# GitNotēs > GitNotēs is a mobile notes, todos, and infinite canvas app that uses your Git repositories as durable, versioned storage. A privacy-first, developer-focused alternative to Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Evernote, Apple Notes, Standard Notes, Logseq, and Joplin — with native Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode support. Built by Vidwa De Seram in collaboration with Xaventra. - Site: https://gitnotes.org - Author: Vidwa De Seram (https://vidwadeseram.com) - Publisher: Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka (https://xaventra.com) - Platforms: iOS, Android (live) - Storage: User's own Git repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo) - Editors: Markdown, Neorg, Org-mode ## Privacy and data - **Notes**: stored in the user's own Git repository and in a local on-device cache. App telemetry does not intentionally attach note data, though automatically captured error messages and stacks may contain sensitive values if app code embeds them. - **Diagnostics (Expo EAS Observe, optional)**: startup performance, device and network state at startup, startup network activity counts, update and navigation timings, iOS memory warnings, and JavaScript errors and native crashes including the error message and stack trace. - **Automatic error capture**: the diagnostics SDK installs a global error handler when it loads, so unhandled JavaScript errors are captured without the app choosing to report them. An error message or stack trace can therefore contain sensitive values if app code embeds them. - **Installation identifier**: EAS Observe uses a pseudonymous installation identifier, generated on first install and reset on reinstall. Its legal classification must be reviewed by the operator; it is never published. - **Diagnostics retention**: EAS Observe deletes collected data after 90 days. Deletion runs in monthly batches, so a record can remain for up to 120 days. - **Usage counters (optional)**: sent to the GitNotēs statistics endpoint. Exactly two event categories, `app_open` and `git_host_action` with one host from a fixed set (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, other). Worker events have no note-content, repository-name/URL, account-identifier, token, hostname, or free-form fields; EAS automatic error capture can include sensitive values embedded in error messages or stacks. - **Counter storage and retention**: daily aggregate counters bucketed in UTC, retained for 13 months. No event log and no per-user record. - **Counter trust**: client-reported and unverified. A repeated valid report is counted again, so the published numbers count reported events, not people and not unique users. Cells with fewer than 20 events are withheld, and related totals are withheld so hidden values cannot be reconstructed. - **Opt-out**: if off before import, the diagnostics SDK is not imported. After import, it cannot be unloaded; dispatch is disabled and Worker requests stop, though local automatic error capture may continue until process exit. Previously collected counters are not erased. - **Processors and edge traffic**: Expo processes diagnostics and Cloudflare hosts the Worker counters. Before production intake, an operator must configure and verify the Cloudflare WAF rate-limit rule. Cloudflare may process source IP for edge throttling; Worker application code does not read or persist it. --- ## Page: / (Home) ### GitNotēs — GitHub-Backed Notes, Todos & Canvas for Developers GitNotēs is a mobile notes, todos, and infinite canvas app powered by your Git repositories via GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo. Sign in with GitHub PAT, OAuth, or App. Offline-first with AI assistance in Pro. A live Git diff cycling through three commits, starting with : . notes: move notes beta to December - Ship notes beta in October - Ship notes beta in December - Ship sync conflict UI - Publish v1.4 changelog - Profile canvas render loop - Ship canvas perf fix - Ship notes beta - Review PR #412 - Fix: keychain sync drops keychain on iOS 18 - Fix: offline push queue stalls after sleep - Write release notes GitNotēs home screen on iPhone with quick actions for a new note, journal, templates and canvases, and a list of recent notes GitNotēs notes list on iPhone with colored cards, tags and a search bar GitNotēs Markdown editor on iPhone rendering a note with headings, lists, links and a diff block GitNotēs todos on iPhone with priority labels, due dates and completed items GitNotēs infinite canvas on iPhone with a drawing toolbar and a sync flowchart GitNotēs Git sync screen on iPhone showing the commit history with a Push button GitNotēs AI assistant chat on iPhone summarising a weekly review and creating todos GitNotēs settings on iPhone with themes, accent color and app icon GitNotēs notes list on iPad as a grid of colored note cards with tags and repository names GitNotēs Markdown editor on iPad showing a note with headings, lists, links and a diff code block GitNotēs canvas on iPad with a flowchart diagram of how notes sync GitNotēs Git screen on iPad showing the commit history of a notes repository GitNotēs AI chat on iPad summarising a weekly review and adding the open items to todos GitNotēs settings on iPad with themes, accent color, app icon and connected Git accounts A note-taking app that is just Git iOS · Android · Open source GitNotēs: Your notes, versioned with Git. GitNotēs is a Git-backed notes app for iOS and Android. Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode notes, todos, and an infinite canvas — all stored as plain files in your own GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo repo. Nothing to export. Nothing to lose. Read the source Every edit is a commit. Every commit is a file in a repo you already own. On iPad Same repo, bigger canvas Markdown, Neorg & Org-mode Write in Markdown, Neorg, or Org-mode with live preview, syntax highlighting, and a rich editor toolbar. .md · .norg · .org Checkboxes, due dates, reminders — all synced to your repos. Freeform drawings with pinch-zoom and pan. JSON-backed scenes. Chat with your notes using AI. Create, edit, and search notes with natural language. Supports Apple Foundation Models, Llama, and OpenAI. Notes are files in your repo. Pull, push, and merge with conflict resolution. Works offline. pull · push · merge When edits collide, keep ours, theirs, both, or open a full editor. You stay in control of every merge. ours · theirs · both Browse your entire repository tree. Rename, move, and delete files with recursive operations. Connect with GitHub using a personal access token, OAuth, or GitHub App. PAT · OAuth · App Any Git Host GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and Forgejo — including self-hosted instances. Advanced AI models, unlimited repos, and multi-host sync across all your Git providers. Four ways to resolve a conflict After resolving, your changes are staged, committed, and pushed — then your remote is in sync again. Read the full guide → Sync detects a change When you push, GitNotēs checks whether the remote has changed since your last sync. If it has, GitNotēs attempts to integrate your local changes with the remote state. A conflict is found If the same line in a note was edited both locally and remotely, Git cannot merge them automatically. GitNotēs surfaces the conflict and shows you exactly which note has the problem — it does not silently merge or discard either version. Keep your local version and discard the remote change. Your version wins Discard your local version and keep the remote change. Remote version wins Keep both versions together so you can review the combined content yourself. Both kept together Open the note and edit it yourself. Resolve every conflict by hand. PAT, OAuth, or GitHub App Start with a 14-day free trial on monthly. No credit card required. Pay once, own it forever Everything in Yearly Lifetime access — no recurring billing Early access to new features Support the development Get lifetime access Best value for committed users Full access to all features Save vs monthly billing Get yearly plan Perfect for trying out GitNotēs Start free trial Your notes belong in your repo. Download GitNotēs for iOS or Android, connect a repository, and every edit becomes a commit you own. --- ## Page: /blog ### Blog | GitNotēs Articles about Git-backed notes, PKM, privacy-first note-taking, and how GitNotēs compares to other apps like Notion, Obsidian, and GitJournal. Home Blog Journal Articles on Git-backed notes, PKM, and getting the most out of GitNotēs. RSS feed --- ## Page: /blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps ### Best Git-Based Note-Taking Apps (2026): Own Your Notes Forever A roundup of the best Git-backed note-taking apps. From GitJournal to GitNotēs, see how each app compares on AI, sync, mobile UX, and data ownership. Git-backed note apps store your notes as plain text files you control. No vendor lock-in, full version history, and portable across tools. Here's how the top options compare. What Is a Git-Backed Note App? A Git-backed note app stores your notes as plain text files (Markdown, Neorg, or Org-mode) inside a Git repository you control. Instead of saving to a proprietary cloud database, every change becomes a Git commit. Your notes sync to GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, or any self-hosted Git server. This differs from regular note apps in meaningful ways: - Ownership: Your notes are files you can open with any text editor, with or without the original app. - Version control: Every edit is tracked. You can see exactly what changed, when, and revert if needed. - Portability: Exporting your notes means cloning a folder. No proprietary format, no data loss. - Provider independence: Choose any Git host. Switch hosts anytime by changing a remote URL. Learn more about why Git is ideal for notes → (/blog/why-notes-in-github) How to Choose a Git-Backed Note App Not all Git-backed note apps are equal. Here are the criteria that matter most: - Mobile experience: Most Git workflows assume a desktop. If you capture notes on mobile, the app's mobile UX is critical. - Sync simplicity: SSH keys and command-line Git are powerful but intimidating. OAuth-based connections lower the barrier. - Feature set: Do you need AI assistance? A canvas for drawing? Smart todos with due dates? These differ dramatically between apps. - Open source: Fully open source apps let you audit the code, self-host the app, and contribute fixes. Partially open source apps offer transparency without full freedom. - Active development: Note-taking is a daily habit. An app that receives regular updates is more likely to fix bugs and add useful features. Why Git-Backed Notes? GitNotēs (/) stores notes as plain text files in your Git repository, giving you true data ownership without sacrificing a modern mobile experience. Most note apps store your data on their servers. If the company shuts down, changes pricing, or gets acquired, your notes are at risk. Git-backed apps solve this by storing notes as Markdown (or other plain text) files in a Git repository you own. Benefits of Git-backed notes: - True ownership — your notes are files you can open anywhere - Version history — Git gives you full commit history for free - Portability — move to Obsidian, VS Code, or any editor anytime - Privacy — host your repo on GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, or self-hosted - Collaboration — leverage Git's branching and pull requests The Apps at a Glance | App | Platforms | Pricing | Open Source | Limitations | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | GitNotēs | iOS & Android | $1.99/mo · $9.99/yr · $16.99 lifetime | Partial (MPL-2.0 parts) | Not fully open source; newer app with smaller community | | GitJournal | iOS & Android | Free · $3.99/mo | Yes (AGPL + Apache 2.0) | Development slowed since 2022; no AI or canvas; text-only | | Zettelkasten Git | Desktop only (various) | Free (self-hosted) | Varies by app | Desktop-only; requires manual Git workflow; no mobile app | | Notational | iOS & macOS | $14.99 (one-time) | No | Apple-only; no Git sync built-in; no Android or Windows | GitNotēs — Best Overall GitNotēs (https://gitnotes.org) is the most feature-rich Git-backed note app in 2026. Built mobile-first with a modern design, it includes: - AI Assistant powered by Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI - Infinite Canvas for freeform drawing and brainstorming - Smart Todos with due dates, reminders, and project lists - Neorg & Org-mode native support for Emacs/Neovim users - Multi-provider Git sync — GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and Forgejo with conflict detection GitNotēs is actively developed with regular updates. Pricing is $1.99/month, $9.99/year, or $16.99 lifetime with a 14-day free trial. The free tier includes core note-taking and Git sync. GitJournal — Best Open Source GitJournal is the original Git-backed mobile notes app, launched in 2019. It's fully open source (AGPL + Apache 2.0) and stores notes as Markdown with YAML frontmatter. Sync via SSH to any Git host. GitJournal is simple and focused — no AI, no canvas, no frills. If you want a pure, open source Markdown editor that syncs to Git, it's a solid choice. Note that GitJournal has a different release cadence compared to newer apps. What About the Others? Obsidian + Git Plugin Obsidian isn't a Git-native app, but with the Obsidian Git community plugin, you can achieve similar results. Obsidian is powerful with a vast plugin ecosystem, but requires more setup and the mobile apps feel squeezed onto phones compared to a native mobile-first app. Logseq + Git Sync Logseq is an outliner-first PKM with Git sync via its desktop app. It's free and open source. But like Obsidian, mobile Git sync requires third-party workarounds, and the mobile experience isn't as polished as GitNotēs. The Verdict For most people in 2026, GitNotēs is the best Git-backed note app. It combines the data ownership of Git storage with modern mobile-first features that the competition lacks: AI, canvas, and smart todos. If open source purity is your non-negotiable, GitJournal is the choice — but be aware it's less actively developed. For desktop-centric power users, Obsidian with the Git plugin is a capable alternative. Ready to switch? See how GitNotēs compares to GitJournal (/compare/gitjournal) or read our full developer note app comparison (/blog/best-note-taking-apps-for-developers). > Want to compare more apps? See how GitNotēs stacks up against Notion, Obsidian, Apple Notes, Google Keep, Bear, and Logseq in our developer notes comparison → (/blog/best-note-taking-apps-for-developers) or see the full comparison → (/compare/gitjournal) --- ## Page: /blog/best-markdown-note-apps ### Best Markdown Note Apps (2026): Plain Text That Goes Anywhere Markdown note apps keep your data portable and future-proof. Compare the best Markdown editors for iOS, Android, and desktop — including GitNotēs, Obsidian, Bear, and more. Markdown is the developer's lingua franca for notes. Your Markdown files should be readable in 50 years by any text editor. Here are the best apps that keep your notes portable and future-proof. What Is Markdown and Why Does It Matter for Notes? Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It uses simple punctuation marks — asterisks for bold, hashes for headings, backticks for code — to add formatting to plain text. A Markdown file opened in 1990's vim looks identical to one opened in 2050's VS Code. This permanence matters for notes. Proprietary note apps store your data in databases on their servers. If the company changes terms, gets acquired, or becomes unavailable, exporting your notes may be difficult. Markdown files avoid this: they are human-readable plain text that any editor can open forever. Why developers prefer Markdown notes: - Git compatibility: Markdown files work perfectly with Git. Every edit is a commit, every change is diffable, every version is recoverable. - Editor flexibility: Write in Obsidian, edit in vim, review in VS Code. Your notes are not tied to any app. - Static site generation: Many developers use Markdown for documentation, blogs, and wikis. The same notes that live in your PKM can become a website. - No vendor lock-in: Export your Markdown folder and import it anywhere. Your notes survive any app shutdown. - Clean diffs: Git diffs show exactly what changed in a Markdown file. This is useful for collaborative writing and version tracking. How to Choose a Markdown Note App Not all Markdown apps are equal. Consider these factors: - Mobile experience: Many Markdown editors are desktop-focused. If you capture notes on mobile, prioritize apps with good mobile UX. - Git sync: Some apps sync to Git natively (like GitNotēs). Others store locally and require manual sync. Native Git sync reduces friction. - Editor features: Live preview, syntax highlighting, Vim mode, and plugin ecosystems vary widely. - AI integration: Modern Markdown apps increasingly include AI assistance. This is useful for searching notes, generating content, and debugging code snippets. - Additional formats: Some apps support Neorg (a Markdown superset) or Org-mode. These add structured data capabilities while remaining plain text. See how Git-backed Markdown apps compare → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) Why Markdown Notes Matter Markdown is plain text with lightweight syntax for formatting. A Markdown file opened in 1990's vim looks identical to one opened in 2050's VS Code. No proprietary format, no database, no app dependency. For developers, this means: - Your notes survive any app shutdown or subscription cancellation - You can edit notes in vim, VS Code, or any editor - Git diffs work naturally — see exactly what changed between versions - Static site generators (Astro, Next.js, Hugo) consume Markdown natively - No lock-in — export once and move on The Apps at a Glance GitNotēs (/) is a mobile-first Markdown app with native Git sync — see how it compares below. | App | Platforms | Markdown | Git Sync | AI | Pricing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | GitNotēs | iOS & Android | Full + Neorg + Org-mode | Native | Built-in | $1.99/mo | | Obsidian | All | Full + plugins | Community plugin | Local/cloud plugins | Free (sync paid) | | Bear | iOS & macOS | Full | iCloud (paid) | ✗ | $14.99/yr | | Typora | Win/Mac/Linux | Full + LaTeX | ✗ | ✗ | $14.99 (one-time) | | IA Writer | All | Full + focus modes | ✗ | ✗ | $9.99/mo or $49.99/lifetime | | Zettlr | Win/Mac/Linux | Full + academic | ✗ | ✗ | Free (donate) | | Logseq | All | Full + Org-mode | Desktop | ✗ | Free | GitNotēs — Best Mobile Markdown with Git Sync GitNotēs (https://gitnotes.org) is the most capable mobile Markdown editor with native GitHub sync. It supports standard Markdown plus: - Neorg — a modern Markdown superset with metadata, TODO items, and more - Org-mode — beloved by Emacs users for structured outlining - AI Assistant — chat with your notes using Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI - Infinite Canvas — draw diagrams and brainstorm visually GitNotēs syncs to GitHub automatically with conflict detection — no plugins, no SSH keys, no terminal commands. Your Markdown files are in your repo, readable by Obsidian, VS Code, or any tool. Best for: Developers who want Git sync without leaving mobile. Obsidian — Most Powerful Desktop Markdown Obsidian is the most powerful Markdown editor when you're at a desk. Its plugin ecosystem is vast: TikZ for LaTeX diagrams, Kanban boards, calendar views, and the Obsidian Git plugin for version control. Obsidian vaults are folders of Markdown files. You own them. The app just provides a UI. With the Git plugin, you get automatic commits and syncing — but only on desktop. Mobile Git sync is clunky. Best for: Desktop power users who want the deepest Markdown customization. Bear — Most Beautiful Writing Experience Bear is a gorgeous Markdown notes app for iOS and macOS. The writing experience is the best in class — elegant typography, beautiful themes, and seamless Markdown preview. Tags and cross-note linking keep things organized. The catch: Bear stores notes in its own format on iCloud, not as plain Markdown files on your disk. You can export to Markdown, but the day-to-day experience isn't Git-friendly. Bear Pro ($14.99/year) is required for sync across devices. Best for: Writers who prioritize beauty over data ownership. Typora — Clean Distraction-Free Markdown Typora is a clean, distraction-free Markdown editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It renders Markdown live as you type (WYSIWYG-ish) with a minimal UI that disappears as you write. Typora is a one-time purchase ($14.99) with no subscription. No cloud sync, no Git integration — it's a local editor. You manage your files however you want (iCloud, Dropbox, Git). Best for: Writers who want a beautiful local editor without cloud dependencies. IA Writer — Focused Writing IA Writer takes a radical approach: minimalism. No plugins, no graph views, no databases. Just Markdown, with focus modes that dim everything but the current sentence or paragraph. It's available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and the web (with a subscription). Files sync via iCloud, Dropbox, or WebDAV — no Git natively. Best for: Writers who want maximum focus and minimum distraction. Zettlr — Academic Markdown Zettlr is a free, open-source Markdown editor designed for academics and researchers. It supports Zettelkasten-style notes, academic citation managers (BibTeX), and exports to PDF via LaTeX. Like Typora and IA Writer, Zettlr doesn't have built-in cloud or Git sync — you manage your file storage. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Best for: Academics and researchers who need citation support. Logseq — Outliner Markdown Logseq combines Markdown editing with outliner functionality. Every line is a block that can be referenced, linked, and moved. It's built for the Zettelkasten method and knowledge graph thinking. Logseq is free and open source. Git sync works on the desktop app. Mobile apps exist but the Git experience isn't as polished as GitNotēs. Best for: Outliner-style thinkers who want a free, open-source tool. The Verdict Best mobile Markdown + Git experience: GitNotēs (https://gitnotes.org). Native GitHub OAuth sync, AI, canvas, and Neorg/Org-mode support make it the most complete package for mobile developers. Best desktop Markdown power tool: Obsidian. The plugin ecosystem is unmatched. Pair it with the Git plugin and you have the most powerful local-first Markdown PKM available. Best Markdown writing app: IA Writer or Bear for their distraction-free experiences — just know you're not getting Git sync out of the box. Read our full Git-based notes roundup → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) or see how GitNotēs compares to GitJournal and other apps (/compare/gitjournal). --- ## Page: /blog/best-note-taking-apps-for-developers ### Best Note-Taking Apps for Developers (2026): Apple Notes, Google Keep, Bear, and More Developers need more than a notepad. We compare Apple Notes, Google Keep, Bear, Notion, Obsidian, Logseq, and Git-backed apps to find the perfect developer note tool. Apple Notes, Google Keep, Bear, Notion, Obsidian, Logseq — every developer needs a note app. But which one actually fits a developer's workflow? We break it all down. What Makes a Note App Good for Developers? Developers have unique needs from note-taking apps. Code snippets need syntax highlighting. Notes need to survive app shutdowns. Git integration means notes survive company changes. Here is what matters most when choosing a note app as a developer: - Markdown support: Code blocks, inline code, and formatted text should render correctly. Plain text notes that Git can diff are ideal. - Git compatibility: Notes stored in Git (or synced via Git) give you version history, branching, and portability. You are not locked into a single app. - Cross-platform availability: You might code on desktop, take notes on mobile, and review on a tablet. The app should work everywhere. - Offline access: Developers often work on planes, in coffee shops with spotty WiFi, or in remote locations. Notes should be available offline. - AI assistance: Modern developers benefit from AI that can answer questions about your notes, generate documentation, or help debug code. - Org-mode or Neorg support: Emacs users and PKM enthusiasts often prefer structured outlining formats that Git handles well. See how Git-backed apps compare for developers → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) The Developer's Note Problem Most people start with Apple Notes or Google Keep. They're free, pre-installed, and work out of the box. But for developers, these apps fall apart fast: - No Markdown support — code snippets lose formatting - No version control — you can't track changes or revert - No plain text export — your notes are stored in a proprietary format - No Git integration — no branching, no commits, no diffs - No offline guarantee — you're one server outage away from inaccessibility GitNotēs (/) combines Git-native storage with a modern mobile experience — learn how it compares below. Developers who discover Markdown and Git quickly outgrow basic note apps. Here's how the major options stack up. The Apps Compared | App | Strengths | Key Weakness | | --- | --- | --- | | Apple Notes | Integrated Apple ecosystem, free, iCloud sync | No Markdown, vendor lock-in, limited export | | Google Keep | Free, cross-platform, simple checklists | No Markdown, Google vendor lock-in, no structure | | Bear | Beautiful Markdown on iOS/macOS | Apple-only, no Git sync, subscription required for sync | | Notion | All-in-one workspace, databases, team collaboration | Heavy, expensive AI add-on, not offline-first, vendor lock-in | | Obsidian | Desktop-first PKM, vast plugin ecosystem, local vault | Mobile apps feel squeezed, Git sync via plugins only | | Logseq | Outliner-style, Zettelkasten method, free and open source | Git sync desktop-only, less polished mobile | | GitNotēs | Mobile-first Git-native, AI assistant, infinite canvas | Newer app, partial open source | Apple Notes — Convenient but Locked In Apple Notes is deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. iCloud sync works seamlessly, the app is free, and it handles text, images, scans, and checklists natively. If you live fully in Apple's world, it's hard to beat for casual use. But for developers: - No Markdown support — code blocks render as plain text - Proprietary format — you can't easily export to plain text - No version control — no Git, no history beyond Apple's internal versioning - Windows/Android users are left out Verdict: Fine for non-technical notes, unusable for developer workflows. Google Keep — Simple but Too Simple Google Keep is free, cross-platform via browser, and great for quick reminders and checklists. It integrates with Google Workspace. But it's fundamentally a notepad with labels — no structure, no Markdown, no code support. You can export Keep notes to Markdown via third-party tools, but it's a workaround, not a feature. Google's also shuttered products before (Reader, Inbox, Wave) — vendor lock-in is real. Verdict: Good for grocery lists, bad for developer knowledge management. Bear — Beautiful but Apple-Only Bear is a beautiful Markdown notes app for iOS and macOS. It supports Markdown, has a lovely UI, and includes tags, linking, and export options. Developer concerns: - Apple only — no Android or Windows - Sync requires a Bear Pro subscription ($2.99/month or $14.99/year) - No Git integration — notes are stored in Bear's proprietary format on iCloud - No AI, no canvas, no todos beyond basic checkboxes Verdict: Best Markdown writing experience on Apple devices, but it's not a developer tool. Notion — Powerful but Bloated Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines notes, databases, wikis, and project management. It's popular with teams and has a generous free tier. For developers: - Block-based editor is powerful but heavy for quick notes - AI features require a paid upgrade beyond the free tier - Not offline-first — the app degrades without internet - Your data lives on Notion's servers — you don't own it - Export fidelity for Markdown is imperfect Notion is excellent for team wikis and project management. For personal developer notes, it's often more than you need. Verdict: Great for teams, overkill for personal developer notes. Obsidian — Powerful Desktop-First PKM Obsidian is a Markdown editor with a powerful plugin ecosystem. Your notes are plain text files stored locally. It's free for personal use, with paid Sync ($8/month) and Publish ($16/month) options. For developers: - Full Markdown support with live preview - Local-first — your vault is yours - Vast plugin ecosystem (Git sync via community plugin, Local REST API, Tasks, etc.) - Vim mode, graph views, daily notes — all available - Mobile apps exist but feel squeezed — not native-first The catch: Obsidian is desktop-centric. Getting Git sync working on mobile requires community plugins and manual setup. It's not a seamless experience. Verdict: Best desktop PKM for power users, mediocre mobile experience. Logseq — Outliner-First Open Source Logseq is a free, open-source outliner-based PKM. It's built around the Zettelkasten method with bullet points, blocks, and linking. Notes are Markdown or Org-mode files stored locally. For developers: - Git sync available via desktop (mobile requires workarounds) - Org-mode support is a plus for Emacs users - Open source and free - Mobile apps are functional but less polished than GitNotēs Verdict: Excellent for outliner-style thinkers, Git sync on mobile is an afterthought. GitNotēs — Built for Developers Who Want Mobile GitNotēs (https://gitnotes.org) is built from the ground up for developers who want Git-native notes on mobile: - Automatic GitHub sync — no plugins, no setup, just OAuth - AI Assistant — Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI - Infinite Canvas — freeform drawing on mobile - Smart Todos — due dates, reminders, project lists as Markdown tasks - Neorg & Org-mode — native support for Emacs/Neovim users - Offline-first — works without internet, syncs when connected GitNotēs bridges the gap between the desktop PKM tools (Obsidian, Logseq) and the convenience of mobile-first apps (Apple Notes, Bear). You get Git ownership without sacrificing a modern mobile UX. Verdict: Best note app for developers who want Git ownership with a native mobile experience. The Comparison Table | Feature | GitNotēs | Apple Notes | Google Keep | Bear | Notion | Obsidian | Logseq | | --- | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | Markdown | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | Block | ✓ | ✓ | | Git Sync | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Plugin | Desktop | | Offline-First | ✓ | Partial | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | | AI Assistant | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Paid | Plugin | ✗ | | Mobile-First | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | | Open Source | Partial | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | | iOS & Android | ✓ | ✓ | Browser | iOS only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | The Verdict For developers who want Git ownership and a great mobile experience, GitNotēs is a leading choice. It combines Git-native storage, AI, canvas, and a polished mobile UI in one app. For desktop-centric power users, Obsidian with the Git plugin is still the most powerful option — just expect a compromised mobile experience. For Apple-only users who want beauty over function, Bear is a lovely Markdown writer. Just know you're locked into Apple and iCloud. See how GitNotēs compares specifically to other Git-backed apps in our Git-based notes roundup (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) or jump straight to the full comparison page (/compare/gitjournal). --- ## Page: /blog/best-self-owned-knowledge-management-apps ### Best Self-Owned Knowledge Management Apps (2026): No Vendor Lock-In Your PKM system shouldn't be held hostage by a subscription. Compare the best self-owned knowledge management apps: Logseq, Obsidian, GitNotēs, Apple Notes, and more. Your PKM is only as reliable as the company behind it. Cloud-first note apps can change terms, raise prices, or restrict access. Self-owned PKM apps store your notes in open formats you control, reducing dependency on any single vendor. What Is Self-Owned PKM and Why Does It Matter? Self-owned Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) means your notes live in formats you control — not in a vendor's proprietary database. When you use a self-owned PKM app, your notes are plain text files (Markdown, Org-mode, or similar) stored on your device, in a Git repository you own, or in a folder you can access without the original app. This is fundamentally different from cloud-first apps like Notion, Roam Research, or Evernote, where your notes live on the company's servers in formats only they can fully read. The Evernote example: Evernote changed its free tier in 2022, limiting free access and creating friction for users who had built large note collections. Exporting from Evernote uses ENEX format, which may not perfectly preserve organization. This illustrates how cloud-first apps can change terms, raise prices, or constrain access. The Notion example: Notion has shifted its pricing and tier structure multiple times. If the company changes direction or if the service becomes unavailable, exporting a large Notion workspace to Markdown can be imperfect — databases, embeds, and blocks do not always translate cleanly. Self-owned PKM apps do not eliminate all risk, but they shift the balance. Your notes are files you can clone, back up, and open in any editor. The app is the interface, not the storage. What Makes a PKM App Self-Owned? Not all "local-first" or "privacy-focused" apps are truly self-owned. Here is what to look for: - Plain text files: Notes stored as Markdown, Org-mode, or other plain text formats. These work with any editor, with or without the original app. - You control the sync: Sync via Git (your repo, your host), iCloud, Dropbox, or another service you choose — not a proprietary cloud the app controls. - No required server component: The app may have a server for sync, but it should be optional or self-hostable. Your notes should work fully offline. - Full export capability: You can export all notes in open formats at any time, without paying a fee or jumping through hoops. How to Choose a Self-Owned PKM App If you have decided to prioritize self-ownership, here are the key questions: - Do you need mobile access? Some self-owned PKM apps are desktop-only or have weak mobile experiences. If you capture notes on mobile, prioritize apps like GitNotēs with strong mobile UX. - Do you want Git sync? Git-based storage offers version history, branching, and provider independence. Apps like GitNotēs make this seamless; others require manual Git workflow. - Do you need AI assistance? AI features increasingly require cloud processing. Some apps (like GitNotēs) offer on-device AI via Apple Foundation Models for privacy; others send data to OpenAI or similar. - Do you use Emacs or Neovim? Org-mode support matters for Emacs users. Neorg is a modern alternative gaining traction. - Are you comfortable with some complexity? True self-ownership sometimes means more setup. Git sync, self-hosting, and manual backups all require some learning. See how Git-backed apps fit into the self-owned PKM landscape → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) What Is Self-Owned PKM? A self-owned Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) app stores your notes in a format you control — plain text files on your device or in a Git repository you own. The app provides the interface, but your data is: - Exportable to open formats (Markdown, plain text) - Accessible without the original app - Synced via services you control (Git, iCloud, Dropbox) - Survivable if the company shuts down or changes pricing Contrast this with "cloud-first" apps like Notion, Roam, and Evernote, where your data lives on their servers in proprietary formats. The Apps Compared GitNotēs (/) stores notes as plain text files in your Git repository — a self-owned approach for mobile-first users. | App | Data Ownership | Export Formats | Portability | Main Weakness | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | GitNotēs | GitHub files | Markdown, Neorg, Org-mode | Full — any Git tool | Newer app | | Obsidian | Local vault | Markdown only | Full — any tool | Mobile Git is clunky | | Logseq | Local files | Markdown, Org-mode | Full — any tool | Mobile Git limited | | Apple Notes | Apple/iCloud | PDF, RTF, Word (broken Markdown) | Poor — Apple format | Apple-only format | | Notion | Notion servers | Markdown (imperfect) | Poor — lock-in | Full vendor lock-in | | Roam Research | Roam servers | JSON/Brainkast | Poor — proprietary | Full vendor lock-in | | Evernote | Evernote servers | ENEX (messy) | Poor — legacy format | Full vendor lock-in | GitNotēs — Git-Native Mobile PKM GitNotēs (https://gitnotes.org) stores notes as Markdown, Neorg, or Org-mode files in your GitHub repository. Your notes are real files you can clone, branch, and open in Obsidian, VS Code, or any text editor. GitNotēs is the interface. What makes GitNotēs special for self-owned PKM: - True Git ownership — your repo, your files, your Git host - AI built-in — Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI - Infinite Canvas — visual brainstorming without leaving your repo - Smart Todos — synced as Markdown task lists, readable everywhere - Offline-first — works without internet, syncs automatically - Neorg & Org-mode — for Emacs/Neovim users who want structured data GitNotēs is a mobile-first PKM app that makes Git ownership straightforward. No SSH keys, no terminal commands, no plugins — just OAuth and automatic sync. Best for: Developers and power users who want Git ownership with a modern mobile UX. Obsidian — Desktop Powerhouse Obsidian is a local-first vault of Markdown files. Your vault is a folder on your computer. You own it completely. Obsidian provides the editor, graph view, and plugin ecosystem — but your data is just Markdown files you can open anywhere. With the Obsidian Git community plugin, you get automatic version control. The catch: mobile Git sync requires workarounds and community plugins. Obsidian's mobile apps are functional but feel like desktop apps squeezed onto phones. Best for: Desktop-centric users who want maximum power and don't mind plugins for mobile. Logseq — Outliner-Style Open Source Logseq is free, open-source, and built around outliner-style note-taking. Notes are blocks that can be referenced, linked, and reorganized. It supports both Markdown and Org-mode files stored locally. Git sync works on the desktop app. Mobile apps exist but the Git experience isn't as seamless as GitNotēs. Logseq's strength is its methodology: it's built for Zettelkasten-style thinking with daily notes, block references, and page graphs. Best for: Outliner thinkers who want a free, open-source desktop PKM with Git support. Apple Notes — Convenient but Locked In Apple Notes is deeply integrated into Apple's ecosystem. Your notes sync via iCloud across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It's free and deeply convenient if you live in Apple's world. But for self-ownership: - Notes are stored in Apple's proprietary format (SQLite + attachments) - Export options are limited: PDF, RTF, or Word — none preserve Markdown cleanly - You're tied to Apple's ecosystem for sync - Notes are stored on Apple's servers - No version control beyond Apple's internal snapshots Apple Notes works well for casual notes within the Apple ecosystem. For people who value data ownership and portability, other options may be preferable. Verdict: Convenient for Apple users, not suited for self-ownership. Notion — Full Vendor Lock-In Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace. But your data lives on Notion's servers in a proprietary block-based format. You can export to Markdown, but the conversion is imperfect — databases, embeds, and blocks don't always translate cleanly. Notion uses a freemium model with pricing that has evolved over time. For teams that rely on Notion, switching costs can be significant since exporting large workspaces to Markdown may not preserve all databases, embeds, and blocks perfectly. Verdict: Great for teams, not the best choice for personal data ownership. Roam Research — The OG Lock-In Roam Research pioneered block-level references and daily notes. But it stores everything on Roam's servers in a proprietary JSON format. You can export, but you can't self-host, and the export doesn't preserve the graph structure that makes Roam useful. Verdict: Interesting ideas, but full vendor lock-in. Evernote — A Cautionary Tale Evernote was once a popular choice for note-taking. In 2022, Evernote changed its free tier, limiting free access. Exporting from Evernote uses ENEX format, which may not perfectly preserve note organization. This illustrates how cloud-first apps can change terms and create friction for users who want to leave. Evernote shows that cloud-only apps carry risks around data portability. When you store notes on a company's servers in a proprietary format, switching costs can be high. Verdict: A cautionary example of vendor lock-in risk. The Verdict For true self-ownership with a modern mobile experience, GitNotēs is the best option. You get Git-native storage, AI, canvas, and smart todos — all in a mobile-first app where your notes are real files in a real repository you control. For desktop-first self-ownership, Obsidian and Logseq are both excellent. Obsidian has more plugins; Logseq is open source and free. Both store plain text files you own. For casual, no-complexity notes, Apple Notes is fine — just know you're trusting Apple with your data. For anything beyond casual notes: avoid Notion, Roam, and Evernote. The moment you build something valuable, you're locked in. Ready to switch to self-owned? Start with our Git-based notes roundup (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) or compare GitNotēs to other apps directly (/compare/gitjournal). --- ## Page: /blog/github-notes-in-30-seconds ### GitHub Notes in 30 Seconds — Your First Private Repository Set up a private GitHub repository and start syncing your notes with GitNotēs in under a minute. No command line, no SSH keys, no Git expertise required. Your notes deserve the same protection as your code. Set up a private GitHub repository and start syncing with GitNotēs — no terminal required. Why GitHub for Notes? GitHub is not just for code. Storing your notes in a Git repository gives you full version history, easy backup, and the ability to use your notes across multiple apps — or none at all if the app disappears. Private repositories on GitHub are free. Your notes are yours alone unless you choose to share them. Learn more about the case for Git-backed notes → (/blog/why-notes-in-github) The Setup You need two things: a GitHub account and the GitNotēs app. Here's the complete step-by-step, starting from zero. Step 1 — Create a GitHub account If you do not have one already, go to github.com and click Sign up. It takes about 90 seconds. Choose a username you are comfortable sharing — it will appear in commit history. Step 2 — Create a private repository 1. After signing in, click the + icon in the top-right corner and select New repository. 