Journaling is one of the most personal activities we engage in. Our journal entries contain our deepest thoughts, fears, hopes, and reflections. Yet, many of us third-party services with this sensitive information without a second thought.
The Problem with exiting Journaling applications
Most journaling apps store your entries in the cloud. This means:
- Your entries are stored on servers you don't control - You're trusting a company to keep your most personal thoughts secure
- Companies can access your data - Even if they claim not to, they have the technical ability to read your entries
- Your data can be used for advertising or analytics - Your personal reflections might be analyzed to show you ads or improve their algorithms
- You're subject to their terms of service - Policies can change, and your data is subject to their rules
- Your data could be compromised in a breach - Public services are attractive targets for hackers
- Vendor lock-in - Your data is tied to their platform, making it difficult to migrate elsewhere
Why Self-Hosting Matters
Self-hosting Journiv means:
- Complete Control: Your data stays on your server—you decide who has access, how it's backed up, and where it's stored
- No Third-Party Access: No company can read your entries, analyze your data, or use it for any purpose
- No Telemetry: We don't track your usage, collect analytics, or send any data to external services
- Your Rules: You decide the security measures, backup strategy, and access policies
- True Privacy: Your thoughts remain truly private—between you and your server
The Technical Side
Journiv is designed with privacy in mind from the ground up:
- Local Storage: All data stored on your infrastructure—SQLite or PostgreSQL, your choice
- Zero Telemetry: No analytics, no tracking, no external service calls
- Open Source: You can audit the code yourself to verify there's no data collection
- JWT Authentication: Secure token-based authentication with automatic refresh
- Optional OIDC: Use your own identity provider (Keycloak, Authentik, etc.) for authentication
- Export Anytime: Export all your data in standard formats—no vendor lock-in
Making the Switch
If you're currently using a third-party journaling app, consider making the switch to self-hosted. It's easier than you think:
- Install Journiv - Takes about a minute with Docker
- Start journaling with true privacy - Your thoughts stay yours
- Export your data - Most apps allow you to export your entries (coming soon)
- Import into Journiv - Use our import tools to bring your data over (coming soon)
The Privacy-First Philosophy
At Journiv, we believe that privacy isn't a feature—it's a fundamental right. Your journal entries are deeply personal, and they deserve the same level of privacy and security as your physical journal. With Journiv, you get that privacy while still enjoying modern features like mood tracking, prompts, analytics, and search.
Conclusion
Your journal entries are deeply personal. They contain your innermost thoughts, your struggles, your triumphs, and your growth. These deserve to be private—truly private, not "private until we decide otherwise."
With Journiv, you get that privacy. You get control. You get peace of mind knowing that your thoughts are yours alone and forever yours.
Take control of your data. Start self-hosting today.
Ready to make the switch? Check out our installation guide to get started in under a minute.