Why it's an alternative to Day One: Lightweight journal for capturing the daily highlights of your life.
made by
Jordi Bruin
Jordi Bruin2 indie alternatives · Mobile App Makers
Indie alternatives to Day One (2026)
Day One is a well-known journaling app, now owned by Automattic. Some people want a lighter daily-highlights journal or an AI-guided reflection practice instead. Below are 2 alternatives built by independent makers — Daylights and Life Note — with what each does differently, who makes it and any revenue they have shared publicly.
Day One alternatives at a glance
Jump to any product for the full write-up.
The 2 best indie alternatives to Day One
Each product is made and run by an independent maker or a small, self-directed team.
Why it's an alternative to Day One: AI journaling app that guides reflection with prompts inspired by history's great thinkers.
made by
Daniel W. Chen
Daniel W. ChenWhy choose an indie-made tool?
You talk to the maker
With a small product, support requests and feature ideas usually reach the person who wrote the code, and many makers build in public and reply to users directly.
Focused and fairly priced
Small teams tend to do one job well instead of bundling every feature into enterprise tiers, and many indie tools offer one-time licenses, open-source editions or free plans.
Built by real people
These 2 alternatives come from 2 makers in Netherlands. Paying them funds a sustainable, independent business.
Meet the makers: Jordi Bruin, Daniel W. Chen.
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Day One alternatives FAQ
What are the best indie alternatives to Day One?
IndieMakerList lists 2 indie-made alternatives to Day One: Daylights (by Jordi Bruin) and Life Note (by Daniel W. Chen).
Why do people look for alternatives to Day One?
Day One is a well-known journaling app, now owned by Automattic. Some people want a lighter daily-highlights journal or an AI-guided reflection practice instead.
Who builds these Day One alternatives?
They are built by 2 independent makers from 1 country, including Netherlands, rather than a large company. Each maker has a profile on IndieMakerList with their other products and links.
Are these Day One alternatives still maintained?
Yes. As far as IndieMakerList knows, all 2 are active and still run by the makers who built them.
Built an indie alternative to Day One? Submit a maker to IndieMakerList →