2. Give it a name — `my-notes`, `second-brain`, or anything you like. Keep it simple. 3. Under Visibility, select Private. Your notes are yours by default. 4. Do not select any template, add a README, or initialize with a licence yet — an empty repo is fine. 5. Click Create repository. That is it. Your repository exists at `github.com/your-username/my-notes`. Step 3 — Connect GitNotēs 1. Download GitNotēs from the App Store or Google Play. 2. Open GitNotēs and tap Add Repository. 3. Choose GitHub as your provider. 4. GitNotēs will redirect you to GitHub to authorize the connection. Tap Authorize. (If you prefer not to use OAuth, you can use a personal access token instead.) 5. Select your new repository from the list. GitNotēs will initialize it with a sample note. 6. Tap Done. Your notes are now syncing to GitHub. Step 4 — Write your first note Tap the + button in GitNotēs to create a new note. Write something, then save. Your note is written to the local Git working tree. When sync runs, GitNotēs stages the change, commits it, and pushes it to GitHub. Open GitHub in your browser and navigate to your repository — you will see your note as a Markdown file. How GitNotēs Uses Git When you save a note in GitNotēs, it is written to a local Git working tree on your device as a Markdown file. When sync runs, GitNotēs stages, commits, and pushes the change to your GitHub remote. Your notes go through the same staging-commit-push workflow as any Git operation — they are not uploaded as opaque blobs. This means your notes are real files in a real repository. You can clone the repo on any device, open notes in any Markdown editor, and if GitNotēs ever stops working, your notes are still there. See how GitNotēs compares to other Git-backed note apps → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) What About AI Notes? GitNotēs includes an AI assistant that can create and edit notes for you. When AI generates content, that content still goes through the same Git staging and sync process as any manually written note. AI-created notes are saved as Markdown, committed, and pushed — they never bypass the Git workflow or appear as opaque data. See how GitNotēs works across GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and Forgejo → (/blog/gitnotes-for-github-gitlab-gitea-forgejo) Keeping It Private Your repository is private by default. Only you — and people you explicitly grant access to — can see it. If you want to share specific notes, you can make individual files public, or keep your notes private and share the repo with specific collaborators when needed. Even if you use GitNotēs on multiple devices, each device connects to the same private repository. Git handles merging changes from multiple sources automatically — and when it cannot, GitNotēs surfaces the conflict for you. Learn how GitNotēs handles conflicts → (/blog/how-gitnotes-handles-conflicts) > Ready to start? Download GitNotēs from the App Store or Google Play, and create your first repository in under a minute. --- ## Page: /blog/gitjournal-vs-gitnotes ### GitJournal vs GitNotēs (2026): Which Git-Backed Notes App Wins? An in-depth comparison of GitJournal and GitNotēs. We break down features, AI, sync, mobile UX, pricing, and more to help you pick the best Git-backed notes app in 2026. Two apps promise to store your notes in Git. But after years of development, they've taken very different paths. Here's everything you need to know to choose. How We Compare Git-Backed Note Apps Before diving into the comparison, here is what matters most when evaluating Git-backed note apps: - Mobile UX: Most Git workflows are desktop-centric. Both GitJournal and GitNotēs are mobile-first, but their approaches differ significantly. - Setup complexity: SSH keys vs. OAuth. The easier the setup, the more likely you are to actually use the app. - Feature set: AI, canvas, todos — these features transform a note app from a text editor to a PKM system. - Sync reliability: Conflict detection, offline support, and merge handling vary between apps. - Active development: A note app is a daily habit. Regular updates signal a healthy project. - Open source: Fully open source apps let you audit the code, self-host, and contribute. See more Git-backed apps in our roundup → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) What is GitJournal? GitJournal is an open-source mobile notes app launched in 2019 by Vishesh Handa. It stores notes as Markdown files (with optional YAML frontmatter) inside any Git repository you own. The app syncs via SSH and supports GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and self-hosted Git servers. GitJournal is free to download with a $3.99/month subscription for additional features. GitJournal's core philosophy is data portability: your notes are plain text files you control. You can clone your repo and use it with Obsidian, VS Code, or any other tool. This is genuinely compelling if you value owning your data. What is GitNotēs? GitNotēs (/) is a modern mobile-first Git-backed notes app — see how it compares to GitJournal below. GitNotēs is a newer mobile notes app developed by Vidwa De Seram and Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd. Like GitJournal, it stores notes in your GitHub repositories. But GitNotēs goes further: it includes an AI assistant, an infinite canvas, smart todos with due dates and reminders, and native support for Neorg and Org-mode file formats. GitNotēs is built mobile-first with a modern design language and a Pro subscription model ($1.99/month, $9.99/year, or $16.99 lifetime with a 14-day free trial). It is actively developed in 2026 with regular updates. Head-to-Head Comparison AI Assistant GitNotēs wins. GitNotēs has a built-in AI assistant powered by Apple Foundation Models (on-device, private), Llama, or OpenAI. You can chat with your notes, generate new content, and search using natural language. GitJournal has no AI features and no roadmap for them. Infinite Canvas GitNotēs wins. GitNotēs includes a freeform drawing canvas with pinch-zoom and pan. Sketch diagrams, brainstorm visually, and combine drawings with text. GitJournal is text-only with no canvas or drawing support. Smart Todos GitNotēs wins. GitNotēs treats todos as a first-class feature: checkboxes, due dates, reminders, and project-style lists — all synced to your GitHub repo as Markdown task lists. GitJournal supports basic Markdown checkbox syntax but lacks due dates, reminders, or any todo management UI. Editor Support GitNotēs wins on variety. GitJournal supports standard Markdown with YAML frontmatter. GitNotēs supports Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode — making it the better choice for users of Doom Emacs, Neovim with org-mode, or the Neorg note-taking system. Sync & Conflict Resolution Tie. Both apps sync notes to your Git repository. GitJournal uses SSH and requires manual configuration. GitNotēs integrates directly with GitHub OAuth for simpler setup. GitJournal offers a three-way merge UI for conflicts; GitNotēs handles conflicts automatically. Offline Support Tie. Both apps are fully offline-first. Notes are stored locally and synced when connectivity returns. Open Source GitJournal wins. GitJournal is fully open source under AGPL + Apache 2.0. GitNotēs has some components under MPL-2.0 but is not fully open source. If open source purity is your priority, GitJournal takes this round. Mobile UX GitNotēs wins. GitNotēs has a modern, polished mobile UI. GitJournal's interface has remained largely unchanged since 2020 and shows its age. GitNotēs also has better dark mode support and smoother animations. Active Development GitNotēs wins. GitNotēs is actively developed in 2026 with regular updates. GitJournal's last major release was in 2022, and release activity has been less frequent since then. For a productivity tool you rely on daily, ongoing development and updates are factors to consider. Pricing Tie on value. GitJournal charges $3.99/month for Pro. GitNotēs offers three tiers: $1.99/month, $9.99/year, or $16.99 lifetime. GitNotēs's yearly and lifetime options offer better long-term value. Limitations and Tradeoffs GitJournal Limitations - Development activity: GitJournal's last major release was in 2022. Users who prefer actively maintained tools should consider this. - No AI features: GitJournal has no AI assistance. If AI integration matters to you, GitJournal cannot provide it. - Text-only: No canvas, no drawing, no visual brainstorming. GitJournal is purely a text editor. - Basic todo support: GitJournal supports Markdown checkbox syntax but lacks due dates, reminders, or a dedicated todo management UI. - Interface unchanged: The UI has remained largely unchanged since 2020, which may feel familiar or dated depending on your perspective. GitNotēs Limitations - Not fully open source: GitNotēs has some MPL-2.0 components but is not fully open source. If you need to audit every line of code, GitJournal is the more transparent choice. - Newer app: GitNotēs is newer and has a smaller community. The ecosystem and third-party integrations are less mature. - Pro features behind paywall: AI assistant and Infinite Canvas are Pro features. GitJournal's free tier is more generous for basic note-taking. The Verdict For most people in 2026, GitNotēs is the better choice. It offers more features, better mobile UX, active development, and genuinely useful additions like AI and an infinite canvas that GitJournal simply doesn't have. GitJournal remains compelling if you need a fully open source solution and don't need AI or visual features. But for a modern, mobile-first note-taking experience that happens to use Git as a backend, GitNotēs is the stronger product. Ready to switch? See our full comparison (/compare/gitjournal) with a migration guide. > Considering other options? If you're considering switching, see how GitNotēs compares to other note-taking apps including Notion and Obsidian. Compare GitNotēs → (/compare/gitjournal) --- ## Page: /blog/gitnotes-for-github-gitlab-gitea-forgejo ### GitNotēs for GitHub, GitLab, Gitea & Forgejo — Any Host, One App GitNotēs works with GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and Forgejo — including self-hosted instances. Choose your host, connect in seconds, and sync your notes across any Git provider. Your notes should not be locked to a single host. GitNotēs connects to any Git provider — GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, or any self-hosted instance — using the same simple workflow. The Host Is Your Choice GitNotēs is not tied to any specific Git provider. When you connect a repository, you choose where it lives. GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo — it is the same interface, the same sync behavior, the same conflict resolution. This matters for several reasons: - You already have a preferred host. If your company uses GitLab, you do not need a separate GitHub account for your notes. - Data sovereignty. Some users prefer to self-host Gitea or Forgejo on their own server so their notes never leave their infrastructure. - Switching hosts is easy. Because Git is Git, you can change the remote URL and your entire history moves with it. Learn more about the benefits of Git-backed notes → (/blog/why-notes-in-github) The Four Hosts at a Glance GitHub GitHub is the most widely used Git host. It offers free private repositories with generous commit limits, making it a popular choice for personal note-taking with GitNotēs. GitNotēs connects to GitHub using OAuth — tap Sign in with GitHub, authorize the app, and you are done. No personal access token to generate, no SSH keys to configure. Set up a GitHub notes repository in 30 seconds → (/blog/github-notes-in-30-seconds) GitLab GitLab is a full DevOps platform with strong CI/CD, container registry, and issue tracking built in. It offers both cloud hosting at gitlab.com and a self-hosted version for enterprises. GitNotēs connects to GitLab.com via OAuth or a personal access token. For self-hosted GitLab instances, use a personal access token configured with the appropriate scopes. If you already use GitLab at work or self-host it on your server, you can create a private repository there and use GitNotēs to manage your notes with the same workflow as GitHub. Gitea Gitea is a lightweight, self-hostable Git service. It runs on a single binary with minimal resource requirements — you can run it on a Raspberry Pi. It is open source under the MIT licence. Because Gitea is self-hosted, your notes never touch a third-party server. GitNotēs connects using your Gitea instance URL and a personal access token. The setup is the same whether your Gitea instance is on a local machine, a NAS, or a VPS. Forgejo Forgejo is a community-driven fork of Gitea, created to ensure a fully open source path for the project. It is run by a non-profit and places strong emphasis on federation and user freedom. GitNotēs connects to Forgejo the same way it connects to Gitea — using your instance URL and a personal access token. If you value open source software and community governance, Forgejo is a natural fit for hosting your notes. Self-Hosted Instances Both Gitea and GitLab support full self-hosting. This means your notes can live on a server you own and control — not on someone else's cloud. Self-hosting is especially relevant for: - Privacy-sensitive users who want to know exactly where their data lives. - Teams that need notes to stay within their own infrastructure. - Power users who already run a home lab or personal server. GitNotēs supports self-hosted GitLab (self-managed), GitHub Enterprise Server, and custom Forgejo or Gitea deployments, alongside the cloud-hosted versions of each platform. AI Notes and the Git Workflow GitNotēs includes an AI assistant that can draft notes, summarize content, and answer questions about your notes. When AI generates content, that content goes through the same Git staging and sync workflow as any manually written