How to vibe codeDiarly
Secure, simple & beautiful diary app
diarly.app ↗Productivity
The verdict: can you vibe code Diarly?
Build a simplified single-platform desktop/mobile subset or keep paying; the multi-device iCloud sync and native Apple polish across four form factors represent a significant engineering hurdle.
Replicating Diarly as a personal clone means committing to Swift and SwiftUI. While an AI coding agent can scaffold SwiftUI views and Markdown editors rapidly, you will burn significant time wrestling with CloudKit conflict resolution, local SQLite/SwiftData encryption layers, and matching the native feel of AppKit/UIKit across macOS and iOS. If you just want a journal, paying $2/mo is vastly more efficient; build this only if you want a deep Swift learning project.
Estimated effort: 3-5 weeks of focused coding
What you can't replicate
- The exact multi-device seamlessness of CloudKit out of the box without edge-case sync bugs
- First-party watchOS companion app integration
- Ecosystem hooks like Apple Journaling Suggestions and HealthKit without deep platform entitlements
Founded
2018
Raised
—
Team
Small indie team
Cheapest paid tier
Less than $2/mo
What Diarly does
Secure, personal digital journaling and daily reflection application featuring a distraction-free Markdown editor, multimedia attachments, mood tracking, and cross-device sync via iCloud.
Core features
- Distraction-free Markdown editor with custom typography and formatting
- Timeline, calendar, map, gallery, and table views for journal navigation
- Multimedia attachments (photos, videos, voice recordings, sketches)
- End-to-end encryption and biometric security (FaceID/TouchID)
- Mood tracking, habit streaks, and writing goals
- Templates, custom tags, and slash commands
- Cross-device synchronization
The business
Pricing
- FreeFree
- Diarly Premium (Annual)Less than $2/mo
Funding
Unknown / bootstrapped
Pay vs build, cumulative
No break-even inside 24 months at these numbers.
The hard parts of vibe coding Diarly
- Building a buttery-smooth native multi-platform Apple UI (Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch) using SwiftUI
- Implementing conflict-free, local-first data synchronization across devices via CloudKit/iCloud
- Client-side zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption combined with local search indexing
- Audio recording pipeline with transcription and multimedia asset management
How to vibecode Diarly
Prerequisites
Mac
Required to run Xcode and build native Apple platform binaries
XcodeFree
The official IDE and compiler toolchain for SwiftUI and SwiftData development
Apple Developer Account$99/yr
Needed only if testing CloudKit container sync and iCloud capabilities on real physical devices
Claude Code$20/mo
Primary AI agentic coding assistant for scaffolding SwiftUI components and data layers
AI coding tools
Recommended stack
| Frontend | SwiftUI (Native macOS and iOS) |
|---|---|
| Backend | Local-first SwiftData / CloudKit |
| Database | SQLite via SwiftData (Local) |
| Auth | Local Biometrics (LocalAuthentication framework / FaceID / TouchID) |
| Payments | None (Personal use clone) |
| Other | CloudKit for device synchronization, CoreLocation for map view, AVFoundation for audio recording |
Hosting & infrastructure
| CloudKit | Native zero-server cloud persistence and sync leveraging user's personal iCloud storage | $0/mo |
Build guide
01Project Scaffolding & SwiftData Local Schema
Initialize a multiplatform SwiftUI app project in Xcode and define the core SwiftData models for Journal, Entry, Tag, and Mood.
Create a new multiplatform SwiftUI app structure supporting macOS and iOS. Define a SwiftData schema with Model classes: Journal (id, title, createdAt, themeColor), Entry (id, content, date, moodScore, journalId, tags), and Tag (id, name, color). Set up the main App lifecycle container to inject the ModelContainer with encryption configurations enabled. Ensure the models support clean JSON encoding and local persistence.02Markdown Editor & Distraction-Free UI
Build the core writing interface using SwiftUI TextEditor combined with a Markdown formatting toolbar and typewriting mode.
