Is jrnl Free and Open Source, and How Do You Get It?

Updated

Yes. jrnl is free and open source, and the official site describes it as "made by a bunch of really friendly and remarkably amazing people." You get it by following the Get Started link in the documentation on jrnl.sh, and the source code is hosted on GitHub, where you can inspect it or contribute. The same site also states the core design promises: a natural-language interface, plain-text journal files, AES encryption, and syncing through tools like Dropbox.

What "free and open source" means here

The jrnl homepage lists Free & Open Source as one of its main features. Two practical consequences follow from that:

  • No license fee is described on the site. The page presents jrnl as free software rather than a paid product, and no pricing, subscription, or payment platform is mentioned in the available site material.
  • The code is publicly available. The site links to GitHub ("Fork on GitHub"), so you can read the source, file issues, or contribute changes. The project is presented as community-built, with the site inviting readers to become contributors ("Maybe even you?").

If you need a formal license name or commercial-use terms, check the repository itself — the homepage excerpt does not state a specific license.

How to get started with jrnl

The site's own path to installation is the Get Started link in the documentation. The general flow for a command-line tool like this is:

  1. Open jrnl.sh and follow Documentation → Get Started.
  2. Install jrnl using the method given there for your platform.
  3. Run jrnl and write an entry in natural language — the site emphasizes you don't have to memorize cryptic shortcuts.
  4. Confirm where your entries are stored, since jrnl keeps journals as plain-text files.

Expected result: you have a working jrnl command and at least one journal file you can open in any text editor.

Common snag: installation commands differ by operating system and package manager. Use the exact command from the Get Started page rather than a generic one, and verify the install by running the command with no arguments before writing a real entry.

What you get once it's installed

Feature (from jrnl.sh) What it means for you
Natural-language interface Write entries the way you'd phrase them; no shortcut memorization
Plain-text storage Journals stay readable in ordinary text files for decades
AES encryption You can encrypt journals with industry-strength AES
Sync via other tools Point Dropbox (or similar) at your journal files to use them across devices
Multiple journals Keep separate journals for work and personal life

The encryption point comes with a warning worth repeating: the site notes that if you lose your password, nobody can read the journal — "not even you."

Who maintains it, and how to contribute

jrnl is maintained by its community of contributors rather than a single vendor, based on the site's description and its GitHub link. If you want to get involved, the two entry points the homepage offers are Fork on GitHub and the documentation. Forking lets you propose changes; the docs are where behavior and configuration are explained.

Quick answers

  • Is jrnl free? Yes — the site lists it as Free & Open Source, with no pricing mentioned.
  • Is it open source? Yes — source is on GitHub and can be forked.
  • How do I get it? Through the Get Started guide in the documentation at jrnl.sh.
  • Who makes it? A community of contributors, described on the site as friendly and amazing people.
  • Where are my notes kept? In plain-text files, optionally AES-encrypted and syncable via tools like Dropbox.