note. AI-created notes are saved as Markdown files, committed to your local Git repository, and pushed to your remote. They never bypass the Git workflow — no opaque AI-generated blobs, no notes that exist only in the app. Every word AI produces is a file you can read, edit, and move without GitNotēs. See how GitNotēs compares to other Git-backed note apps → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) One App, Any Host The goal of GitNotēs is to give you a great mobile notes experience while keeping your data in a Git repository you control. The host is an implementation detail — the important part is that your notes are files, in a repo, on a server you chose. Whether you use GitHub because it is the easiest, GitLab because it integrates with your company's workflow, or Forgejo because you believe in open source infrastructure — GitNotēs works there too. See how GitNotēs handles conflicts when editing across multiple devices → (/blog/how-gitnotes-handles-conflicts) > Ready to connect your host? Download GitNotēs from the App Store or Google Play, and add your repository — GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo. --- ## Page: /blog/how-gitnotes-handles-conflicts ### How GitNotēs Handles Conflicts — Accept Ours, Accept Theirs, Accept Both, or Edit A practical guide to GitNotēs conflict resolution. Understand what happens when the same note is edited in two places, and learn how to resolve conflicts using Accept Ours, Accept Theirs, Accept Both, or Full Edit. When the same note is edited in two places, GitNotēs surfaces the conflict and gives you four clear resolution choices — no silent merges, no mystery. Why Conflicts Happen GitNotēs stores your notes as plain text files in a local Git repository on your device. When you save, changes are written to the local working tree. During sync, GitNotēs stages those changes, commits them, and pushes to your remote — GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo. Git is designed for distributed teams. Multiple people can edit the same file independently, then merge their changes together. Most of the time, Git handles this automatically: if you edited the top of a note while someone else edited the bottom, Git weaves the changes together without any drama. But if two people edit the *same line* of the same note at the same time, Git cannot decide which version to keep. This is called a merge conflict. GitNotēs does not guess — it stops and asks you to choose. What GitNotēs Does When a Conflict Appears When you push, GitNotēs checks whether the remote has diverged from your local state. If it has, GitNotēs attempts to integrate your local changes — rebasing them on top of the remote changes. If a conflict is detected during this integration, GitNotēs surfaces it immediately and shows you exactly which note has the problem. GitNotēs does not silently merge conflicting changes or discard either version. The conflict is shown to you clearly, with both versions visible, until you decide what to keep. Learn how Git-backed notes work in more detail → (/blog/why-notes-in-github) The Four Resolution Choices GitNotēs gives you four explicit options when a conflict appears. Choose the one that matches your intent: Accept Ours Keep your local version exactly as it is and discard the remote change. Choose this when you know your local edits are the correct version — for example, you just finished updating a note and someone else's older version is clobbering it. Accept Theirs Discard your local version and take the remote change instead. Choose this when the remote has the right answer — perhaps a collaborator fixed an error while you were offline. Accept Both Both versions are kept together in the file, with the local content followed by the remote content. Choose this when you want to review both changes manually and decide later, or when both edits add value and should be retained. Full Edit Open the note directly and resolve every conflict by hand. You see the raw conflict markers (`>>>>>>`) and edit them out yourself, keeping exactly what you want from each side. Choose this for complex conflicts where no automated strategy fits. After You Resolve Once you pick a resolution, GitNotēs stages the resolved file, creates a new commit with the resolution, and pushes the result to your remote. Your remote is back in sync, and the conflict is resolved in your Git history — every resolution is traceable as a commit. If you made changes offline while a conflict was pending, GitNotēs queues them and applies them after the conflict is resolved, so nothing is lost. Preventing Conflicts Most conflicts are rare in personal note-taking. A few habits help avoid them: - Sync before starting a long editing session. Pull the latest changes before you begin writing to minimize divergence from the remote. - Use one device at a time when possible. Editing on your phone and desktop without syncing in between increases the chance of divergence. - Use Git branching for large rewrites. If you are doing a major restructure of your notes, consider creating a branch so your changes don't conflict with ongoing edits from other devices. Conflicts Are Not Failures In most note apps, simultaneous edits on two devices either get silently overwritten or require a manual copy-paste recovery. GitNotēs treats conflicts as first-class events: they are surfaced, they are legible, and they are resolved on your terms. Because every resolution becomes a Git commit, you also have a full audit trail of what was resolved and why — useful if you change your mind months later. See why developers choose Git-backed notes for collaboration → (/blog/why-notes-in-github) > Ready to try GitNotēs? Download it from the App Store or Google Play, and set up your first repository in under a minute → (/blog/github-notes-in-30-seconds) --- ## Page: /blog/why-notes-in-github ### Why Your Notes Should Live in GitHub (And How to Get Started) Storing notes in Git gives you versioning, privacy, portability, and zero vendor lock-in. Learn why developers and power users are switching to Git-backed note apps like GitNotēs, powered by GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo. The case for storing your second brain in a Git repository — and why tools like GitNotēs make it effortless on iOS and Android. The Problem with Most Note Apps Most note-taking apps are silos. Notion owns your data. Evernote owns your data. Apple Notes is locked to the Apple ecosystem. If any of these services changes pricing, gets acquired, or shuts down, your notes may be difficult to access or export. Even apps that let you export your data usually do so in awkward, lossy formats. Your links break, your formatting frays, your organization dissolves. And then there's the privacy issue. When your notes live on someone else's servers, they can be read, analyzed, or handed to authorities without your knowledge. What Does "Git-Backed Notes" Actually Mean? Git-backed notes means your notes are stored as plain text files (Markdown, Neorg, or Org-mode) inside a Git repository you own. Instead of saving to a vendor's database, every edit becomes a Git commit. Your notes live in a folder on your device that also exists on GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo. This is different from "cloud sync" in traditional note apps: - Traditional cloud sync: Your notes live on the company's servers in a proprietary format. You access them through their app. If the company shuts down, your notes may be inaccessible or require painful export. - Git-backed storage: Your notes are real files in a real Git repository. Git is a 20-year-old open standard. Your notes will be readable by any text editor, any device, any operating system — with or without any specific app. See a full comparison of Git-backed note apps → (/blog/best-git-based-note-taking-apps) Why Git is Ideal for Notes Full Version History Every edit creates a commit. You can travel back in time to any version of any note. Accidentally deleted an important section? Corrupted a file? Git has you covered. Write freely knowing you can always undo. Git's diff view shows you exactly what changed between any two versions — useful for tracking how your thinking evolved on a project. Real Privacy Your notes live in your Git repository. Unless you explicitly make the repo public, only you — and people you grant access to — can read them. No third-party servers analyzing your content. No AI training on your notes. Your second brain stays private. This is meaningfully different from apps that claim "private" but still process your data on their servers. Zero Vendor Lock-in Git is a standard. Your notes are Markdown files in a folder. If GitNotēs disappears tomorrow, you clone your repo and use Obsidian, VS Code, iA Writer, or any other Markdown tool. The format outlasts any single app. This is what "own your data" actually means. Collaboration Without Silos Share a repository with a collaborator and you both get automatic sync. Review each other's notes through commits. Keep a shared knowledge base that doesn't require a Notion subscription. Branching lets each collaborator work independently and merge changes when ready — familiar workflow for developers, powerful for any team. Works with Your Existing Tools Your notes are plain text. Use Obsidian on desktop for graph views. Use GitNotēs on your phone for capture. Edit from VS Code when you're at your laptop. Every tool works because Markdown is the lingua franca of structured text. When Git-Backed Notes Are Right for You Git-backed notes are not for everyone. Consider whether these benefits matter to you: - You value data ownership. If you're concerned about vendor lock-in, you've experienced a service shutdown before, or you want control over where your data lives. - You are a developer or comfortable with Git. Using Git as storage means understanding basic concepts: commits, pushes, pulls. If you already live in GitHub, this feels natural. - You want portability. If you might switch apps in the future, plain text files that work everywhere reduce the cost of migration. - You need collaboration with audit trails. Git's commit history creates a natural audit trail. Every change is attributed, timestamped, and reversible. Git-backed notes may not be the best fit if: - You need the simplest possible experience. If Apple Notes or Google Keep meets your needs and you don't think about data ownership, the Git workflow adds complexity without immediate benefit. - You need real-time collaboration. Git is not real-time. Syncing requires a push/pull cycle. For simultaneous multi-user editing, a database-backed app is more appropriate. - You rely on complex formatting and embeds. Git stores plain text. Rich media, databases, and complex embeds work better in native apps. See our FAQ for answers to common questions about GitNotēs → (/faq) Enter GitNotēs GitNotēs (/) is a mobile notes app designed from the ground up around the Git-as-backend philosophy. Notes become commits, folders become repositories, and your Git provider (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo) becomes your notes infrastructure. What sets GitNotēs apart: - AI Assistant — Powered by Apple Foundation Models (on-device), Llama, or OpenAI. - Infinite Canvas — Freeform drawing with pinch-zoom and pan. - Smart Todos — Due dates, reminders, and checkbox lists. - Multiple Formats — Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode in one app. - Offline-First — Full functionality without internet, auto-sync when connected. How to Get Started Getting your notes into Git with GitNotēs takes about five minutes: 1. Download GitNotēs from the App Store or Google Play. 2. Create a new private repository on GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo. 3. Open GitNotēs, tap "Add Repository," and sign in with your preferred provider using a personal access token or OAuth. 4. Select your new repository. GitNotēs will initialize it with a sample note. 5. Start writing. Every note is auto-saved and committed to your Git host in the background. GitNotēs supports GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and Forgejo. Your notes live in a repository you control, on the host you choose. What About Notion, Obsidian, and Others? Notion is a powerful tool, but it's a walled garden. Your data is theirs in a meaningful sense — export it and you get a flattened version of your workspace. See how GitNotēs compares to Notion (/compare/gitjournal). Obsidian is excellent on desktop and stores notes as Markdown files locally, which is great. But Obsidian's sync solution ($8/month) is expensive. GitNotēs gives you Git sync as a first-class feature on mobile. Limitations of Git-Backed Notes Git-backed notes have real limitations you should understand before committing: - Conflict resolution can be tricky. If you edit the same note on two devices without syncing, Git may show a conflict. Most Git note apps handle this automatically, but power users may need to resolve conflicts manually. - Binary files are not ideal. Git excels at text. Images, PDFs, and other binary files bloat your repository and slow down clones. For media-heavy notes, consider linking to external storage. - Learning curve. If you're new to Git, there's a learning curve. Concepts like repositories, commits, and pushes may feel unfamiliar at first. - No built-in real-time collaboration. Git is not Google Docs. For simultaneous multi-user editing, you need additional tools or workflows. How GitNotēs Handles These Tradeoffs GitNotēs (/) is designed to minimize these limitations while preserving the benefits: - Automatic conflict detection. GitNotēs detects merge conflicts and handles them automatically in most cases. You're notified only when human intervention is needed. - Multi-format support. Notes can be Markdown, Neorg, or Org-mode. Attachments are linked, not embedded in Git. - OAuth simplicity. Connect your GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo account with OAuth — no terminal commands, no SSH keys required. - Offline-first design. GitNotēs works fully offline. Changes sync when you reconnect. You're not dependent on continuous connectivity. Compare GitNotēs to GitJournal → (/compare/gitjournal) The Bottom Line Git-backed notes represent a fundamentally different philosophy: your data should live in open, portable formats you control, not in proprietary databases owned by companies. If you are