Jottings vs Micro.blog: Detailed Platform Comparison

Overview

Both Jottings and Micro.blog are designed for creators who want to own their content and escape mainstream social media. However, they take different approaches to microblogging, community, and content ownership.

Quick Comparison Table

When to Choose Jottings

Choose Jottings if you:

• Want AI-assisted writing integrated into posting workflow
• Need unlimited post length without switching to "blog mode"
• Prefer tags as content channels with dedicated feeds
• Want offline search built into the site
• Like minimalist, distraction-free interface
• Don't need community features (replies, likes, follows)
• Want free subdomain option to start
• Prefer simpler, focused microblogging without social features

When to Choose Micro.blog

Choose Micro.blog if you:

• Want a community timeline to discover other creators
• Need native iOS/Mac apps for posting on-the-go
• Like replies and conversations (lightweight social features)
• Want to follow others within the platform
• Need established ecosystem with plugins and themes
• Prefer proven platform (launched 2017, stable community)
• Want IndieWeb integration (Webmentions, Micropub)
• Like having both microblog and full blog in one place

Key Differences

Philosophy & Approach

Jottings:

• Public notepad - Post updates, thoughts, links without social pressure
• No community by default - Focus on your content, not others
• Tags as channels - Organize content into distinct feeds
• AI-first - Writing assistance built-in from the start
• Newer platform - Fresh approach to microblogging (2025)

Micro.blog:

• Social microblogging - Twitter alternative with ethics
• Community-focused - Discover and follow other users
• IndieWeb principles - Open standards, data ownership
• Conversation-enabled - Replies, mentions, social features
• Established platform - 7+ years, mature ecosystem (since 2017)

Community & Social Features

Jottings:

• ❌ No built-in timeline or community
• ❌ No replies, likes, or follows
• ✅ RSS feeds for external community building
• ✅ Focus on your content, not social interaction
• ✅ Less distraction, more publishing

Micro.blog:

• ✅ Community timeline (Discover feed)
• ✅ Follow other Micro.blog users
• ✅ Replies and conversations (opt-in)
• ✅ Mentions and cross-blog interactions
• ⚠️ Can be distracting if you want pure publishing

Technical Features

Jottings:

• Static generation - Fast, secure, SEO-friendly
• AI writing assistant - Draft, expand, rephrase content
• Tag-based channels - Each tag = dedicated page + feed
• Offline search - Pre-indexed, instant results
• Unlimited length - No character limits on any post
• Simple Markdown - Straightforward formatting
• Web-only (for now) - Mobile apps coming later

Micro.blog:

• Hugo-based - Powerful static site generator
• 280 char microblog + unlimited blog posts
• Rich plugin ecosystem - Extend functionality
• Native apps - iOS and Mac clients
• Custom themes - Large theme library
• Webmentions - Cross-site interactions
• IndieWeb features - Micropub, ActivityPub support

Content Organization

Jottings:

• Tags double as channels - Each tag gets own page and feed
• Simple structure - All posts chronological, filtered by tags
• Dedicated tag feeds - RSS/JSON per tag
• Focused navigation - Easy to create topic-specific destinations
• Clean URLs - /tags/product-updates for channel-style organization

Micro.blog:

• Categories and tags - Standard blog organization
• Microblog vs blog posts - Different content types
• Pages - Static pages for about, contact, etc.
• Archives - Date-based browsing
• Standard blog structure - Familiar to WordPress users

Pricing Comparison

Jottings Pricing

• Free: username.jottings.me subdomain, 100MB storage, unlimited posts
• Pro Monthly: $5/month - Custom domain, 5GB storage, AI assistant
• Pro Annual: $50/year - Save $10/year vs monthly

Value proposition: Start free, upgrade for custom domain and AI

Micro.blog Pricing

• No free tier - Starts at $5/month
• Standard: $5/month - Hosting, custom domain, apps, community
• Premium: $10/month - Additional features and storage
• Cross-posting: +$2/month - Auto-post to Twitter, etc.

