Meet the friend who's read everything you've written.
The journal is free, and ready today. Evie, its companion, is $8 a month. She reads along, talks with you, and brings back the right day, showing you the entry she means.
How it works
A journal usually forgets you the moment you close it. This one keeps up.
You write
Text, photos and voice notes, in any order. Long or short. It works offline and syncs when you're back.
She reads along
Evie gets to know what's going on in your life and how you talk, counting who you are now over who you used to be.
The right day comes back
Throwbacks let an old entry find you today: "Three years ago, you wrote this." Soon you'll be able to ask her anything about your past.
With Evie
She shows you where
Lots of apps now say their AI remembers you. Evie has to prove it. When she brings up your past she looks it up first and links the entry, so you can open it and read your own words. If she can't find it, she says so.
A made-up example, not anyone's real journal.
What's free, and what isn't
The AI costs real money every time it runs, so that part is paid. Your journal doesn't, so it's free, with no limit on entries, photos or devices.
The journal
$0
- Write, with photos and voice notes
- Sync across your devices
- Calendar, streaks and throwbacks
- Search by word
- Bring in your old journals
- Export everything, photos included, any time
The journal, plus Evie
$8 a month
- Talk with her about your whole journal
- She links every entry she brings up
- She finds things by what you meant, not only your exact words
- Give her photos, PDFs, Word files and audio to talk about
- She gets to know you, and you can read, correct or delete her notes
| App | Free plan limits | To get its AI |
|---|---|---|
| Oncepenned | No limit on entries, photos or devices | $8 a month |
| Day One | 1 photo per entry, 1 device synced | $74.99 a year (Gold) |
| Reflection | 1 photo per entry, limited sync | $8 a month, or $5.75 a month paid yearly |
| Rosebud | Unclear | $12.99 a month, or $107.99 a year |
| Mindsera | Basic AI prompts only | $14.99 a month, or $129 a year |
From each company's own site, November 2026. They may have changed since.
Your old journals come with you
Years of writing shouldn't be stuck in the app you started with. And nothing here is a trap, because you can take it all back out.
Bring it in
Day One, Journey, Markdown, CSV or an Oncepenned export. Dates stay as you wrote them, so a 2015 entry stays in 2015.
Take it out
A zip of everything with your photos, or your writing as Word, PDF, Markdown, plain text, a web page, JSON, CSV or Day One format. Free, whenever you like.
Privacy, plainly
This is your private writing, so here's exactly what happens to it.
On the free journal
Your entries are stored on your device and synced through our database, walled off so that only your account can reach them. They aren't sent to any AI company.
If you add Evie
Your entries and chats go to Anthropic and OpenAI so she can read, search and reply. That's the only place they go. They're never sold, and never used to train AI.
What we don't claim
Oncepenned isn't end-to-end encrypted, because Evie couldn't read your journal if it were. In a browser, your journal is stored unencrypted on that device, so sign out on shared computers.
Her notes on you
What Evie has picked up about you is written down in Settings. Read it, correct it, or delete it and she stops keeping any.
Who's behind this
One developer who wanted a journal that remembered. Evie subscriptions will pay for the AI. If you'd just like to say thanks, you can buy me a coffee.
Questions
Is the journal really free?
Yes. Writing, photos, voice notes, sync, import and export don't need a card or a subscription.
When can I talk to Evie?
Soon. Start writing now, and everything you've written will be there for her when she arrives.
Do I need Evie to use the journal?
No. Without her it's a full journal, and none of your writing goes to an AI.
Can Evie get things wrong?
Yes, she's an AI. That's why she links the entries she brings up, so you can check. She's a friend and not a therapist. If you're in crisis, she'll encourage you to reach someone who can help.
Where can I use it?
In your browser today, on a computer or a phone, including offline. A native iPhone app is on the way.
What happens if I stop paying for Evie?
You keep your whole journal, free, and you can still read or delete her notes on you.
Start with one sentence
What's the one thing from today you'd want back in a year?
Start your journal, free