a developer who already uses Git daily, this approach feels natural. If you're a non-developer who values data ownership, there's a learning curve but the payoff is real: notes that survive any app shutdown, any price change, any company acquisition. Explore self-owned PKM apps → (/blog/best-self-owned-knowledge-management-apps) or learn about Markdown note apps → (/blog/best-markdown-note-apps) to find the right fit for your workflow. > Ready to try Git-backed notes? Download GitNotēs from the App Store or Google Play, or compare GitNotēs with other note apps → (/compare/gitjournal) --- ## Page: /compare/gitjournal ### GitNotēs vs Notion, Obsidian & GitJournal — GitNotēs Compare GitNotēs against Notion, Obsidian, and GitJournal. See why GitNotēs is the better Git-backed notes app with AI assistant, infinite canvas, smart todos, and native Neorg & Org-mode support. Free to start. vs Apple Notes vs Google Keep GitNotēs vs GitJournal Two apps. Both store notes in Git. But that's where the similarities end. GitNotēs is the better choice for most people More features, better mobile UX, and an AI assistant built in Built-in (Apple Foundation, Llama, OpenAI) Freeform drawing & pinch-zoom Due dates, reminders, checkboxes Basic checkboxes only Full editor with toolbar & live preview Automatic (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo), conflict-aware Full offline, auto-sync Browse & manage files in-app $16.99 lifetime · $9.99/yr · $1.99/mo Free · $3.99/mo Partial (MPL-2.0 parts) Fully open source iOS & Android 2026 — actively developed 2022 — slower development AI Assistant built in GitNotēs has a native AI assistant powered by Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI. GitJournal has no AI features whatsoever. GitNotēs includes a freeform drawing canvas with pinch-zoom and pan. GitJournal is text-only with no canvas capability. Smart Todos with Reminders GitNotēs turns todos into a first-class feature with due dates, reminders, and checkboxes synced to GitHub repos. GitJournal offers only basic checkbox functionality. Neorg & Org-mode GitNotēs natively supports Neorg and Org-mode file formats popular among Doom Emacs and Neovim users. GitJournal supports only standard Markdown. Modern Mobile UX GitNotēs is built mobile-first with a modern design language. GitJournal's UI feels dated by comparison and has received fewer design updates. Migrating from GitJournal Download GitNotēs from the App Store or Google Play Clone your existing GitJournal repository in GitNotēs Your existing Markdown notes will appear immediately — no conversion needed Explore new features: try the AI assistant, set up todos, or sketch on the infinite canvas GitNotēs vs Notion Notion is a workspace. GitNotēs is a Git-native notes app. Different tools for different workflows. GitNotēs is the better choice for Git-native note-takers Lightweight, offline-first, version-controlled notes without the bloat AI features (Extra cost, ~$10/mo) Yes (database features) Not native (3rd-party tools) Limited offline (cached) Free · $10/mo+ per seat Not open source 2026 — regularly updated Git-Native by Design GitNotēs is built around Git from the ground up. Your notes are real files in a real repository you own. Notion stores data on their servers — you don't own your notes if Notion disappears. GitNotēs works fully offline and syncs automatically. Notion's offline mode is limited and can desync. For mobile-first or field work, GitNotēs is more reliable. No Subscription for Core Features GitNotēs lifetime access is $16.99 — one payment, forever. Notion's AI costs an extra $10/month per seat and can double your workspace cost. Neorg & Org-mode Support GitNotēs natively supports Neorg and Org-mode for Emacs/Neovim users. Notion uses its own block-based format with no export fidelity. Lightweight & Focused GitNotēs does one thing well — notes, todos, and canvas with Git sync. Notion is a sprawling platform that requires setup, databases, and templates. Migrating from Notion Export your Notion workspace as Markdown (Settings → Members → Export → Markdown & CSV) Clone your Git repository and add the exported Markdown files Open GitNotēs and point it to your repository Use the AI assistant to reorganize or summarize your notes GitNotēs vs Obsidian Obsidian is a powerful desktop-first app. GitNotēs brings that Git-native experience to mobile. GitNotēs is the better choice for mobile-first Git-native notes Native iOS & Android with automatic Git sync, AI, and canvas Local AI (LocalAI, Ollama) or cloud Canvas plugin (community) Tasks plugin (community) Yes (dual pane, Vim mode) Limited (org-mode plugin) Git sync (community plugin) File explorer (desktop) Free (local) · $8/mo Sync · $16/mo Publish Mobile apps (paid Sync required) GitNotēs is built for touch from day one. Obsidian's mobile apps are functional but feel like desktop apps squeezed onto phones. GitNotēs is smoother and more intuitive on mobile. Automatic Git Sync GitNotēs syncs to GitHub automatically with conflict detection. Obsidian requires third-party plugins like Obsidian Git and manual configuration for mobile sync. GitNotēs includes AI, canvas, todos, and Git sync in one app. Obsidian requires assembling community plugins (Local REST API, Tasks, Calendar, QuickAdd) and configuring them. GitNotēs has AI assistant access built-in via Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI. Obsidian requires setting up LocalAI/Ollama locally or paying for cloud AI services. GitNotēs has one pricing model. Obsidian splits features across free, Sync ($8/mo), and Publish ($16/mo), making mobile sync costs add up quickly. Migrating from Obsidian Your vault is already a Git repository — you can point GitNotēs to the same folder Open GitNotēs and clone your vault repository All Markdown files, including Obsidian-specific syntax, will be readable Explore the AI assistant and infinite canvas to enhance your workflow GitNotēs vs Apple Notes Apple Notes is convenient. GitNotēs is powerful. Here's why developers outgrow Apple Notes. GitNotēs is the better choice for developers and power users Git ownership, Markdown, AI, and cross-platform — Apple Notes can't match Apple Intelligence (limited, cloud) Basic checklists only No Markdown — rich text only iCloud only (Apple lock-in) Free (iCloud storage costs extra) GitNotēs stores notes in your GitHub repository. Your notes are real files you control. Apple Notes stores data in Apple's proprietary format on iCloud — you don't own your notes if Apple changes direction. GitNotēs has a full Markdown editor with live preview. Apple Notes uses rich text with no Markdown support — code snippets lose formatting and portability. GitNotēs works on iOS and Android. Apple Notes only works on Apple devices. If you ever switch to Android or use a Windows PC, Apple Notes is gone. GitNotēs natively supports Neorg and Org-mode for Emacs/Neovim users. Apple Notes has no structured data formats whatsoever. No Vendor Lock-In GitNotēs exports to standard Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode — open formats that work in any tool. Apple Notes exports to PDF, RTF, or Word — none preserve your data properly. Migrating from Apple Notes Select notes in Apple Notes and export as PDF or plain text Convert notes to Markdown format (or use a bulk conversion tool) Create a new GitHub repository for your notes Open GitNotēs and clone your new repository Organize notes into folders and enjoy Markdown formatting, AI, and Git history GitNotēs vs Google Keep Google Keep is a notepad. GitNotēs is a professional PKM. The gap is enormous. GitNotēs is categorically better for anyone serious about their notes Git ownership, Markdown, AI, canvas, and todos — Google Keep doesn't even compete Basic labels and reminders No Markdown — sticky notes only Google Drive only Limited (cached mode) Free (Google storage costs extra) Browser + mobile apps 2026 — minimal updates GitNotēs stores notes in your GitHub repository. Google Keep stores notes on Google's servers in a proprietary format — you have zero control and zero portability. Markdown & Structure GitNotēs supports Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode. Google Keep is a flat list of sticky notes with no formatting, no structure, and no code support. GitNotēs has AI assistant powered by Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI. Google Keep has no AI features for note-taking whatsoever. GitNotēs has smart todos with due dates, reminders, and project lists. Google Keep has basic labels and checkboxes — fine for grocery lists, useless for project management. No Google Lock-In Google has shuttered products before (Reader, Inbox, Wave). Google Keep could be next. GitNotēs stores plain text files you control — the app could disappear tomorrow and you'd lose nothing. Migrating from Google Keep Export Google Keep notes via Google Takeout (Settings → Takeout) Download as ZIP and extract to a folder Convert notes to Markdown (notes come as HTML or plain text) Create a GitHub repository and add your Markdown files GitNotēs vs Bear Bear is beautiful but Apple-only and no Git sync. GitNotēs goes further on every dimension. GitNotēs is the better choice for developers and cross-platform users Git ownership, AI, canvas, Android support, and Neorg/Org-mode support Basic checkboxes (no dates/reminders) Beautiful Markdown editor iCloud sync (Bear Pro required) Free · $14.99/yr (Pro for sync) iOS & macOS only 2026 — actively updated GitNotēs stores notes in your GitHub repository — you own your files. Bear stores notes in Apple's iCloud in a proprietary format — you're locked to Bear and iCloud. GitNotēs works on iOS and Android. Bear only works on iOS and macOS. If you need Android or Windows, Bear is useless. GitNotēs has AI assistant powered by Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI. Bear has no AI features. GitNotēs natively supports Neorg and Org-mode for Emacs/Neovim users. Bear supports Markdown but has no structured data formats. Better Long-Term Value GitNotēs lifetime plan is $16.99 — one payment, forever. Bear requires a Pro subscription ($14.99/year) for sync, which adds up indefinitely. Migrating from Bear In Bear, go to File → Export All Notes → Markdown This creates a folder of .md files with tags preserved in frontmatter Create a GitHub repository for your notes All your Markdown files will appear with tags intact GitNotēs vs Logseq Logseq is a powerful outliner for desktop. GitNotēs brings that Git-native experience to mobile seamlessly. Native mobile Git sync, AI, canvas, and a polished touch experience Basic task blocks (no reminders) Outliner with block editing Git sync (desktop only) Local-first (Git on desktop) Free & open source Fully open source (AGPL) Mobile-First Git Sync GitNotēs syncs to GitHub automatically on mobile with conflict detection. Logseq's Git sync works on desktop — mobile requires third-party workarounds. GitNotēs has AI assistant powered by Apple Foundation Models, Llama, or OpenAI. Logseq has no AI features. GitNotēs includes a freeform drawing canvas with pinch-zoom. Logseq is outliner-only with no canvas capability. GitNotēs includes AI, canvas, todos, and Git sync in one polished mobile app. Logseq is an outliner — todos, calendar, and other features require plugins. Better Touch Experience GitNotēs is built touch-first. Logseq's mobile apps are functional but feel like desktop apps ported to mobile. Migrating from Logseq Your Logseq pages are already Markdown or Org-mode files in a local folder Push your Logseq repository to GitHub if not already Open GitNotēs and clone your GitHub repository All your Markdown/Org-mode pages will appear immediately Enjoy the AI assistant and infinite canvas alongside your existing workflow Billed monthly. 14-day free trial. Billed annually. Save vs monthly. One-time. Yours forever. Simple, transparent pricing GitNotēs is free to start. Unlock all features with Pro. More reading: GitJournal vs GitNotēs in depth, best Git-based note-taking apps, and Free vs Pro. GitNotēs is a mobile notes, todos, and infinite canvas app powered by Git. --- ## Page: /faq ### Frequently Asked Questions — GitNotēs Common questions about GitNotēs — GitHub notes, supported Git providers, authentication options, Free vs Pro, AI models, offline use, Git sync, open source, and pricing. Common questions about GitNotēs — AI models, offline use, Git sync, open source, pricing, and how it compares to other apps. Ready to get started? Download GitNotēs on iOS or explore our other resources below. Back to home · Contact support · Compare with other apps What is GitNotēs? GitNotēs is a mobile notes, todos, and infinite canvas app that uses your Git repositories as durable, versioned storage. It supports Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode with an AI assistant, offline-first design, and Git-powered sync. What are GitHub notes and how does GitNotēs work with GitHub? GitNotēs lets you store notes in any Git repository, including GitHub. You connect using a GitHub personal access token (PAT), OAuth, or the GitHub App. Your notes live in your own repositories with full version history. What Git providers does GitNotēs support? GitNotēs supports GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, and Forgejo — including self-hosted instances. You can connect to repositories on any of these hosts from the app. How does authentication work in GitNotēs? GitNotēs offers three sign-in options: a personal access token (PAT) for any Git host, GitHub OAuth for a browser-based flow, and the GitHub App for repository access. Where are my notes stored? Your notes are stored entirely in your own Git repositories — not on GitNotēs servers. The app syncs changes locally on your device and pushes commits to your Git host when online. You retain full ownership and control of your data. What's the difference between Free and Pro? The Free tier includes notes, todos, Markdown/Neorg/Org-mode, Git sync to one repository, and basic AI assistance. Pro adds advanced AI models (Claude 3.5, GPT-4o), unlimited repositories, multi-host sync across all providers, and priority support. Pricing is $1.99/month, $9.99/year, or $16.99 lifetime with a 14-day free trial. How is GitNotēs different from GitJournal? GitNotēs includes an infinite canvas, smart todos with due dates and reminders, an AI assistant, and supports Neorg and Org-mode natively. It offers a more polished mobile-first