What each option includes
Plus adds to the free app and takes nothing away from it. Every option below unlocks the same Plus features.
| Option | Price | Billing | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | None | Unlimited recording and transcripts, recordings and photos, search, calendar and tags, iCloud sync, Face ID lock, import and export |
| Plus Monthly | $7.99 | Every month until you cancel | Everything free, plus summaries, titles, mood and tags, the weekly recap, Ask and Apple Watch recording |
| Plus Yearly | $39.99 | Every year until you cancel, after a two-week free trial for eligible new subscribers | The same Plus features |
| Plus for Life | $119.99 | Once | The same Plus features, with no renewal |
What stays free
Nothing about keeping a journal is metered. You can record for as long and as often as you like without paying.
- Recording of any length, transcribed on your device
- Recordings and photos kept with each entry
- Search across every word, name and place
- Calendar, tags and On this day
- iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad
- Face ID lock
- Import from Day One and Apple Journal
- Export as Markdown, JSON and PDF
What Plus adds
Plus features run on your device with Apple Intelligence, so they need a supported iPhone or iPad with it turned on. Your first entry gets a free preview of the summary, title and tags.
- Each entry laid out as what happened, how it felt and what's next
- Titles, tags, mood, people and places
- A weekly recap
- Ask questions about your journal
- A follow-up question after an entry
- Recording on Apple Watch
How Dawn Light's price compares
On the same day, the AI journals Life Note, Untold, Mindsera and Lightpage listed $99.00 to $139.00 a year. Reflection, an AI journal and coach, listed $35.99 to $69.00. General journals listed $29.99 to $49.99 a year, such as Grid Diary and Day One. Dawn Light Plus is $39.99.
| App | Yearly | What the yearly plan is for |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn Light Plus | $39.99 | On-device summaries, recaps and Ask |
| Grid Diary | $29.99 | Journal with templates |
| Day One | $49.99 | Premium or Silver yearly |
| Reflection | $35.99, $47.99 and $69.00 | AI journal and coach |
| Life Note | $99.99 | AI journal |
| Untold | $107.99 | Voice journal with AI |
| Mindsera | $99.00 and $129.00 | AI journal |
| Lightpage | $139.00 | AI journal |
Why Plus costs less than most AI journals
Dawn Light has no server. Your voice is transcribed on your device, and Plus uses Apple Intelligence on your device too. There is no per-entry AI bill to pass on, and no account to run. That is why recording stays free and Plus can cost less.
Paying, canceling and refunds
Apple handles every payment, so the App Store shows the price in your currency before you confirm. Plus is linked to your Apple Account and restores on your other devices.
- Cancel any time in Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions
- Plus stays on until the end of the period you paid for
- When Plus ends you keep every entry, title and tag you already have
- Ask Apple for a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com
- Plus isn't shared through Family Sharing
Questions about Dawn Light's price
Is Dawn Light really free?
Yes. The download is free, and recording, transcripts, search, sync, the lock, imports and export have no limit and no time limit. Plus is optional.
Which Plus option is the best value?
If you'll use Plus for more than five months, the yearly plan costs less than paying monthly. If you expect to keep it for more than three years, Plus for Life costs less than the yearly plan.
Does Plus work on my iPhone?
Plus features need Apple Intelligence, such as on iPhone 15 Pro or later, turned on in Settings. Recording on Apple Watch needs watchOS 26 or later. Everything free works on any iPhone with iOS 26.
What happens to my entries if I stop paying?
Nothing is deleted or locked. New entries are still saved with every word, without a summary or a title.
Sources
Start free, add Plus later
Record and keep every word for free. Add Plus when you want each entry laid out for you.
Get Dawn Light freeUnlimited entries, transcripts, search and iCloud sync. For iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Works with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 or later.