Everything in the app, listed plainly.
No comparison chart with invented checkmarks. Below sits the entire surface of Fjordnote 3.4, including the parts left out on purpose.
Search that keeps up
An incremental index sits beside the folder. Results narrow on every keystroke. Quote a phrase for an exact match, prefix a word with a minus to drop it, or scope the query to one tag.
Tags you type, not manage
Write #kitchen anywhere in a note and the tag exists. A slash nests it. Rename it once and every file on disk is rewritten in a single undoable step.
A keyboard-first editor
Every command has a shortcut. Every shortcut rebinds. The command palette is one key away. The mouse is optional everywhere except resizing the window.
Offline is the default
The app reads and writes the folder directly. Pull the network cable mid-sentence and nothing changes. Sync catches up later and never blocks the editor.
End-to-end encrypted sync
Your passphrase derives a key on device. Files encrypt before upload and decrypt after download. A lost passphrase is unrecoverable, by anyone. That is the trade.
Version history on disk
Fjordnote keeps 90 days of snapshots in a hidden folder next to the notes. Restore a paragraph, a file, or yesterday's whole state without leaving the app.
Platforms and formats
One codebase, four builds, plus a web client for days on a borrowed machine. The web client decrypts inside the browser tab and keeps nothing once the tab closes.
| Platform | Minimum version | Package |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | 13 Ventura | Universal .dmg |
| Windows | 10 (22H2) | Signed .msi |
| Linux | glibc 2.31 | .deb, .rpm, tarball |
| Web | Any evergreen browser | Nothing to install |
Build matrix last revised 2 December 2025.
Import once, leave whenever.
Fjordnote imports Markdown, plain text, HTML, ENEX and CSV exports. Leaving needs no export step at all, because the notes were already files.
Reads and writes
- CommonMark with tables and footnotes
- YAML front matter, preserved untouched
- Wiki-style links between notes
- Attachments beside the note, never inside it
What Fjordnote does not do
Saying no keeps the app small. These are settled decisions, not a roadmap.
No shared workspaces
Fjordnote is single-player. Teams, permissions and comment threads belong to a different product, and building them here would cost the app its speed.
No tracking of any kind
No analytics SDK, no crash beacon, no session replay. The desktop app talks to exactly one host, and only while sync is on.
No generated writing
Nothing in the editor drafts text for you. A Fjordnote archive holds the sentences its owner typed, which is the whole reason to keep one.