RedNotebook vs Turtl
RedNotebook
rednotebook.appTurtl
turtlapp.comSide by side
| Figure | RedNotebook | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $3/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 8.3 (#86) | 9.3 (#8) |
| Attachments | Entries can include images, files and links. | Photos, files and documents can be attached to notes and are stored with the same protection as other data. |
| Encryption | The documentation recommends encrypting the journal folder or home partition with an external tool such as TrueCrypt. | Turtl encrypts data on the client before transmission, so stored server data remains unreadable without users' keys. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | RedNotebook is a desktop diary and journal for formatting, tagging, and searching entries. | Turtl describes itself as a secure, collaborative notebook for organizing bookmarks, passwords, files, and shopping lists. |
| Release news | Version 2.43 was released on 2026-10-01 with fixes for spellcheck suggestions, Wayland window-icon crashes, string day numbers and backup filenames. | The October 9, 2018 version 0.7 announcement described a rewritten JavaScript server, Rust core, Spaces and a required account migration. |
| Search | Search-as-you-type lets users find entries while entering a query. | Users can search note text, filter by tags or untagged items, and sort by creation or edit date. |
| Support | The maker points users to bundled or online help, GitHub discussions, and the GitHub issue tracker for bug reports. | Basic and Premium include community support, while Business includes dedicated support; the contact page directs users to the Turtl Community for questions and help. |
| What it does | RedNotebook is a desktop diary for formatting, tagging and searching journal entries. | Turtl is a private collaborative notebook for organizing notes, bookmarks, passwords, files, images and documents. |
Plans
In their own words
RedNotebook
RedNotebook has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Turtl
Turtl is a collaborative notebook for organizing bookmarks, passwords, files, shopping lists, and other notes. It supports text, bookmark, password, image, and document notes, with full-text search, tag filtering, Markdown, and TeX math rendering. Users can create Spaces, choose collaborators, and set permissions from read-only access through full ownership. Turtl says data is encrypted in the app before leaving the device, using keys derived from the user's email and password. Shared items get separate random keys, so recipients can unlock only the item shared with them. The service warns that an intercepted email invitation could expose a shared Space if its secret is not communicated separately. Users can import or export their full profile for backup or migration, and can install the open-source server to host their own data. Listed platforms include Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, with Chrome and Firefox bookmarking extensions; offline access is supported. Premium costs $3/mo and includes 10GB note data and 10 collaborators per Space; Business costs $8/mo and includes 50GB and dedicated support.