Inpages vs Penzu: Privacy, Encryption, and a Lasting Diary
Compare Inpages and Penzu on free and paid plans, journals, photos, privacy, and export. Choose a diary that fits your writing routine and budget before paying.
Penzu is a useful starting point if you want a free online diary with mobile apps. Inpages is a paid option for notebook-style writing and digital Photo Books. Essential costs US$1/year for one journal; Premium costs US$39/year for unlimited journals and Photo Books.
This comparison is written by the Inpages team. We checked the official plan pages on September 27, 2026.
Compare the plans first
Scroll across the table to see all columns.
| Your decision | Inpages | Penzu |
|---|---|---|
| Free writing | No. Essential is $1/year. | Basic includes unlimited entries for free. |
| Paid plans | Premium $39/year. | Pro $19.99/year; Pro+ $49.99/year; Pro+ Lifetime $199.99. |
| Devices | Write in your browser. | Browser, iOS, and Android apps. |
| Paid features | Premium includes unlimited journals and digital Photo Books. | Pro adds customization, tagging, encryption locking, and PDF export. |
| Local copy | ZIP export with recovery tools for protected content. | PDF export on Pro and above. |
Sources: Penzu's official plans and Inpages memberships.
Choose Penzu for a familiar online diary
If your main goal is simply to write each day, see whether Penzu Basic meets it. Paying for more tools makes sense when you use them. Its paid options may suit you if you want more control over how your diary looks or need PDF export.
Choose Inpages for journals and photo collections
Inpages brings writing and photos into a notebook-style space. Choose photos from one journal to make a digital Photo Book, then return to it as a record of a trip or season.
Essential includes one journal and one Photo Book. Premium makes sense when you want several: perhaps an everyday diary, project notes, and travel memories. See how to organize multiple journals before adding more notebooks.
Review protection and recovery
Inpages Protected Memories lock the writing and attachments on your device before saving them. Your Vault Password unlocks them, and a saved Recovery Key gives you another way back. If you lose both and have no unlocked device, Inpages cannot recover that protected writing.
Review each product's recovery instructions before relying on a lock for your only copy. Our guide to choosing a private journaling app gives you questions to compare.
Check the export you will actually receive
Inpages exports a ZIP archive with your data and attachments. Reading protected content outside Inpages requires the recovery tools described in the archive. It is not a ready-to-read PDF or an importable backup.
If PDF is your deciding requirement, review Penzu Pro. If you are considering Inpages, read the export guide first. Inpages does not currently offer a Penzu importer.
Start with the smallest plan that fits
Choose Penzu Basic if a free diary is enough, Inpages Essential if you want one Inpages journal, or Premium when separate journals and Photo Books have a clear purpose for you.
To compare more options, see our Day One alternatives guide.
Your first quiet page
Give your memories a home.
Choose one everyday journal, or keep separate journals and Photo Books with Premium.
Choose and pay for a membership before writing your first entry.
