FIVE
FIVE: A focused Apple journaling app with guided prompts, mood tracking, and private capture. Ranked #22 of 35 in Journal Apps by our editors (7.2/10); pricing: Free plan · 7-day trial; best for guided journaling in the Apple ecosystem.
At a glance
- Editor score7.2 / 10
- PricingFree plan · 7-day trial
- Best forGuided journaling in the Apple ecosystem
- Free planYes
- Media attachmentsYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Morning and evening prompts support a consistent journaling habit.
- Mood check-ins, history, and insights add reflection beyond free writing.
- Apple Pencil, Siri, Shortcuts, iCloud, and Face ID fit Apple workflows.
Where it doesn't
- Available only on iOS and macOS.
- Export formats are basic.
- Handwriting, photos, widgets, and other extras require an upgrade.
Our verdict on FIVE
FIVE is a guided journaling app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Mac users who want structured reflection rather than an open-ended text editor. Morning and evening prompts, daily quotes, mood check-ins, customizable templates, reminders, calendar navigation, and mood history give entries a repeatable format. It also supports handwriting with Apple Pencil, photo attachments, widgets, Siri and Shortcuts capture, iCloud synchronization, Face ID locking, and journal import and export. Reading entries and exporting remain free, and the app does not require an account.
The plan structure separates core writing from richer capture features. FIVE Core — unlock writing includes a daily journal, unlimited writing, custom templates, mood check-ins, reminders, and iCloud sync. FIVE Everything adds handwriting, photos, mood insights, widgets, Siri writing, and Face ID lock. FIVE Everything — forever provides a full feature unlock without a subscription. The published offering includes a seven-day full-featured trial followed by one-time purchases, giving buyers a choice between staged access and a permanent unlock. This makes FIVE a fit for users who prefer ownership over recurring billing, while the free reading and export access lowers the cost of keeping existing entries available.
Its strongest fit is the Apple ecosystem. iCloud, Siri, Apple Shortcuts, Apple Pencil, Face ID, and Apple-platform widgets connect journaling to devices and capture methods already built into that environment. The trade-off is a narrow platform footprint: FIVE is limited to iOS and macOS, so it is not suited to users who need broader device coverage. Export is also basic, which may matter to people planning detailed archival or migration workflows. Choose FIVE for guided, mood-aware journaling across Apple devices; choose an alternative if cross-platform access or more extensive export options are priorities.
Your product? Our editors can test FIVE in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
FIVE pricing
FIVE fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Media attachments | Yes |
| Offline access | Not verified |
| Privacy lock | Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | Not verified |
| Export formats | Basic |
| Platform coverage | Mobile |
| Search and filters | Not verified |
| Free trial | 7 days |
| Deployment | Mobile, Desktop |
| Platforms | iOS, macOS |
| Support | |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 4 integrations: Apple iCloud, Siri, Apple Shortcuts, Apple Pencil |
| Pricing | Free plan · 7-day trial (source) |
| Website | five-minutes.app |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
FIVE integrations
FIVE lists 4 integrations on its own site.
- Apple iCloud
- Siri
- Apple Shortcuts
- Apple Pencil
Alternatives to FIVE
- Day OneA broad, privacy-focused journal with a strong free tier and richer paid features.9.4
- DiariumDiarium combines rich journaling, contextual views, offline access and flexible storage options.9.2
- JourneyA flexible journal for private memories across desktop, mobile, and web.9.1
Used FIVE? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used FIVE for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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