The GitJournal Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about GitJournal in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
GitJournal
The Insider’s Guide
Mobile Markdown notes app that syncs through any Git repository
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from GitJournal’s own pages.
Made by Vishesh Handa · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from GitJournal’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on GitJournal’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
GitJournal is an open-source Markdown notes and journaling app for Android and iOS, developed by Vishesh Handa. Notes are stored as Markdown or plaintext files, optionally with a YAML header, in a Git repository of the user's choice such as GitHub, GitLab, Gitea or a self-hosted server, and stay available offline. The Basic app is free on Android and a paid download on iOS, and a pay-what-you-want Pro tier adds tags, backlinks and multiple repositories.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about GitJournal, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and before a single note syncs you need a Git repository and SSH access wired up.
- 1
Best for phone notes that sync through your own Git repo
GitJournal is a Markdown notes app for Android and iOS that syncs through a Git repository you choose, such as GitHub, GitLab or your own server.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums).
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Android and iOS.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Offline first
All notes are available offline on the device, and they are organized into folders.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 22 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box.
GitJournal at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- iOS, Android
- Made by
- Vishesh Handa, since 2019
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for phone notes that sync through your own Git repo
GitJournal is a Markdown notes app for Android and iOS that syncs through a Git repository you choose, such as GitHub, GitLab or your own server. It needs a Git repo and SSH set up first, tags and backlinks need Pro, encryption isn't supported, iOS has no free version, and the Google Play listing was last updated on Aug 27, 2024, with the site's copyright ending in 2022.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Pro 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 that one-time purchase. No subscription, and well under a year of this category's $6 middle. On iPhone, add $3.99 for the app itself. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Basic is free on Android, with folders, basic search, a raw editor and dark mode. Then the walls: tags, backlinks and multiple repos all need Pro. And on iOS there's no free version at all, as even Basic is a $3.99 download. |
| Features | C | Sync over SSH with any Git host, plain Markdown files with optional YAML headers, every note offline, [[Name]] links between notes. The listing's own gaps: encrypting notes isn't supported yet, the graph view is experimental, and tags and backlinks sit behind Pro. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and before a single note syncs you need a Git repository and SSH access wired up. Straightforward for a developer, a wall for everybody else. There's no GitJournal account to make, at least. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Phones only: Android and iOS, with no desktop or web app of its own. It works with GitHub, GitLab, Gitea and Gogs, and because the repo is ordinary files it opens in Obsidian, Notable or Foam on a computer, but those are other people's apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who GitJournal is for
- Fits if you're a developer who already keeps notes in a Git repository
- Works for people using Obsidian or Foam on a laptop who want the same files on their phone
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you've never set up a Git repo and SSH, as that's where your notes have to live
- Not for you if you want your notes encrypted, which the store listings say isn't supported yet
- Tight if you're on iPhone and paying nothing, because even Basic costs $3.99 there, and tags, backlinks and multiple repos need Pro
- Watch out: the Google Play listing was last updated on Aug 27, 2024, and the site's copyright notice ends in 2022
- Too light for desktop use, as it has no computer or web app and you edit the files with other tools
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
GitJournal has a free plan. Paid plans start at $1.99 per month in installments, or $31.99 one-time (US App Store minimums).
Basic is free on Android, with folders, basic search, a raw editor and dark mode.
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.
The 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.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on gitjournal.ioOther 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.
Stated on gitjournal.io
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $3.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $4.99 | $3.51 | 12% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 249.00 | $3.96 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺199,99 | $4.07 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 399 | $4.12 | about the same |
| South Africa | R79.99 | $4.84 | 21% more |
| Mexico | $89.00 | $4.89 | 23% more |
| Brazil | R$ 24,90 | $4.98 | 25% more |
| United Kingdom | £3.99 | $5.27 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: iOS and Android
Mobile Markdown notes app that syncs through any Git repository. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, works offline, one-time purchase, notes, Markdown, linked notes, daily notes.
Sync over SSH with any Git host, plain Markdown files with optional YAML headers, every note offline, [[Name]] links between notes.
- 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.
Where it runs
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Gitea
- Gogs
- Obsidian
- Notable
- Foam
GitJournal is made by Vishesh Handa, and has been around since 2019.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
GitJournal's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 62 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $1.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 11 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 25 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. GitJournal’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. GitJournal is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box.
You could make the core of GitJournal for yourself: notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $23.88 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it. GitJournal is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, GitLab and Gitea among them.
What this rests on. GitJournal’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Obsidian, Joplin, Markor, Logseq and Orgzly Revived
The 5 tools GitJournal is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Only Obsidian lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- GitJournal is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.6GPA
Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose.
- Only Joplin lists a web app.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Joplin lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
Markor
Free
Offline Android text editor for Markdown notes and todo.txt.
- Only GitJournal lists an iOS app.
- GitJournal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- GitJournal also covers linked notes and daily notes.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Only Logseq lists a web app.
- Only Logseq lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- GitJournal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.6GPA
Orgzly Revived
Free
Org mode outliner for notes and to-do lists on Android.
- Only GitJournal lists an iOS app.
- GitJournal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- GitJournal also covers Markdown, linked notes and daily notes.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is GitJournal free?
GitJournal has a free plan. Basic is free on Android: basic search, dark mode, raw editor, folder support, and custom default file names and note metadata.
How much does GitJournal cost?
GitJournal lists 4 plans. Basic (Android): $0.
What platforms does GitJournal work on?
GitJournal is available on Android and iOS.
Does GitJournal offer any discounts?
GitJournal publicly lists the following: Pro as a one-time purchase, no subscription; Reduced Pro price on request.
Does GitJournal have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. GitJournal is listed for Android and iOS.
Does GitJournal have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. GitJournal is listed for Android and iOS.
Is GitJournal open source?
Yes. GitJournal is open source, according to its own site.
Does GitJournal work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does GitJournal integrate with?
GitJournal's listing names GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Gogs, Obsidian, Notable and Foam.
Who makes GitJournal?
GitJournal is made by Vishesh Handa. It dates from 2019.
What are the alternatives to GitJournal?
The closest alternatives to GitJournal in our directory are Obsidian, Joplin, Markor, Logseq and Orgzly Revived.
How does GitJournal compare with other note-taking apps?
GitJournal's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
Is GitJournal good value for money?
ToolGPA grades GitJournal A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 11 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of GitJournal?
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box. You could make the core of GitJournal for yourself: notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from GitJournal’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from GitJournal's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-07.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Vishesh Handa. Prices change, so check gitjournal.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- GitJournal, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gitjournal
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "GitJournal: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gitjournal
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gitjournal/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after GitJournal, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what GitJournal’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. GitJournal is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Vishesh Handa. Prices and plans change: check gitjournal.io before you buy.