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RedNotebook

Free, open-source desktop diary that keeps one entry per day in plain text files on your computer.

Open sourceHabit tracker and journaling apps
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About RedNotebook

RedNotebook is a desktop journal built around a calendar: you pick a day and write that day's entry, with simple bold, italic and underline formatting, links, pictures and attached files. Hashtags and a side panel for categories let you tag entries, and search updates as you type, so finding an old entry is quick. It can show a word cloud of the words and tags you use most, offers templates for recurring entries, and exports to plain text, HTML or LaTeX. Journals are saved automatically as plain text files on your own disk, with zip backups, so nothing is tied to a cloud account and your writing stays readable years later. It is free software under the GPL with no paid tier. Official builds cover Linux (Flatpak and an Ubuntu PPA) and Windows, including a portable version; macOS has no official support and is only installable through Homebrew. There are no mobile apps or built-in sync, so it suits people who journal at one computer.

Best for: People who want a private, offline daily journal on a Linux or Windows desktop.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Entries stored as plain text files you fully own
  • Hashtags, search-as-you-type and word clouds for finding old entries
  • Exports to plain text, HTML and LaTeX
  • Free and open source, with a portable Windows version

Why people leave

  • No mobile apps and no built-in sync between devices
  • No official macOS support
  • Plain interface with basic formatting compared with Day One or Journey

Top RedNotebook alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Day One logo
    Day One

    Polished journaling app with mobile apps, sync and photos, if you want to write away from your desk.

    68.8
  2. 2Journey logo
    Journey

    Cross-platform journal with web, mobile and desktop apps that syncs entries across devices.

    64.8
  3. 3Diaro logo
    Diaro

    Diary app with tags, locations and mobile apps, plus sync for writing on the go.

    61.8
  4. 4jrnl logo
    jrnl

    Free command-line journal that also keeps entries in plain text, for people who live in a terminal.

    59.4
  5. 5Joplin logo
    Joplin

    Open-source Markdown notes app with sync and mobile apps that many people use as a journal.

    58.0

Why people left RedNotebook

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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RedNotebook: common questions

Is RedNotebook free?

Yes. RedNotebook is free, open-source software.

Is RedNotebook open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at jendrikseipp/rednotebook.

What platforms does RedNotebook run on?

RedNotebook is available for Windows and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to RedNotebook?

The highest-ranked RedNotebook alternatives right now are Day One, Journey and Diaro. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 RedNotebook alternatives