FIVE review
A focused Apple journaling app with guided prompts, mood tracking, and private capture.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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.
FIVE pros and cons
- 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.
FIVE fact sheet, pricing and score →
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