A private journaling companion for people in recovery. Pairs a beautiful editor with an AI sponsor who learns your story — like a friend who actually listens.
Open source. No accounts, no subscriptions, no paywalls, no ads, no telemetry. StepScribe is free for everyone in recovery, forever. That’s a promise.
Download the free desktop app →If you’d rather not install anything, the hosted version pays for the servers, daily encrypted backups, the database, the bandwidth, and the support inbox. No dark patterns — cancel any time, take your data with you.
Start a 7-day free trial →Same StepScribe, hosted for you. Sign up in 30 seconds, journal from any device, never worry about backups or updates. The local app stays free — you only pay if you want someone else to run it for you.
StepScribe is more than a journal — it’s a companion that learns what helps you stay on track.
Write with the formatting you need: headings, lists, highlights, and quotes. Your entries look the way you intend.
A quick mood check on every entry. Watch patterns emerge over weeks and months. The AI notices when your weather shifts.
Not a chatbot — a companion. It reads your past entries, knows your triggers, your wins, and the people in your life. Conversations build on each other, not reset every session.
The AI is trained to respond like a wise friend in recovery — not a therapist, not a cheerleader, not a search engine.
Built-in reflection prompts tied to each of the 12 steps. Work through them at your own pace; the AI can scaffold prompts for any question.
Save quotes, stories, and lessons from people who’ve helped you. They become part of the AI’s memory too — it can reference them when you need a reminder.
A clean, focused editor with the formatting tools you need — nothing in your way.
No more re-explaining yourself every time you open the app. Your AI sponsor remembers past conversations, references past entries, and grows with you.
StepScribe was built for people in recovery — people whose stories are deeply personal. Privacy isn’t a feature; it’s the foundation.
The desktop app runs entirely on your computer. You’ll need Ollama (free) for the AI to work.
Free, open source, and ready in seconds. Just download and launch — no setup required.
x86_64 & ARM64
Mac — Apple Silicon vs Intel: If your Mac was made in 2020 or later, it almost certainly has Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, or M4). To check: click the menu → "About This Mac" — if the chip says "Apple M…" choose Apple Silicon; if it says "Intel" choose Intel Mac.
Windows: One installer covers all modern Windows PCs (64-bit).
Linux: Most PCs and laptops use x86_64. ARM64 is for devices like Raspberry Pi or ARM-based servers. AppImage runs on any distro; .deb is for Debian/Ubuntu-based systems.
Looking for a different version? View all releases on GitHub →
StepScribe is free and always will be. If it's helped your recovery, consider buying the developer a coffee.
☕ Buy Me a Coffee