Build a SwiftUI writing view featuring a distraction-free TextEditor for Markdown composition. Implement a bottom formatting toolbar for quick markdown insertions (bold, lists, headings, timestamps, checklists). Add a toggleable 'zen mode' that hides sidebar navigation and maximizes text canvas width. Include auto-save debouncing logic so entries persist to SwiftData instantaneously as the user types.03Timeline & Calendar Navigation Views
Implement multiple organizational views allowing users to navigate entries by calendar dates, timeline scrolls, and tag filters.
Create a navigation sidebar in SwiftUI with views for Timeline, Calendar, and Gallery. The Timeline view should group entries chronologically by day with custom time separators. The Calendar view should use UICalendarView or custom grid representations highlighting dates that contain journal entries. Implement tag-based filtering logic and a search bar that queries entry content matching search strings.04Multimedia & Voice Recording Integration
Add support for attaching images from the photo library and recording audio notes using AVFoundation.
Implement multimedia attachment capabilities within entries. Allow users to pick photos from the photo library and display them in a responsive thumbnail grid. Integrate AVFoundation to build an audio recorder view that records voice notes, saves audio files to the local app documents directory, and embeds playback controllers directly inside the journal entry view.05Biometric Security & End-to-End Encryption
Secure the application with LocalAuthentication (FaceID/TouchID) and encrypt local database fields.
Implement app lock functionality using the LocalAuthentication framework for FaceID and TouchID biometric verification upon app launch and backgrounding. Implement a secure encryption wrapper for sensitive entry text fields using Keychain-backed keys and AES-GCM encryption before storing strings into SwiftData storage.06CloudKit Synchronization Setup
Configure iCloud and CloudKit container settings to synchronize SwiftData models across user devices.
Configure the SwiftData ModelConfiguration to leverage CloudKit sync for multiplatform targets. Handle CloudKit container entitlements, persistent history tracking, and merge conflict resolution policies. Add a status indicator in the UI displaying sync state (synced, syncing, offline).
Cost vs paying for Diarly
What will you build it with?
Starting total with Claude Code~$99 one-time
Starting costs (one-time)
- Apple Developer Account (required for CloudKit testing)$99/yr
- AI Coding Subscriptions$20
Total~$119 one-time (optional developer account)
Ongoing costs (monthly)
- iCloud Storage (User's own storage)$0/mo
Total$0/mo
Paying for Diarly
$2/mo (<$24/yr)
Your time to build
40-60 hours
AI tool credits
$20 (Claude Code / Cursor 1-month subscription)
Break-even
Never (paying $2/mo is much cheaper than the $99 developer fee and your time, build only for learning)
Vibe code Diarly: FAQ
- Can you vibe code Diarly yourself?
- Serious undertaking — 45/100 vibecodeable. Build a simplified single-platform desktop/mobile subset or keep paying; the multi-device iCloud sync and native Apple polish across four form factors represent a significant engineering hurdle.
- How long does it take to vibe code Diarly?
- 3-5 weeks of focused coding — roughly 40-60 hours of hands-on time with an AI coding agent.
- How do you build your own Diarly?
- Scoped to personal use: SwiftUI (Native macOS and iOS) on the front, Local-first SwiftData / CloudKit behind it, SQLite via SwiftData (Local) for data. Follow the 6-step build guide on this page — each step has a paste-ready prompt for an AI coding agent.
- How do you code your own Diarly without being an expert?
- Use an AI coding tool (Claude Code or Cursor) and work in small steps: scaffold, data model, core screens, then deploy. Realistic effort: 3-5 weeks of focused coding. The prompts on this page are written so the AI does the heavy lifting.
- How much does it cost to vibe code Diarly instead of paying?
- About ~$119 one-time (optional developer account) to start and $0/mo to run, versus $2/mo (<$24/yr) for Diarly. Break-even: Never (paying $2/mo is much cheaper than the $99 developer fee and your time, build only for learning).
- What stack should you use to vibe code Diarly?
- SwiftUI (Native macOS and iOS); Local-first SwiftData / CloudKit; SQLite via SwiftData (Local); plus CloudKit for device synchronization, CoreLocation for map view, AVFoundation for audio recording.