GitJournal vs Joplin
We give GitJournal a 2.8 GPA and Joplin a 3.6, out of 4.0. Joplin grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GitJournal
Mobile Markdown notes app that syncs through any Git repository
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAGitJournalGood | 3.6GPAJoplinExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is pay what you want, from $31.99 once on the US App Store, or from $1.99 a month in instalments that turn into the one-time purchase. No subscription. That's less than a year of a typical notes app here. On iPhone, add $3.99 for the app itself. | AThe apps are free and open source, and you can sync them through storage you already have. If you'd rather not, Joplin Cloud Basic is 2.40€ a month billed yearly (28.69€) for 2 GB. Students and teachers get 50% off. |
| Free plan and trial | BBasic is free on Android, with folders, basic search, a raw editor and dark mode. But tags, backlinks and multiple repos all need Pro. And on iOS there's no free version at all: Basic is a $3.99 download. | AThe desktop, mobile and terminal apps are all free and open source, and sync works through your own Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3. Joplin Cloud is optional. Only the browser web app, publishing and shared notebooks need it. |
| Features | BSync over SSH with any Git host, plain Markdown files with optional YAML headers, everything available offline, and [[Name]] links between notes. The gaps are on the listing too: encrypting notes isn't supported yet, the graph view is experimental, and tags sit behind Pro. | AMarkdown or rich text, notebooks, tags and full-text search on every platform. Notes hold images, PDFs, audio, maths and diagrams. There's a web clipper, optional end-to-end encryption, plugins and themes, and Evernote exports import with their attachments. |
| Ease of use | CThere's no GitJournal account, but you do need a Git repository and SSH access wired up before anything syncs. Easy for a developer, a wall for everyone else. No App Store rating is on record to go by. | C4.1 from about 480 App Store ratings, under our line for a B. You pick and connect a sync service yourself. Encryption is off until you enable it on one device first, and a forgotten encryption password can't be recovered. |
| Platforms and integrations | CAndroid and iOS only. It works with GitHub, GitLab, Gitea and Gogs, and the same files open in Obsidian, Notable or Foam on a computer. But those are other people's tools. GitJournal itself has no desktop or web app. | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus a terminal app and clippers for Chrome and Firefox. It syncs through Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3, and there's an extension API. The web app comes only with Joplin Cloud. |
| Best for | phone notes that sync through your own Git repo | free, open source notes synced your own way |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: GitJournal and Joplin. How we grade
Where they differ
- GitJournal starts at $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums). Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic).
- Only Joplin lists a web app.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Joplin lists a browser extension.
- GitJournal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Joplin is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- GitJournal also covers linked notes and daily notes.
- Joplin also covers web clipper.
At a glance
| GitJournal | Joplin | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums) | 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic) |
| Free plan | Basic is free on Android: basic search, dark mode, raw editor, folder support, and custom default file names and note metadata. On iOS the Basic app is a $3.99 download. | The Joplin apps are free and open source, and can sync through your own Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3 storage. Joplin Cloud is an optional paid service. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the paid plans; cancel during the trial and you are not charged. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Vishesh Handa | Laurent Cozic |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | joplinapp.org |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
GitJournal
- Developers who already keep notes in a Git repository
- People who want phone notes as plain Markdown files they control
- Pairing a phone with Obsidian or Foam on the desktop
Joplin
- People who want open source notes synced through their own storage
- Privacy-minded users who want end-to-end encrypted sync
- Leaving Evernote: its export files import with formatting and attachments
- Markdown writers who work across Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile
Worth knowing
GitJournal
- Tags, backlinks, Zen mode and multiple repositories need Pro, and on iOS even the Basic app is a $3.99 download.
- The store listings say encrypting notes is not supported yet.
- The site offers only Android and iOS apps; on a desktop the same files are edited with other tools such as Obsidian, Notable or Foam.
- The Google Play listing was last updated on Aug 27, 2024, and the website's copyright notice ends in 2022.
Joplin
- End-to-end encryption is not on by default, and a forgotten encryption password cannot be recovered.
- Joplin Cloud and Joplin Server Business prices are listed in euros.
- On Joplin Cloud Basic you can join a shared notebook but not share your own; that and Email to Note need Pro.
- The browser-based web app and Joplin Cloud AI (beta) are available only with a Joplin Cloud subscription.
