# Joplin Application: Laurent Cozic Also called joplin app, joplin notes Laurent Cozic, Productivity An open-source notes app with Markdown and optional encryption. The process is Joplin.exe. It is not Obsidian. ## What you need to know Joplin is an encrypted-capable notebook. Obsidian is a Markdown vault. Joplin.exe keeps notes in its own store and can encrypt sync. Obsidian reads a folder of files. Installing one does not open the other's library. - **What is it?**: Notes **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article Feex says If Joplin.exe will not sync, I would check the sync target and the encryption password. I would not look for Obsidian.exe. That vault is a different product. ## What is Joplin? Joplin is an open-source note app. Joplin.exe is the Windows client. Notes can sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, Joplin Cloud, or a file target. Obsidian opens a folder of .md files directly. ## If you have never used it If you want local Markdown notes you can encrypt and sync to a place you choose, this is Joplin, not Obsidian. Download it from joplinapp.org. Obsidian is a paid-company vault of Markdown files with a different plugin economy. Joplin stores notes in its own database and can export Markdown. It is also not OneNote. ## What is it used for? **Markdown notes and notebooks** Notebooks inside Joplin's store. Obsidian uses a raw vault folder instead. **Optional end-to-end encryption** Joplin can encrypt the sync target. That flag is a Joplin feature Obsidian does not implement the same way. **Web clipper** A browser clipper saves pages into Joplin. That is not the Evernote clipper and not Send to OneNote. ## Who is it for? - People who want open-source notes with encryption - Users who already sync Joplin to Nextcloud or Joplin Cloud - Anyone who should not open an Obsidian vault and expect Joplin notebooks ## Current status Actively developed. This article is the Windows desktop app, not Joplin Cloud admin. ## How old is it? Laurent Cozic started Joplin in 2017, around the same time Obsidian's later vault idea spread. Joplin is the open-source notebook with optional E2E sync. Obsidian (2019 public) is a different vendor. A page that treats them as one "Markdown app" fails the sibling-swap test. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Desktop Mobile Joplin Cloud ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | Joplin.exe | Windows desktop app | | ---------- | ------------------- | ## Startup components Joplin can start with Windows from its own setting. That is not Obsidian's startup option. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Users\\\\AppData\Local\Programs\Joplin\Joplin.exe | | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ## File formats Markdown export, JEX, ENEX import, PDF ## Common problems ### Sync target conflict Two PCs writing without sync finish can duplicate notes. That is Joplin sync, not an Obsidian vault merge. ### People drop a .md folder on Joplin and expect a vault Import Markdown if you need it. The default store is not Obsidian's folder. ## Getting unstuck ### Confirm Joplin.exe under the Joplin install folder Obsidian.exe is the sibling people swap. Open file location if both are installed. ### Install from joplinapp.org or the GitHub releases the site links A "Joplin notes" search ad is the wrong file. ### Write down the encryption password before you enable E2E Joplin cannot recover that password. That is not an Obsidian plugin setting. ## Alternatives Obsidian, OneNote, and Notion overlap. Obsidian is the Markdown-vault sibling. Notion is a cloud workspace. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [joplinapp.org/ ](https://joplinapp.org/)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Help | [joplinapp.org/help/ ](https://joplinapp.org/help/)Vendor support | | Official site | [joplinapp.org/ ](https://joplinapp.org/)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware Local notes are light. A large attachment notebook wants disk more than a GPU. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [Notion: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/notion)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Joplin official site ](https://joplinapp.org/)· Vendor product page - [Joplin help ](https://joplinapp.org/help/)· Vendor support - [Joplin GitHub ](https://github.com/laurent22/joplin)· Source and releases - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Laurent Cozic **Category**: Notes **Process**: Joplin.exe **License**: AGPL open source **First released**: 2017 **Official site**: [joplinapp.org](https://joplinapp.org/) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/joplin/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)