Mendly vs Daylio: a tap on a thought vs an icon on a mood

Both Mendly and Daylio are built around fast, no-typing entries, but they log different things. Daylio taps a mood icon and activity tags on a five-point scale. Mendly taps to mark a specific thought. If you want your day's shape, Daylio has it; if you want the recurring thought underneath it, that's Mendly's job.

Download on theApp Store

Free 7-day trial · then $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr

Feature comparison

MendlyDaylio
Core mechanicTap to log a specific thoughtTap a mood icon (5-point scale) plus activity tags; optional note or photo
What's actually recordedThe thought itself, timestampedA mood rating and a list of tagged activities — the 'what,' not the specific thought
Price$7.99/mo or $59.99/yr — 7-day free trialFree version available; premium $4.99/mo or $35.99/yr, 7-day trial
PlatformiOS onlyiOS and Android
Pattern viewHourly heat map, weekly reports, milestone badgesMood charts, 'Year in Pixels' map, correlation stats between activities and mood (premium)
Data depth vs. speedContent-first: a specific thought, minimal categorizationStructure-first: consistent tags and a mood score, minimal specific content

Who each app is for

Mendly is better for

Mendly fits people who've kept a Daylio streak going and can see their mood chart dip on specific days, but still don't know what they were actually thinking when it happened — Daylio's icons and tags don't capture the specific recurring thought. If the content of the thought matters more than the shape of the day, Mendly adds the layer Daylio's format wasn't built to hold.

Daylio is better for

Daylio is the better fit if you want the full shape of your day — mood, activities, sleep, habits — in one glanceable log, and you're comfortable with icons and tags standing in for the detail. Its free tier and 'Year in Pixels' view are hard to beat for long-run mood tracking at a glance.

See the full Mendly experience: For when Finch's self-care bird started feeling like one more thing to take care of

Ready to see the difference for yourself?

Download on theApp Store

Common questions

Isn't Mendly just a slower version of Daylio?
Not quite the same trade — both are fast, but they're fast at different things. Daylio is fast at recording a mood and a set of tags; Mendly is fast at recording a specific thought. Daylio's speed comes from pre-built icons standing in for detail; Mendly's speed comes from skipping categorization and just marking the moment.
Can I use Daylio and Mendly together?
Yes, and the two are complementary rather than redundant — Daylio for the daily mood-and-activity shape, Mendly for the specific recurring thoughts underneath the dips Daylio's chart shows you.
Does Mendly have Daylio's 'Year in Pixels' view or activity correlations?
No. Mendly's pattern view is an hourly heat map and weekly report focused on when thoughts occur, not a full-year mood map or activity-correlation engine. If that broader picture is what you want, Daylio's premium tier is built for it.

See for yourself — 7 days free.

Try Mendly on iPhone. Cancel anytime via Apple subscriptions.

Download on theApp Store