# RedNotebook

> Free desktop diary that stores entries as plain text files

RedNotebook is a desktop diary for Linux and Windows. Each day's entry takes basic text formatting, #hashtags, links to images and files, and reusable templates, and the whole journal can be searched as you type. Entries are stored as plain text files on your own disk and can be backed up to a zip archive or exported to plain text, HTML or LaTeX. It is Free Software under the GPL, developed by Jendrik Seipp, with releases going back to 2008.

- **Category:** Journaling Apps
- **Made by:** Jendrik Seipp (since 2008)
- **Website:** https://rednotebook.app
- **Runs on:** Linux, Windows
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026

## Pricing

RedNotebook is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** Free Software under the GPL with no paid version or feature limits. The downloads page accepts voluntary donations in US dollars or euros.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RedNotebook | $0 | The complete desktop journal for Linux and Windows, with every feature included. |

Read from https://rednotebook.app/ on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with RedNotebook before buying.

## Key features

- **Formatted daily entries:** Text can be bold, italic, underlined or struck through, with lists and links. You write in an edit mode and read the result in a preview mode.
- **Hashtags, search and word clouds:** Entries are tagged with #hashtags and found with search-as-you-type. Clouds show the most common words and tags, though not in version 2.x on Windows.
- **Templates:** There is one template for each day of the week plus any number of named templates, all kept as editable text files in a template directory.
- **Images, files and links:** An Insert menu adds images, files and links at the cursor. Inserted items are linked to, not copied into the journal directory.
- **Plain-text storage and backups:** A journal is a directory of plain text files, one per month. Entries save automatically, and a Backup command packs the journal into a zip archive.
- **Export:** The journal exports to plain text, HTML or LaTeX. A PDF is made by printing the HTML export from a browser or compiling the LaTeX file.

## Good for

- Linux and Windows users who want a diary kept as plain text on their own disk
- People who tag entries with #hashtags and search across years of them
- Writers who want their journal exported to plain text, HTML or LaTeX

## Worth knowing

- There are no mobile apps or web version, and macOS has no official support, only Homebrew or source builds to try on your own.
- There is no built-in encryption or lock; the help suggests an encrypted folder or an encrypted home partition.
- Sync is not built in: using it on several computers means keeping the journal folder in Dropbox, Syncthing or on a server.
- Word clouds are missing from version 2.x on Windows, and there is no direct PDF export.

**Tags:** Daily notes, Open source, Local-first, Works offline, Templates

## Alternatives

- [Diarium](https://toolgpa.com/tools/diarium): Private journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/diarium-vs-rednotebook)
- [DailyTxT](https://toolgpa.com/tools/dailytxt): Self-hosted encrypted diary web app that runs in Docker. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dailytxt-vs-rednotebook)
- [Daily You](https://toolgpa.com/tools/daily-you): Free, open-source offline diary and mood tracker for Android. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/daily-you-vs-rednotebook)
- [Journey](https://toolgpa.com/tools/journey): Cross-platform diary with maps, mood tracking and guided programs. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/journey-vs-rednotebook)
- [Day One](https://toolgpa.com/tools/day-one): Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/day-one-vs-rednotebook)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026:

- https://rednotebook.app/
- https://rednotebook.app/downloads.html
- https://rednotebook.app/participate.html
- https://rednotebook.app/help.html
- https://github.com/jendrikseipp/rednotebook/blob/master/README.md
- https://github.com/jendrikseipp/rednotebook/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/rednotebook
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).