The hana gratitude app pairs a friendly chat-style companion with daily gratitude prompts, and plenty of people love that warmth. But it is not the only option, and it may not be the right fit for everyone. Some people want richer mood tracking. Some want something completely free. Some want full journaling and export, not short chat replies.
This guide lines up seven honest alternatives to hana, with a clear "best for" line for each so you can match an app to how you actually want to journal. Pricing changes often, so check the App Store or Google Play for current numbers rather than trusting any figure quoted online.
What to Look for in a Hana Alternative
Before the list, it helps to know what separates these apps. Most gratitude tools fall along four lines:
- Prompts vs. blank page. Some apps hand you a question every day. Others give you an empty box and trust you to fill it.
- Mood tracking. A few apps log how you feel over time and chart it. Others stay purely text-based.
- Companion or AI. Hana's draw is its conversational companion. A couple of alternatives below also use AI or a character to keep you company.
- Free vs. paid. Several of these have a free tier that is genuinely usable, not just a teaser.
If you are still deciding whether an app beats a notebook at all, the guide to starting a gratitude journal is a good place to begin before you commit to any tool.
1. Gratitude Genie
Gratitude Genie is a free gratitude-journaling app for iOS and Android built around AI-guided prompts. When you open it, you do not stare at a blank box. It offers a tailored prompt, and an AI companion can nudge you with a gentle follow-up when you are stuck. It also includes mood tracking and daily reminders, so the writing and the feeling-check live in one place.
The appeal here is similar to hana's: you get help knowing what to write, not just space to write it. The difference is that everything core is free on both platforms, and the focus stays on gratitude rather than open-ended chat. If hana's companion is what drew you in but the prompts felt thin, this is the closest swap.
Best for: people who liked hana's guided, companion feel but want AI prompts and mood tracking for free.
2. Presently
Presently is a quiet, Android-first gratitude journal with no ads and no upsell pressure. It does one thing: a clean daily entry box for what you are grateful for, with a simple reminder. There is no mood graph, no companion, no streak gamification, just writing.
That minimalism is the point. If hana felt like too much conversation and you only want a calm place to list a few good things, Presently strips everything else away. The trade-off is that you bring your own structure, since it does not prompt you the way hana does.
Best for: Android users who want a free, ad-free, no-frills gratitude journal. (See more Presently alternatives if you want a side-by-side.)
3. Daylio
Daylio is a mood tracker first and a journal second. You log your mood and activities with a couple of taps, and optionally add a note. Over weeks it builds charts and correlations, so you can spot which activities tend to line up with better days.
It is not a gratitude app by design, but it adapts well: add a short gratitude note to each mood entry and you get both tracking and reflection. If the part of hana you cared about was the emotional check-in rather than the chat, Daylio's data view is far stronger. The catch is that it leans more analytical than warm.
Best for: people who want mood patterns and charts alongside a few words of gratitude.
4. Finch
Finch wraps self-care in a virtual pet. You care for a small bird by completing reflections, breathing exercises, and gratitude check-ins, and the bird grows as you do. It is gentle, playful, and surprisingly effective at building a daily habit because the character gives you a reason to come back.
If hana's companion was the hook, Finch scratches a similar itch in a more game-like way. It is broader than gratitude alone, covering moods, goals, and short exercises, so it suits someone who wants a softer, less text-heavy practice.
Best for: people who stay motivated by a cute companion and want self-care, not just journaling.
5. Reflectly
Reflectly is an AI-leaning journal that asks reflective questions and tags entries with mood and themes. It feels polished and modern, with a guided, question-by-question flow that has more in common with hana than a plain notebook does.
The depth comes at a price: most of Reflectly's value sits behind a subscription, so the free experience is limited. If the structured questions appeal but you want to weigh the cost, the Reflectly alternatives roundup compares it against cheaper and free options.
Best for: people who want a slick, AI-guided reflection flow and do not mind a subscription.
6. Five Minute Journal
The Five Minute Journal app is the digital version of the well-known paper journal. It uses the same fixed structure twice a day: a morning list of things you are grateful for plus an intention, and an evening review of what went well. The format never changes, which is exactly why it works for some people.
This is the opposite of hana's open chat. There is no companion and little flexibility, just a proven template you fill in. If you found hana's conversation distracting and want a tight, repeatable routine, this is the most disciplined option on the list.
Best for: people who want a fixed, proven morning-and-evening template with no decisions to make.
7. Three Good Things
Three Good Things is built around one of the most studied gratitude exercises in psychology: each night, write down three things that went well and why. The app keeps that practice simple and focused, without trying to be a full journal or a tracker.
If you want the evidence-backed core of a gratitude habit with almost no extra features to distract you, this is a clean choice. It is narrower than hana, but that narrowness is a feature for people who quit busier apps.
Best for: people who want the classic "three good things" exercise and nothing else.
Quick Comparison
| App | Prompts | Mood tracking | Companion or AI | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gratitude Genie | Yes (AI) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Presently | No | No | No | Yes |
| Daylio | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Finch | Some | Yes | Yes (pet) | Yes |
| Reflectly | Yes | Yes | Yes (AI) | Limited |
| Five Minute Journal | Fixed | No | No | Limited |
| Three Good Things | Fixed | No | No | Yes |
Pricing and feature tiers change, so confirm anything that matters to you on the App Store or Google Play before committing.
How to Choose
Start with the feeling that made you look for a hana alternative in the first place. If you missed the companion, look at Gratitude Genie or Finch. If hana felt like too much talking, Presently or Three Good Things will feel like relief. If you care more about tracking how you feel than what you write, Daylio is the strongest pick.
Whatever you choose, the app matters less than showing up. A simple five-minute daily gratitude routine done consistently beats a feature-rich app you open twice. Pick the one whose friction is lowest for you, and let the habit do the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the hana gratitude app free?
Hana offers a free experience with optional paid features, and the exact tiers change over time. Check the App Store or Google Play for current pricing. Several alternatives here, including Gratitude Genie and Presently, have free tiers that are genuinely usable rather than just trials.
What is the closest free alternative to hana?
If hana's guided, companion feel is what you valued, Gratitude Genie is the closest free swap: it uses AI-guided prompts, an AI companion, mood tracking, and reminders, and the core is free on iOS and Android. Finch is a good pick if you prefer a playful pet-based companion instead.
Which alternative is best if you want mood tracking too?
Daylio is the strongest for mood tracking, building charts and activity correlations over time. Gratitude Genie and Reflectly also track mood alongside journaling, so any of the three works if you want feelings and reflection in one app.

