Catch a thought in seconds.
Keep it on your iPhone.
Trace is a private voice and text journal. Talk or type, let it tidy your words on-device, and find everything later. No account. No servers. No subscription.
iPhone · Free download · Pro is a one-time $2.99 purchase
Built for the thought you'd otherwise lose
Speak it. Trace tidies it.
On-device dictation turns your voice into text. Optional "Tidy my words" cleans up the ramble, and it all happens on your phone.
Every day, in one timeline
Entries group by day. Search everything you've written, including by date. Tag related thoughts and write reflections that link back to past entries.
Traceback
Once a month, Trace brings back something you wrote, free. Pro adds a weekly review.
Private by design, not by policy
- No account to create
- Trace runs no servers of its own
- App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected
- Dictation and "Tidy my words" run on-device
- Optional sync through your own iCloud (Pro)
- App Lock with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode (Pro)
- Export everything as Markdown or JSON, anytime, free
- Recently Deleted keeps entries for 30 days
Pay once instead of every year
| Trace | Typical subscription voice/journal app | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free core · one-time Pro | Recurring monthly or yearly fee |
| Account required | No | Usually |
| Where voice is processed | On your iPhone | Often on the company's servers |
| Export | Markdown & JSON, free | Varies |
| Platforms | iPhone only | Often multi-platform |
General comparison, not a review of any specific app. Check each app's own listing for its current pricing and features.
FAQ
Is there a subscription?
No. Trace is free to download. Trace Pro is a one-time in-app purchase.
What's free and what's Pro?
Free: capture, dictation, timeline, search, tags, reflections, monthly Traceback, Paper and Slate inks, and Markdown/JSON export. Pro: extra inks and themes, alternate app icons, App Lock, iCloud sync, and weekly Traceback.
Does my data leave my phone?
Not to us. Trace runs no servers and collects no data. If you turn on iCloud sync (Pro), your entries sync through your own iCloud account.
Do I need an account?
No. Open the app and start writing.
Does it work with Obsidian?
Yes, by exporting. Trace exports everything as Markdown files you can drop into a vault, or as JSON.
iPad or Mac?
Trace is iPhone-only for now.
Who makes Trace?
Pedro Nascimento, an independent developer who designed and built it himself.