UX with a Pro subscription model at $1.99/month, $9.99/year, or $16.99 lifetime with a 14-day free trial. Is GitNotēs open source? Parts of GitNotēs are open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. The app is developed by Vidwa De Seram in collaboration with Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd in Sri Lanka. Does GitNotēs work offline? Yes, GitNotēs is fully offline-first. Your notes are stored locally on your device and sync with your Git repository when online. Changes are committed and pushed automatically. What AI models does GitNotēs support? GitNotēs AI supports Apple Foundation Models (on-device), Llama, and OpenAI. You can choose which provider to use for AI-powered note creation, editing, and search. --- ## Page: /gallery ### Gallery — GitNotēs See GitNotēs in action. Browse screenshots of the editor, smart todos, infinite canvas, Git-powered sync, and more. Screenshots Gallery See GitNotēs in action. Eight ways it transforms how you capture and organize knowledge. Explore the full GitNotēs experience across devices and platforms. GitNotēs home screen showing recent notes, todos and quick actions GitNotēs notes list backed by a Git repository GitNotēs Markdown editor with live preview GitNotēs smart todos with due dates and reminders GitNotēs infinite canvas with freeform drawings GitNotēs Git sync screen with pull, push and conflict resolution GitNotēs AI assistant creating and searching notes Themes & settings GitNotēs settings with themes, accent colors, app icons and AI providers --- ## Page: /privacy ### Privacy Policy | GitNotēs GitNotēs keeps your notes in your own Git repository. See what stays on your device, what optional diagnostics collect, and how anonymous usage counters work. Summary GitNotēs (the "App") is published by Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd, Level 26, East Tower, Echelon Square, World Trade Center, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka ("we", "us"). Your notes, todos, journals, templates, and canvases live in two places only: On your device, as a local cache. iOS Keychain holds your GitHub access token; AsyncStorage holds a copy of files for offline access. In the GitHub repository you choose, under your own GitHub account. GitHub's privacy policy governs that storage: GitHub General Privacy Statement App telemetry does not intentionally attach note data, but automatically captured error messages and stacks may contain sensitive values if app code embeds them. We do not sell data or share it for advertising. Expo and Cloudflare act as service providers and process the diagnostics or usage-counter data described below when those features are included in an App build. App builds that ship the telemetry feature have two optional telemetry paths, and both are covered by a single switch in Settings. One is Expo's EAS Observe service, which reports startup performance and crashes from production builds. The other sends two kinds of anonymous usage counters that feed the public statistics page. Neither path intentionally attaches your notes, repository data, account data, or authentication data. Automatically captured error messages and stacks may nevertheless contain sensitive values if app code embeds them. The sections "Optional diagnostics" and "Optional usage counters" below state exactly what each path collects, how long it is kept, and how to turn it off. What the App stores on your device GitHub access token — a personal access token (PAT) you generate, or an OAuth token from the GitHub sign-in flow. Stored in the iOS Keychain via expo-secure-store. Never transmitted to any server we operate. Local cache of your notes — copies of the files in your linked repository so the App works offline and feels fast. Stored in your app sandbox; removed when you uninstall the App. Settings and preferences — theme, sync interval, last-used repository, the telemetry preference itself, and the version of this notice you have already seen. Stored in AsyncStorage. Never leaves your device. AI provider configuration — if you enable AI features, the API base URL and (for BYO providers) the API key you enter. Keys are stored in the iOS Keychain. What the App does NOT do We do not run a backend that stores your notes, todos, journals, templates, canvases, or any other personal data. We do not bundle advertising or third-party analytics SDKs such as Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, or Sentry. We do not use any data for advertising, and we do not track you across apps or websites. We do not sell or share data with advertisers. We do not send marketing email or push notifications. We do not collect location data. Worker events have no fields for note content, repository names or URLs, account identifiers, tokens, or exact hostnames. EAS automatic error capture can include sensitive values embedded in error messages or stacks; see "Optional diagnostics" for details. We do not run our own user tracking. The counters behind the statistics page are plain event counts with no identifier attached, so we cannot tell one person's reports apart from anyone else's. Optional diagnostics (Expo EAS Observe) The App can use EAS Observe, Expo's production monitoring service, to report startup performance and crashes from released builds in versions shipping the feature. It is enabled by default and you can turn it off in Settings. A missing preference defaults to enabled only after storage loads successfully; if the preference cannot be read, telemetry stays off. If the preference is off before import, the SDK is not imported. After import, it cannot be unloaded; dispatch is disabled and Worker requests stop, while local automatic error capture may continue until process exit. What the diagnostics contain Startup performance — cold launch time, warm launch time, bundle load time, time to first render, and time to interactive. Device and network state at startup — low power mode, battery level, whether the device is charging, thermal state, and network facts such as connection type, whether the connection is metered, and Low Data Mode or Data Saver. Startup network activity — how many requests the App made during launch, with bytes sent and received and the total time they took. Request bodies and response contents are not collected. Update and navigation timings — EAS Update download time, and per-screen render and interactive timings. Route names are reported; configured route parameters that may contain note, repository, path, or authentication data are filtered. Memory warnings — iOS low-memory warnings, with a snapshot of memory usage at that moment. Errors — JavaScript errors and native crashes, including the error message and the stack trace. The installation identifier EAS Observe identifies an installation with an pseudonymous, install-scoped identifier. Its legal classification depends on context and applicable law and must be reviewed by the operator. It is generated on first install, survives app updates, and is reset if you uninstall and reinstall the App. It is never published on this site or on the statistics page. Automatic error capture The diagnostics library installs a global error handler as soon as it is loaded, so unhandled JavaScript errors are captured automatically without any code of ours choosing to report them. The error message and stack trace are dispatched off the device. If app code ever places a sensitive value in an error message or stack trace, that value travels with it. App telemetry does not intentionally attach note, repository, account, or authentication data, but we cannot rewrite what an error thrown from app code happens to contain. How long diagnostics are kept EAS Observe deletes collected data after 90 days. Deletion runs in monthly batches, so a given record can remain for up to 120 days. After deletion, Expo keeps only per-app event counts for billing. Optional usage counters (public statistics) A second and separate pipeline feeds the public statistics page. It is not connected to EAS Observe and it carries no installation identifier. What the counters contain There are exactly two event categories. app_open is sent once per successful app start. git_host_action is sent once after a successful Git-host operation that you triggered, tagged with one host from a fixed set (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, other). Nothing else is sent. There is no note content, no repository name or URL, no account or user identifier, no token, no exact hostname, no location, and no free-form extra field. The server timestamps every event itself. How the counters are stored and published Events are kept only as daily aggregate counters bucketed in UTC, and are retained for 13 months. No event log and no per-user record is kept. The published numbers are client-reported and unverified. A client that repeats a valid report has it counted again, so the figures are a count of reported events. They are not a count of people and not a count of unique users. Treat the statistics page as an indication of activity rather than an audited figure. Any cell with fewer than 20 events is withheld, and related totals are withheld as well so that a hidden number cannot be reconstructed by subtraction. Turning the counters off Turning telemetry off stops new reports. If the preference is off before startup, EAS Observe is not imported. If it is turned off after import, future EAS dispatch and Worker submissions are disabled, but the SDK cannot be unloaded and its local error-capture handler remains installed until process exit. Previously collected counters are not erased, and already published totals cannot be retracted. We keep only aggregate counters, so there is no per-person record to erase. Authentication The App authenticates with GitHub via OAuth or a personal access token that you generate yourself. The token is stored in the iOS Keychain on your device and is sent only to api.github.com when you load, view, or modify your notes. You can revoke the token at any time from your GitHub settings. AI features (optional, off by default for new accounts) The App offers optional AI assistance. You can disable AI entirely from Settings → AI; every other feature works without it. Apple Intelligence — on supported Apple devices, runs on-device using Apple's foundation models. No data leaves your device. Bring-your-own provider — if you configure an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, the App sends your prompt and any selected note context directly from your device to the URL and API key you configured. We do not proxy, log, or inspect this traffic. The provider you choose is bound by its own privacy policy. Permissions the App may request Camera — only when you choose to take a photo to attach to a note. Photo Library — only when you pick an existing image to attach to a note. Selected images are uploaded to your linked GitHub repository under notes/images/. Microphone — only when you tap voice-to-text. Speech is processed by expo-speech-recognition (on-device by default on iOS). Face ID / Touch ID — only if you enable App Lock in Settings. Verification happens in the Apple Secure Enclave; biometric data never leaves your device and is never seen by the App. Background fetch / processing — keeps your notes synced with GitHub when the App is closed. Network traffic is between your device and api.github.com only. Network endpoints the App contacts api.github.com — to read and write the notes in your repository, using your token. github.com — to authorise the OAuth flow. Any AI provider URL you configure — only when you actively use an AI feature. The Expo EAS Observe ingestion endpoint — only while diagnostics are enabled, to deliver startup metrics and error reports. The GitNotēs statistics endpoint — in builds shipping the feature, only while usage counters are enabled, to deliver the two aggregate event types. Apple servers (App Store updates, push token registration) — standard iOS platform traffic that we don't control or observe. A Cloudflare WAF per-address rate-limit rule before the statistics endpoint is a production prerequisite; its active configuration has not been verified. Cloudflare may process a source IP address for that edge rule. Worker application code does not read or persist the IP address. Children's privacy GitNotēs is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 13 (the US COPPA threshold) or under the age of 16 in the EU/EEA (GDPR Article 8). The pseudonymous installation identifier and aggregate usage counters are subject to applicable legal classification, which the operator must review. If you believe a child has used the App and provided personal information, contact us and we will assist in removing any local data. Your rights GitNotēs does not maintain a user account database. Expo processes diagnostics that may contain a pseudonymous installation identifier, whose legal classification requires operator review; Worker usage data is held as aggregate counters. Requests under GDPR / CCPA / equivalent regimes may therefore depend on the applicable classification and data flow: Access — your notes are already accessible to you in the GitHub repository you chose, in the App, or via any Git client. There is no separate copy we hold. Erasure — deleting a note in the App removes it from local storage and pushes a delete commit to your repository. Uninstalling the App removes every local cache. To delete history beyond that, manage the GitHub repository directly. Diagnostics — diagnostics data is held by Expo under its own policy and its 90-day retention window. Turning diagnostics off stops future EAS dispatch. After the diagnostics module is imported, local error capture may continue until process exit. The App cannot remove Expo records it has already received. Usage counters — we keep daily aggregate counters with no identifier attached, so there is no record that belongs to you individually and nothing for us to identify or delete on request. Turning the counters off stops further submissions; it does not delete counts that were already recorded. Portability — your notes are Markdown / Org-mode / Neorg files in a Git repository. Portability is the default state. Token revocation — revoke the GitHub access token from GitHub settings at any time. Security Tokens and BYO API keys are stored in the iOS Keychain. The App speaks to GitHub over HTTPS only. No method of electronic storage is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security of data on your device. For sensitive notes we recommend a private GitHub repository and enabling the in-App Face ID lock. Third-party services GitHub (Microsoft) — storage and authentication. See the Apple — iOS platform services, Keychain, optional Apple Intelligence. See Apple's Privacy Policy Expo — EAS Observe diagnostics and crash reporting, when diagnostics are enabled. See the EAS Observe documentation and Expo's Privacy Policy Cloudflare — hosting for the statistics endpoint and its aggregate counters. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy Any AI provider you configure — when AI is enabled with a BYO endpoint. That provider receives the prompt and selected context you send. Contact your provider for their privacy practices. Changes to this policy We may update this Privacy Policy as the App evolves. Updates are posted to this page with a new "Last updated" date. Material changes will be highlighted in-App on the next launch. The in-App notice appears once for each material change and can be dismissed, and your choice to dismiss it is stored on your device. Contact Email: support@gitnotes.org Issues / bugs: https://github.com/skepjandi/gitnotes/issues --- ## Page: /roadmap ### Roadmap — GitNotēs GitNotēs Free vs Pro comparison. See what's included in the free tier and what you unlock with Pro — AI assistant, infinite canvas, multi-host sync, and more. GitNotēs is free to start with no credit card required. Unlock premium features with Pro to supercharge your workflow. Free $0 forever Everything you need to get started with Git-backed notes. Pro $16.99 lifetime · $9.99/yr · $1.99/mo Unlock the full GitNotēs experience with AI, canvas, and priority support. Best value Lifetime access — $16.99 One payment. No recurring billing. Free vs Pro at a glance Feature comparison between the Free and Pro plans Feature Start for free today No credit card required. Download GitNotēs and start taking notes in seconds. Compare with others · Back to home Notes & Todos Markdown, Neorg, and Org-mode with live preview and rich editor toolbar. Automatic, conflict-aware sync to your Git repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo). Works fully offline. Browse your entire repository tree. Rename, move, and delete files. Connect up to 1 Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo) for free. Get help from the community and open source contributors. Claude 3.5, GPT-4o, Apple Foundation Models, and Llama for note creation, editing, and search. Freeform drawings with full pinch-zoom, pan, and advanced AI vision capabilities. Connect to GitLab, Gitea, and other Git hosts beyond GitHub. No limits on the number of repositories you can connect. Skip the queue and get dedicated support from the GitNotēs team. Notes, todos, canvases Git sync (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo) Markdown, Neorg, Org-mode AI assistant (basic) Advanced AI (Claude 3.5, GPT-4o) Infinite canvas (full) Multi-host (GitLab, Gitea) --- ## Page: /stats ### Public usage statistics — GitNotēs Privacy-safe aggregate usage counters for GitNotēs: reported app opens for today, the last 30 days and the current UTC month, plus the Git-host platform ranking. Published usage counters Loading the published counters… Statistics are temporarily unavailable The counters could not be loaded from the statistics service, so nothing is shown here. This page never displays a partial or estimated figure. Please try again in a few minutes. Try again As of (UTC) Reported events, not verified users and not unique users. Too few reports to publish Fewer than 20 reported events fell inside one of the published windows, so every total is withheld. Related totals are withheld with it so a hidden figure cannot be reconstructed by subtraction. A zero would be misleading, so nothing is shown instead. Platform ranking, last 30 days Reported Git-host actions One of the fixed platform categories recorded fewer than 20 reported events, so the whole ranking is withheld instead of exposing a small cell. Reported app opens on the current UTC day. Opens, last 30 days Reported app opens across the current UTC day and the previous 29 UTC days. Daily average, last 30 days Opens in the last 30 days divided by 30 days. Opens this month Reported app opens from 00:00 UTC on the first day of the current UTC month up to today. Month-to-date daily average Opens this month divided by the elapsed UTC calendar days. Public statistics Public usage statistics These are aggregate counters from the optional usage-counter pipeline. They count reported app opens and reported Git-host actions — they are not verified users, and they are not unique users. What each number means How these counters are protected Read the full data-flow disclosure The privacy policy explains exactly what the counters contain, how long they are kept, and how to turn the telemetry off. Read the privacy policy Reported app opens on the current UTC day. The day is decided by the server in UTC, never by the device. Opens this month divided by the number of UTC calendar days elapsed in the current UTC month. The 1st divides by 1, the 31st by 31. Reported Git-host actions over the same 30-day window, grouped by the fixed host list GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo and other. Reported events, not people Every figure is a count of events reported by a client. The counters carry no account identifier, so we cannot tell one person’s reports apart from anyone else’s, and the totals are neither verified usage nor a count of unique users. A repeated report counts again Reports are not signed, replay-checked or deduplicated, so a client that reports the same open twice has it counted twice. Treat the numbers as an indication of activity rather than an audited figure. Small cells are withheld A cell with fewer than 20 reported events is withheld, and the totals that would reveal it are withheld with it, so a hidden number cannot be reconstructed by subtraction. Withheld is shown as withheld, never as zero. Aggregate rows only, kept for 13 months Only daily aggregate counters are stored. There is no event log and no per-person record, and counter rows carry no note content, repository name, account identifier or token. --- ## Page: /support ### Support — GitNotēs Get help with GitNotēs. Contact support at support@gitnotes.org for assistance with setup, Git sync, AI models, or any questions. Need help with GitNotēs? Reach the team directly or browse the most common questions below. Contact details GitNotēs support is handled by . Use the official channels below for help, product questions, or business inquiries. Reach us directly Fastest way to get routed to the right team. Email: Phone: Registered office Official company address for GitNotēs support. Frequently asked questions +94 11 260 1647 Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd Level 26, East Tower, Echelon Square, World Trade Center How can I contact GitNotēs support? You can email support@gitnotes.org or call +94 11 260 1647 for support requests, product questions, and account-related help. Where is GitNotēs based? GitNotēs is published by Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd, Level 26, East Tower, Echelon Square, World Trade Center, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka. Where is my data stored when I use GitNotēs? Your notes live in the Git repository you choose (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Forgejo), with local caching on your device for speed and offline access. GitNotēs is built around keeping your data under your control. How do I report a bug or a broken feature? Send the issue details to support@gitnotes.org with steps to reproduce, screenshots if helpful, and the device or platform you were using so the team can investigate quickly. Can I ask about partnerships, media, or business inquiries here? Yes. The support channel can also route business, press, and partnership requests to the right team at Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd. --- ## Page: /terms ### Terms of Use (EULA) | GitNotēs The Terms of Use (EULA) for GitNotēs by Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd, covering the license grant, auto-renewable subscriptions, billing, cancellations, and refunds. 1. Agreement These Terms of Use (the "Terms") are an agreement between you and Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd, Level 26, East Tower, Echelon Square, World Trade Center, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka ("we", "us"), the publisher of the GitNotēs mobile application and any related services (together, the "App"). By downloading, installing, or using the App, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the App. These Terms are an End User License Agreement (EULA) between you and Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd, and not with Apple Inc. or Google LLC. Apple and Google are third-party beneficiaries of this EULA and may enforce it against you. 2. License Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to download and use the App on devices you own or control, for your personal, non-commercial use. The App is licensed, not sold. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, rent, sublicense, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from the App, except as permitted by applicable law or the App's open-source components. Portions of the App are released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0). Those portions are governed by that license and the MPL-2.0 terms prevail over these Terms to the extent of any conflict. 3. Your data The App stores your notes in the GitHub repository you choose and locally on your device. You are responsible for the content you store, for the GitHub account and repository you link, and for ensuring you have the right to store that content. We do not host or control your notes. Our handling of any information is described in the Privacy Policy 4. Pro subscription The App is free to use with a core set of features. Optional Pro features (the "Pro subscription" or "Pro") are unlocked by one of the following, each purchased through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store: Monthly auto-renewable subscription — currently USD 1.99 per month with a 14-day free trial. Yearly auto-renewable subscription — currently USD 9.99 per year. Lifetime one-time purchase — USD 16.99 paid upfront, after which Pro unlocks indefinitely with no further payments. Prices are set in your local store and may vary by region. Xaventra may change the price of new subscriptions or renewals at any time; any change will be communicated in advance and will only apply after you accept the new price. 5. Auto-renewal and cancellation Subscriptions are auto-renewing. Unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, your subscription renews automatically and your payment method is charged at the then-current price. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in the Subscriptions section of your App Store or Google Play account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; you keep Pro access until then and are not refunded for the remainder of that period. To restore a purchase you already made, use the "Restore Purchases" option in the App on the device where you signed in with the same store account. 6. Refunds All payments are processed by Apple or Google. We do not process refunds directly. Refunds are handled by the store you purchased from: request a refund through Apple's Report a Problem or Google Play's refund flow, or contact support@gitnotes.org and we will assist. Nothing in these Terms limits any statutory rights you may have under consumer law. 7. Acceptable use You agree not to use the App to: Store or transmit unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, or infringing content. Violate any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right, including GitHub's terms and acceptable use policies. Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any system, bypass security features, or interfere with the App's operation. Circumvent the Pro subscription, including by reverse-engineering licensing or entitlement checks. 8. Intellectual property The App, its source code (except MPL-2.0 portions), trademarks, and branding are owned by Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual-property laws. Your content remains yours. 9. Third-party services The App relies on third-party services you configure, including GitHub for storage and synchronization, Apple / Google for app distribution and payments, and any AI provider you choose to connect. Those services are governed by their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the operation or availability of third-party services. 10. Disclaimers The App is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that its results will be accurate. Where your notes are stored in a GitHub repository, data loss is governed by GitHub's terms — keep backups. 11. Limitation of liability To the maximum extent permitted by law, Xaventra (Pvt) Ltd and its officers, employees, and agents are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the App. Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising from these Terms or the App is limited to the amount you paid us, if any, in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law. 12. Termination You may stop using the App at any time and uninstall it. We may suspend or terminate your access to the App if you breach these Terms. Upon termination, your licenses end; purchased subscriptions continue to be governed by the store's cancellation and refund rules. 13. Changes to these Terms We may update these Terms from time to time. Updates are posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date. Material changes that affect existing subscribers will be communicated in advance. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. 14. Governing law These Terms are governed by the laws of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, without regard to conflict-of- law principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Colombo, Sri Lanka. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect. 15. Contact Email: support@gitnotes.org Issues / bugs: https://github.com/skepjandi/gitnotes/issues --- (End of file)