library
  • Recipe swapping
  • Dietary filters
  • Grocery delivery integration

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 Mealime
  • A person keeping a travel journal that auto-attaches location and weather to each entrynot Mealime
  • Someone who wants encrypted entries kept separate from an unencrypted general journalnot Mealime
  • A user who wants automated daily writing prompts and On This Day nostalgia reviewnot Mealime

Mealime

  • Someone who finds deciding what to cook each week more tiring than the cooking itselfnot Day One
  • A household with specific dietary restrictions wanting meal suggestions pre-filtered to fit themnot Day One
  • A beginner cook who wants simple, short-ingredient recipes rather than an open-ended personal collectionnot Day One
  • Someone who wants a grocery list generated automatically from a week of planned meals without manual entrynot 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.

Mealime

  • Its recipe library is its own and deliberately simple, so it does not accommodate importing or organising an existing personal recipe collection the way Paprika does.
  • The free tier limits customisation and recipe swaps, pushing habitual users toward the paid Pro subscription for a fuller experience.
  • Recipes lean toward quick, mainstream weeknight cooking, so someone wanting more ambitious or cuisine-specific recipes will find the library thin.
  • Grocery delivery integration is only available in supported markets, so users outside those regions get the grocery list without the delivery convenience.
  • Because meal suggestions come from the Mealime catalogue rather than the wider web, variety is narrower than a service like Paprika that can import from anywhere.

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

Mealime

Free
  • MealimeFree
    • Basic weekly meal plan generation
    • Consolidated grocery list
  • Mealime Pro$5.99/month
    • More recipe swaps and customisation
    • Nutrition tracking
    • Larger recipe library access

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 Mealime if

  • You need personalised weekly meal plans.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want consolidated grocery list.
Mealime review

Questions people ask

Is Day One or Mealime better?
Neither clearly leads. Day One starts at Free and Mealime at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Day One or Mealime?
Day One starts at Free and Mealime at Free.
Does Day One or Mealime run on more platforms?
Day One runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Web. Mealime runs on iOS, Android, Web.
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 Mealime is typically brought in for.
What can Day One do that Mealime cannot?
Day One covers Multiple journals, Rich entries, End-to-end encryption, On This Day. Mealime covers Personalised weekly meal plans, Consolidated grocery list, Simple recipe library, Recipe swapping.

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.

Mealime: Is Mealime free?

There is a free tier with basic weekly plans; a paid Pro subscription unlocks more customisation and nutrition tracking.

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.

Mealime: Can I add my own recipes to Mealime?

No, it works from its own recipe library rather than importing external recipes, unlike Paprika.

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.

Mealime: Does it integrate with grocery delivery?

Yes, in supported markets, generated grocery lists can be sent to a delivery or pickup service such as Instacart.

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