What Kyra is
A privacy-first trading journal for iOS. Trades stored on-device. Pattern detection runs locally as classical statistical inference — Bayesian inference, Fisher's exact test, and multiple-comparisons correction. Every claim ships with a sample size and a confidence range. Four tiers (Tracking, Hint, Signal, Proven) sharpen as the trade count grows so claims stay honest about evidence. Logging is asset-agnostic, with an under-10-second Quick P&L path. $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr after a 7-day trial — no account, no email, no password.
What Plancana is
Plancana is a mobile trading journal oriented toward forex and CFD traders. Its defining feature is a connection to the MetaTrader platforms (MT4 / MT5): trades placed through those platforms can be imported rather than typed in by hand, paired with a structured, questionnaire-style logging flow. It runs on a subscription. The details below are drawn from Plancana's App Store listing and public user reviews — platform support, feature set, and current pricing change over time and are best confirmed on Plancana's own site.
How they compare
| Dimension | Kyra | Plancana |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iOS-native | iOS / iPad |
| Where trade data lives | On the user's device + optional iCloud user-private sync | Account-based (platform sync implies server-side storage) |
| Account required | No (no email, no password) | Yes |
| Broker / platform integration | None (by design) | MetaTrader MT4 / MT5 connection |
| Primary instrument focus | Asset-agnostic | Forex / CFDs (MetaTrader-oriented) |
| Trade entry | Manual — under-10-second Quick P&L path | Import via MT4 / MT5 + structured manual logging |
| Pattern detection approach | Bayesian inference + Fisher's exact test + multiple-comparisons correction, on-device | Journal analytics / review (statistical inference not documented) |
| Sample size on every claim | Yes — n + confidence range per pattern | Not documented |
| Pricing | $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr; one tier, one price | Subscription (a UK reviewer referenced ~£10/mo; confirm current pricing) |
The load-bearing row is architecture: on-device and account-free versus account-based platform sync. Most of the other differences descend from it.
Who should pick which
Pick Plancana if:
- You trade forex or CFDs through MT4 / MT5 and want fills to import from those platforms instead of typing them in
- Your instruments live on the MetaTrader platforms and platform sync is the workflow you want
- You prefer a structured, questionnaire-style logging flow that walks you through fields
- You're comfortable with an account-based journal
Pick Kyra if:
- You want trade data to live on your device, with no account, no email, no password
- You want pattern claims with explicit sample sizes and named statistical methods (Bayesian inference, Fisher's exact test), not a dashboard that doesn't gate for sample size
- You log across asset classes by hand and want an under-10-second Quick P&L entry path
- You don't trade through MT4 / MT5 — or you simply don't want a journal that syncs to a broker or platform
- You want a journal whose developer does not store your trade history
The honest trade-off
If you trade on the MetaTrader platforms and want your fills to flow into the journal automatically, Plancana's platform connection is a real advantage. Manual entry is friction, and auto-import removes it for the instruments it supports.
Kyra is shaped by a different commitment. Trade data stays on the device because Kyra does not operate a server that stores it — which is also why there is no broker or platform sync. The trade-off for privacy is that you log trades yourself; Kyra's answer is to make that take under ten seconds. The pattern engine shows statistical claims with sample sizes rather than dashboard aggregations, and logging is asset-agnostic rather than tied to one platform. Those are different choices, not worse ones.
If MT4 / MT5 auto-import is the binding constraint of your workflow, Plancana fits it directly. If on-device privacy, an account-free start, and sample-size-gated pattern claims are the binding constraints, Kyra is the right tool. The two apps are built around different commitments.
For the architectural reasoning, see Why on-device. For the math, see The math behind Kyra. For the security model that the on-device architecture buys, see Security.
Download Kyra on the App Store · Why on-device · The math behind Kyra · The full security model · Compare to other journals
