Jørnal
a journaling app where the page is always blank
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What is Jørnal?
Jørnal is a minimalistic web-based journaling tool designed for writing one entry at a time. When you visit the site, you get a blank canvas to type into, and it saves automatically as you write. When finished, pressing Ctrl+Enter locks the entry and closes the page. The next time you visit, you get a fresh blank page again, while yesterday's entry appears above and cannot be rewritten.
The tool emphasizes that journaling is a practice, not a habit, which is why there are no streaks, AI nudges, or reminders by default. It is not a notebook with folders, not a markdown editor, and is neither public nor collaborative. Each time you arrive, you write exactly one entry on one page.
Jørnal offers three ways to keep copies of your writing: a free full archive download (all entries as Markdown files in a ZIP), an incremental download feature for paid users, and email backup digests for paid users. The paid Supporter plan includes semantic search called
Jørnal pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
The app itself is free with a free tier that includes writing entries and downloading a full archive of all entries as Markdown files in a ZIP bundle. The paid Supporter plan costs $4/month or $40/year and includes: incremental download (synced copy without re-fetching), email backup digests on weekly/monthly cadence, 'Recall' semantic search that matches by meaning, and custom books for different threads of writing. Supporter keeps the servers running and can be cancelled any time without losing written entries.
Jørnal pros
- Always blank page ready for writing every time you visit
- Auto-saves as you type with no manual save needed
- Entry locks permanently after pressing Ctrl+Enter
- Previous entries cannot be rewritten, preserving authenticity
- Free full archive download in Markdown format as ZIP
- No streaks, AI nudges, or forced reminders by default
- Not public or collaborative, fully private personal journal
- No folders or complex organization system to manage
- Semantic search 'Recall' finds entries by meaning not just keywords
- Fingerprints never shared or used to train any AI models
- Words never leave the servers, strong privacy protection
- Custom books feature to organize different writing threads
- Incremental download keeps synced copy without re-fetching everything
- Email backup digests on weekly or monthly cadence
- Simple Ctrl+Enter shortcut to finish and lock entry
- Affordable Supporter pricing at $4/month or $40/year
- Can cancel anytime without losing written entries
Jørnal cons
- Only one entry per visit, no flexibility for multiple entries
- No folders or organizational structure beyond custom books (paid)
- Not a markdown editor despite exporting as Markdown files
- No built-in reminders unless you manually request them
- Semantic search 'Recall' only available in paid plan
- Incremental download only available in paid plan
- Email backup only available in paid plan
- No collaborative features for shared journaling
- Custom books feature locked behind paid Supporter plan
Frequently asked questions about Jørnal
What is Jørnal?
Jørnal is a quiet place to write a single entry each time you arrive. It gives you a blank canvas every time you open it, auto-saves as you write, and locks the entry when you press Ctrl+Enter. Yesterday's entry is frozen and cannot be rewritten, while today's page is always open and blank.
How does the entry locking work?
When you finish writing, press Ctrl+Enter and the entry locks permanently. The page closes, and the entry appears on the page above as a frozen record. It cannot be rewritten or edited after locking, preserving the authenticity of what you wrote that day.
What is the free tier included?
The free tier includes the ability to write entries, auto-save as you type, lock entries with Ctrl+Enter, and download a full archive of all your entries as Markdown files bundled in a ZIP file named by date. This archive download is always free with no expiration.
What does the Supporter paid plan include?
The Supporter plan ($4/month or $40/year) includes: incremental download for synced copies without re-fetching everything, email backup digests on weekly or monthly cadence, 'Recall' semantic search that matches entries by meaning rather than literal words, and custom books for organizing different threads of writing.
What is 'Recall' semantic search?
'Recall' is a search feature that matches entries by meaning rather than literal words. You type a question in your own language like 'the time I felt lost in Madrid' or 'the week I started running', and it returns entries whose contents fit the idea even if you never used those exact words. Each entry gets a mathematical fingerprint on the servers, and your search question gets a fingerprint too for matching closest meanings.
Is my journal private and secure?
Yes, your words are yours and never leave the servers. Fingerprints are scoped to your account only, never shared, never used to train anything, and never sent to third parties. The site does not use any AI providers. The journal is not public and not collaborative by design.
Can I export my journal entries?
Yes, you can download your entries in three ways: (1) Full archive - every entry as a Markdown file bundled into one ZIP named by date, available free from Settings; (2) Incremental download - only entries written since last download, part of paid plan; (3) Email backup - digest of recent entries delivered weekly or monthly, part of paid plan.
What is Jørnal NOT?
Jørnal is not a notebook with folders, not a markdown editor, not public, not collaborative. It has no streaks, no AI nudges, and no reminders unless you ask for them. It is intentionally simple: one page, one entry, every time you visit.
What are custom books?
Custom books are a feature in the paid Supporter plan that lets you organize different threads of writing into separate books. This helps categorize your journal entries by topic or theme without using folders in the traditional sense.
Can I cancel my Supporter subscription?
Yes, you can cancel the Supporter plan any time. When you cancel, you will never lose what you've written. The app itself stays free, and you retain access to all your entries even after cancellation.