Key features
GitJournal
- Sync with any Git host
- Notes sync over standard SSH with a Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Gogs or a custom or self-hosted provider. No GitJournal account is required.
- Markdown files with optional YAML
- Notes are standard Markdown or plaintext files, optionally with a YAML header, so they stay readable outside the app with no import or export step.
- Offline first
- All notes are available offline on the device, and they are organized into folders.
- Wiki links and backlinks
- Typing [[Name]] links one note to another, and backlinks show which notes point at the current one. Backlinks need Pro, and the graph view is experimental.
- Multiple editors and views
- The same Markdown notes can be edited in several editors, including a raw editor, and the note list can be displayed in different views to suit the task.
- Works with desktop tools
- Because the repository holds ordinary files, it also opens in Obsidian, Notable, Foam or a terminal, and can be used to manage Hugo, Jekyll or Gatsby sites.
Joplin
- Markdown notes and to-dos
- Notes and to-dos are written in Markdown or a rich text editor, organized into notebooks with tags, and found through full-text search on every platform.
- Multimedia, math and diagrams
- Notes can hold images, videos, PDFs and audio files, and math expressions and diagrams are created inside the app.
- Sync through a service you choose
- Notes synchronize through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 or the local file system, and switching from one service to another is supported.
- End-to-end encryption
- Synchronized notes can be end-to-end encrypted so that the sync service cannot read them. It is off by default and has to be enabled on one device first.
- Web clipper
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox save web pages and screenshots as notes.
- Plugins, themes and publishing
- Plugins, custom themes and an extension API change how the app works. With Joplin Cloud, a note can be published to a URL and notebooks shared for collaboration.
Plans
GitJournal
Basic (Android)$0
Basic search, dark mode, raw editor, folder support, and customizable default file names and note metadata.
Basic (iOS)$3.99
one-time purchase on the US App Store
The same Basic feature set as a paid download for iPhone and iPad.
Pro, monthly installments$1.99 - $9.99
per month, pay what you want (US App Store)
Tags, backlinks, custom home screen, Zen mode and multiple repos. After 12 months or the minimum yearly amount it becomes the one-time purchase.
Pro, one-time purchase$31.99 - $54.99
one-time, pay what you want (US App Store)
Permanently enables every Pro feature now in GitJournal and any added in the following 12 months.
Joplin
Joplin appFree
The open source desktop, mobile and terminal apps, with sync through third-party storage and optional end-to-end encryption.
Joplin Cloud Basic2.99€
per month, or 28.69€ per year (2.40€ / month)
2 GB of storage and 10 MB per note or attachment, with note publishing, the web app and Joplin Cloud AI (beta). Can join shared notebooks only.
Joplin Cloud Pro5.99€
per month, or 57.48€ per year (4.79€ / month)
30 GB of storage and 200 MB per note or attachment, plus sharing notebooks, Email to Note and a custom publishing banner.
Joplin Cloud Pro 100 GB9.99€
per month, or 95.88€ per year (7.99€ / month)
Everything in Pro with 100 GB of storage space.
Joplin Cloud Teams7.99€
per user / month, or 80.28€ per user / year; minimum 2 users
50 GB of storage, with multi-user management, consolidated billing, share permissions and priority support.
Joplin Server Business3.33€
per user / month for 2-10 users, billed annually (40.00€)
Self-hosted server with source code available and no storage or attachment limits. 2.92€ per user for 11-50 users, 2.50€ beyond that.
Ways to pay less
GitJournal
- Lifetime license
Pro as a one-time purchase, no subscription
GitJournal's pricing page says there are no subscriptions: a one-time purchase permanently enables all current Pro features plus those added in the following 12 months.
- Other savings
Reduced Pro price on request
The pricing page invites anyone who cannot afford Pro, or finds its price too high, to email the developer to work out a plan.
Joplin
- Annual discount
Roughly 16% to 20% lower price when paying yearly
Basic works out to 2.40€ a month on yearly billing against 2.99€ monthly, Pro to 4.79€ against 5.99€, and Teams to 6.69€ per user against 7.99€.
- Education
50% Education Discount for students and teachers
Students and teachers who write in from a school or university email address get 50% off Joplin Cloud for a year, renewable for as long as they remain in education.
