What is Vault Note used for?

Vault Note is a private diary web app with end-to-end encryption where your entries are locked with a key derived from a secret link that only you hold. It is a good fit for keeping a private diary that the provider cannot read and sharing selected entries by passing the secret link.

Is Vault Note open source?

No. Vault Note is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the Note Taking category, open-source options include Journiv, Memos and Notesnook.

What are some alternatives to Vault Note?

Vault Note competes with Day One, Journey and Penzu.

Vault Note: features, pricing and alternatives

About Vault Note

Vault Note is a journaling app built around zero-knowledge storage. Entries are encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM before they reach the server, and the key comes from a personal secret link, so the service stores data it cannot decrypt. The site notes that if you lose the link, your encrypted entries cannot be recovered. You can share the link with trusted people, and an instant kill switch disables it, after which even you cannot read entries until it is re-enabled.

The free plan offers unlimited journal entries, a distraction-free editor, tags and dates and export, but without end-to-end encryption. Unlocking encryption is a one-time payment that gives you the secret link and lifetime access, which the site describes as true privacy like a messaging app but for a diary.

Pricing is a single lifetime payment of $4.99, shown against a $9.99 list price, with no subscription, and the app is a hosted web service. The FAQ covers encryption basics, losing the link and sharing a journal with trusted people.

Key features

Client-side AES-256-GCM encryption
Secret link used as the encryption key
Zero-knowledge server-side storage
Instant kill switch for the link
Unlimited entries with tags and dates
Export of your entries

Good fit for

Keeping a private diary that the provider cannot read
Sharing selected entries by passing the secret link

Tags: journal; diary; end-to-end-encryption; privacy; zero-knowledge; notes; one-time-payment

Vault Note: questions and answers

What is Vault Note used for?: Vault Note is a private diary web app with end-to-end encryption where your entries are locked with a key derived from a secret link that only you hold. It is a good fit for keeping a private diary that the provider cannot read and sharing selected entries by passing the secret link.
Is Vault Note open source?: No. Vault Note is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the Note Taking category, open-source options include Journiv, Memos and Notesnook.
What are some alternatives to Vault Note?: Vault Note competes with Day One, Journey and Penzu.