Every journaling app has the same problem: friction.
Open app → wait for sync → click new entry → choose template…

⌨

You're already in terminal just type journal

✎

Opens in your preferred editor no learning curve

⎇

Auto-commits to git no manual syncing

◻

Just markdown files complete ownership

The best productivity tool is the one you actually use.

Everything you need, nothing you don't

Streak tracking

See your current and longest consecutive-day streaks in --stats. Build the habit.

Calendar view

journal --calendar shows an ASCII calendar with your entry days highlighted at a glance.

Quick capture

journal "thought" appends a timestamped note instantly — no editor, no friction.

Multiple journals

Keep work, personal, and family journals completely separate, each with its own git repo.

Shared journals

Collaborative journaling via a private git remote — auto-syncs, detects conflicts, resolves gracefully.

Interactive search

Full-text --search with context and highlighting. Fuzzy --list when fzf is installed.

Usage

# — Everyday —
journal                              # Open today's journal
journal "Had a breakthrough today"   # Quick capture (no editor)
journal --yesterday                  # Open yesterday's entry
journal --last                       # Open most recent entry
journal --date "last friday"         # Natural language dates

# — Browse & Search —
journal --list                       # List entries (fzf interactive if installed)
journal --calendar                   # Monthly calendar with entry indicators
journal --search "confidence"        # Full-text search with context
journal --week                       # Open all entries from this week
journal --tag work                   # Filter entries by #tag

# — Stats & History —
journal --stats                      # Statistics + current/longest streak
journal --diff 2025-01-15            # Git history for an entry
journal --prompt                     # Today's writing prompt

# — Export & Backup —
journal --export html                # Export to HTML
journal --backup                     # Create timestamped backup
journal --archive 2024               # Archive all 2024 entries

Multiple journals

Keep work, personal, and family journals in completely separate directories — each with its own git history and remote. Switch instantly.

journal --switch work                # Switch to (or create) 'work' journal
journal --switch kids --shared       # Shared journal — auto-syncs with collaborators
journal --switch default             # Return to default journal
journal --list-journals              # List all journals

Installation

brew tap jtaylortech/journalot
brew install journalot

git clone git@github.com:jtaylortech/journalot.git
cd journalot
sudo ./install.sh

Optional: install fzf for interactive fuzzy-search in --list.