---
title: "Encrypted Journaling App — Passphrase Only"
description: "AES-256-GCM with PBKDF2 (600,000 iterations). Your passphrase never leaves your device. The Sealed Journal is encryption built right."
canonical: "https://sealedjournal.com/j/encrypted-journaling-app"
category: "Core"
---

# An encrypted journal where the passphrase never leaves your device.

_AES-256-GCM with PBKDF2 key derivation at 600,000 iterations — the OWASP 2024 recommendation. Done in your browser, not on a server._

Most apps that say "end-to-end encrypted" still require an account, a recovery email, a server-side key. Each of those is a hole in the wall.

The Sealed Journal has no walls because it has no rooms outside your own. The cryptography happens in your browser. Your passphrase derives the key. Nothing is transmitted.

If you want to verify it, the file is not minified. You can read it. We'd rather you trust the source than trust us.

## Questions

### What encryption does the journal use?

AES-256-GCM with keys derived from your passphrase through PBKDF2 at 600,000 iterations. The passphrase never leaves the device and is never stored anywhere.

### Can you recover my entries if I forget the passphrase?

No, and that is deliberate. There is no reset email and no master key. Keep a hint somewhere safe, not the phrase itself.

### Is the encryption auditable?

Yes. The source is shipped unminified inside the HTML file, so you or anyone you trust can read exactly what it does before typing a word.

## Price

The Sealed Journal is a one-time purchase of $24 (introductory price, rising to $29). No subscription, no account, lifetime updates, 30-day refund. Buy at https://sealedjournal.com/#pricing

## Elsewhere

- Hub: Core — https://sealedjournal.com/journals/core
- All journals — https://sealedjournal.com/journals
- HTML version of this page — https://sealedjournal.com/j/encrypted-journaling-app