RedNotebook
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RedNotebook is a graphical diary and journal helping you keep track of notes and thoughts. It includes a calendar navigation, customizable templates, export functionality and word clouds. You can also format, tag and search your entries.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- PortableApps.com
- Xfce
Features
RedNotebook News & Activities
Highlights • All activities
Recent News
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Share a News TipRecent activities
flounderingeel added RedNotebook as alternative to TriliumNext
jdakfkj333 added RedNotebook as alternative to Print(Notes)
RemovedUser added RedNotebook as alternative to Capsule days
POX added RedNotebook as alternative to ThinkPost- MarMi added Portable as a feature to RedNotebook
- MacDefender updated RedNotebook
RedNotebook information
Developed by
digitaldump Licensing
Open Source (GPL-2.0) and Free product.Written in
Rating
Average rating of 3Alternatives
174 alternatives listedSupported Languages
AlternativeTo Category
Office & ProductivityGitHub repository
- 517 Stars
- 113 Forks
- 63 Open Issues
- Updated Apr 28, 2025
Comments and Reviews
RedNotebook is a daily diary, or journal. It's not meant to be the end-all, be-all of personal organisation. But what it does, it does remarkably well.
For someone with a very poor memory like myself, remembering not just when I did something, but what I did, is very difficult. With RedNotebook all I have to do is type what I'm looking for in the search field and I can refresh my memory, in the context of a day's events, very quickly.
I have found the program to be stable and efficient; the lack of encryption really isn't an issue: if you store your journal on your own hard drive, someone would have to physically access your computer to see what's inside, and your journal is really the least of your worries if that happens.
if you store your journal on your own hard drive, someone would have to physically access your computer to see what's inside,
Not strictly true. If you're online, your computer could - in principle - be hacked. You're unlikely as an average user to worry about that because hackers have higher profile (potentially more profitable) targets. But notice that they don't have physical access to those, either.
and your journal is really the least of your worries if that happens.
Depends on what you've put in your journal / what else you've been doing on your computer.
The most recent release (2.3) on Windows is completely broken. It's missing several of the main selling points, including wordcloud, previews, and the tagging sidebar (among other things). It has something to do with "WebkitGTK", which isn't running on Windows, apparently. I think this is reason enough to remove Red Notebook as a Windows app. If you are on Windows and are looking for a calendar themed notebook, steer clear of this until it is fixed.
Even if it is fixed, there is still one major flaw in this app which puts me off. There is no way to easily navigate or get an overview on a large number of entries. If I were to use Red Notebook over a long period, making hundreds or even thousands of entries, there's no easy way to even know how many entries I have created! An app such as this requires some kind of list view at a bare minimum. Some timeline visualizations would b a useful feature too.
One final criticism. It is objectively hideous to look at, and I wouldn't want to spend a significant chunk of my life staring at it while I write.
I like the concept, but it is rather Plain-Jane with little text flexibility in text color etc. Image insertion, aside from being labored, seems broken. And despite the commenting, still no encryption.
Does what it is supposed to do.
I had a PC and RedNotebook was the perfect diary for me. Now that I have a Mac, it's even impossible to install it. I tried almost every tutorial, but can't succeed. Yet, I'm still looking for another open-source Mac diary... Any idea ? Thanks
For Mac try OPUS DOMINI similar to Franklin and Covey type organizer.
My experiences with trying to get Red Note Book working on Mac have been negative. But on Manjaro it's buttery-smooth. It's a Linux-only thing, then. And the idea is this: you have a calendar, and each entry you make into RNB refers to a specific day. You can write, format your text, add links, etc. It links to rather than embeds files and pictures, although it does show you pictures you've linked to. pdf files are shown just as links (no preview). Additionally, there's a decent search function and you can add tags to entries, if you're that way inclined.
RNB saves things locally, which is a major privacy plus. It means you're in control of your files and can sync them however you want. If, indeed, you want.
I would imagine journal/diary-keepers might be more interested in this than those seeking an out-an-out Evernote replacement, which is where the challenge lies for Linux users.
I love this app. Its perfect for tracking what I do at work but I would love it even more if I could get it via Andoird app and sync the notes via dropbox..
Any suggestions?