GitJournal vs Zettel Notes
We give GitJournal a 2.8 GPA and Zettel Notes a 3.2, out of 4.0. GitJournal grades higher on platforms. Zettel Notes grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money.
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
Zettel Notes
Android Markdown note app built around the Zettelkasten method
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAGitJournalGood | 3.2GPAZettel NotesVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 app itself is $0. The extras are separate plugin apps you buy once on Google Play: $0.99 for the cheapest and $2.99 to $5.99 for most. Paid note apps typically start at about $5.99 every month. |
| 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 free app has no ads and includes Markdown notes, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four ways to sync. The Location and Todo.txt plugins are free too. Most people could stay here for good. |
| 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. | ANotes as .md, .txt or .org files, wiki links with backlinks, tags, templates, encryption per folder, and task, drawing, audio and bookmark notes. Share a web page to it and it saves as Markdown. OCR, scanning and speech to text are paid plugins. |
| 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. | BNo App Store rating on record for an Android app, so B is as high as we go. Point it at a folder and start writing. Sync is the fiddly part: you connect your own Dropbox, Git remote, WebDAV server or SFTP. |
| 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. | DAndroid only. The documentation lists no iPhone, desktop or web version. It does hook into Dropbox, Git, Nextcloud, Tasker and Anki, so the files themselves can travel even if the app can't. |
| Best for | phone notes that sync through your own Git repo | linked Markdown notes on an Android phone |
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 Zettel Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- GitJournal starts at $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums). Zettel Notes starts at $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99.
- Only GitJournal lists an iOS app.
- GitJournal is open source, according to its own site.
- GitJournal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- GitJournal also covers daily notes.
- Zettel Notes also covers web clipper and templates.
At a glance
| GitJournal | Zettel Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums) | $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99 |
| 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 main app is free with no ads and includes Markdown notes, repositories, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four sync methods. The Location and Todo.txt plugins are free too. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Vishesh Handa | dax7 (Rohit Sharma) |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | play.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 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
Zettel Notes
- Android users who keep notes as Markdown files in their own folders
- People following the Zettelkasten method with linked notes
- Syncing notes through a Git repository, WebDAV server or SFTP
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.
Zettel Notes
- The documentation covers an Android app only; it lists no iOS, desktop or web version.
- OCR, document scanning, speech to text, translation and AI features are separate plugin apps, priced from $0.99 to $5.99 each on Google Play.
- Sync runs through Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP that the user sets up; the developer does not run a sync service.
- With password-based encryption, notes cannot be decrypted if the password is forgotten or the app is uninstalled, which clears the salt.
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.
Zettel Notes
- Plain-text repositories
- Notes are saved as separate .md, .txt or .org files in one or more folders, called repositories, so an existing folder of notes can be opened by pointing the app at it.
- Wiki links and backlinks
- Typing [[ inserts a link to another note, and each note's information dialog lists the notes that link to it. Tags, authors and note IDs taken from file names or YAML are supported.
- Sync over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV and SFTP
- Each repository can sync with Dropbox, a Git remote, a WebDAV server such as Nextcloud, or SFTP, either manually or in the background at intervals from 15 minutes to 24 hours.
- Per-repository encryption
- A repository can be encrypted with a password, an in-app PGP key, or a key held in an external OpenPGP app. The feature list also includes an app lock.
- Note types and web capture
- Task, drawing, audio, bookmark and log notes are plain-text files with their own view. Sharing a web page from a browser converts it to Markdown and saves it as a note.
- Plugin apps
- Separate plugin apps add OCR, document scanning, speech to text, translation, Anki cards, alarms, AI chat and on-device AI actions. Most are paid; two are free.
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.
Zettel Notes
Zettel Notes$0
The full note app, which the developer says will stay free of charge and ad-free. The Location and Todo.txt plugins also cost nothing.
Latex Plugin$0.99
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
A searchable list of LaTeX symbols that inserts the code for the chosen symbol into a note.
Publish plugin$2.49
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
Publishes a Markdown note as a public page on Telegraph and returns a link to share.
$2.99 plugins$2.99
one-time purchase per plugin (US Google Play)
Alarm, Anki, Speech2Text, SpeedRead, TextUtils and Translate plugins. Each is a separate app bought on its own.
Local AI Actions$3.19
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
On-device AI actions such as summarize, rewrite and expand on selected text, with no API key or internet connection.
$5.99 plugins$5.99
one-time purchase per plugin (US Google Play)
AI Chat, Scanner, OCR and Donation plugins, each bought separately. AI Chat also needs an OpenAI API key or a compatible server.
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.
Zettel Notes
No public discounts listed.