Value proposition: All-in-one platform with hosting and community

SEO & Discoverability

Jottings SEO

• ✅ Static HTML for speed and crawlability
• ✅ Full control over meta tags
• ✅ Tag pages create topic clusters
• ✅ Clean, semantic markup
• ✅ Fast page loads boost rankings
• ⚠️ No built-in community for internal discovery

Micro.blog SEO

• ✅ Hugo static generation (very fast)
• ✅ Clean permalink structure
• ✅ RSS feeds for distribution
• ✅ Good SEO practices by default
• ✅ Established platform with domain authority
• ✅ Community helps with internal discovery

Winner: Both excel at SEO, slight edge to Jottings for tag-as-channel structure

Apps & Platforms

Jottings

• 🌐 Web interface (responsive, mobile-friendly)
• 📱 Native apps planned (not available yet)
• 💻 Works great on desktop and mobile browsers
• ⚠️ No offline posting yet

Micro.blog

• ✅ Native iOS app (excellent)
• ✅ Native macOS app
• 🌐 Web interface
• ✅ Offline draft support
• ✅ Push notifications
• ✅ Shortcuts integration (iOS)

Winner: Micro.blog for native apps, Jottings for web simplicity

AI & Writing Assistance

Jottings

• ✅ AI writing assistant built-in - Draft, expand, rephrase
• ✅ Integrated into posting workflow
• ✅ Helps overcome writer's block
• ✅ Maintains your voice while assisting
• ✅ Optional - use it when you need it

Micro.blog

• ❌ No built-in AI writing tools
• ⚠️ Could use external tools separately
• ✅ Focuses on authentic, human writing
• ✅ Simple, distraction-free editor

Winner: Jottings if AI assistance is important to you

IndieWeb & Open Standards

Jottings

• ✅ RSS and JSON feeds
• ✅ Open data export
• ⚠️ No Webmentions (yet)
• ⚠️ No Micropub support (yet)
• ✅ Static HTML (portable)

Micro.blog

• ✅ Full IndieWeb support - Webmentions, Micropub, ActivityPub
• ✅ RSS and JSON feeds
• ✅ Cross-site conversations
• ✅ POSSE (Publish Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere)
• ✅ Reply via ActivityPub (Mastodon, etc.)

Winner: Micro.blog for IndieWeb integration

Use Cases Comparison

Jottings Excels For:

1. Product Updates - Tag-based channels for different audiences
2. AI-Assisted Posting - Writers who want help drafting
3. Simple Publishing - No social features to distract
4. Free Starting Point - Try before committing to paid plan
5. Tag-as-Channel Strategy - Each topic = dedicated feed
6. Unlimited Posts - No character limits ever
7. Minimal Overhead - Just write and publish

Micro.blog Excels For:

1. Community Engagement - Follow and converse with others
2. Mobile Posting - Native apps for on-the-go
3. IndieWeb Enthusiasts - Full standard compliance
4. Conversation-Focused - Lightweight social interactions
5. Established Ecosystem - Plugins, themes, community
6. Cross-Posting - Syndicate to Twitter, etc.
7. Microblog + Blog - Dual content types

Migration & Portability

From Jottings to Micro.blog

1. Export all jottings as Markdown
2. Sign up for Micro.blog ($5/month)
3. Import Markdown files
4. Set up custom domain
5. Configure permalinks to match Jottings URLs (if needed)

From Micro.blog to Jottings

1. Export your Micro.blog content
2. Sign up for Jottings (free or Pro)
3. Import/recreate posts from export
4. Set up custom domain (Pro plan)
5. RSS feeds automatically generated

Both platforms: Excellent data portability, easy to leave if needed

Community & Support

Jottings

• 📧 Direct email support
• 📚 Documentation site
• 🆕 New platform, growing community
• 👥 Small, focused user base
• 🚀 Active development

Micro.blog

• 💬 Community help forum
• 📚 Extensive documentation
• 📝 Helpful blog with tips
• 👥 Established, friendly community
• 📱 Feature-rich support forums
• 🎙️ Regular updates and podcasts

Winner: Micro.blog for mature community and resources

Privacy & Data Control

Jottings

• ✅ No tracking by default
• ✅ Full data export anytime
• ✅ Static content (no server-side tracking)
• ✅ GDPR compliant
• ✅ You own domain and content

Micro.blog

• ✅ Privacy-focused (no ads, no tracking)
• ✅ Full data export
• ✅ GDPR compliant
• ✅ Ethical hosting
• ✅ You own your content

Winner: Tie - both are excellent for privacy and ownership

Feature Development Roadmap

Jottings (Newer, Actively Building)

• 🚧 Native mobile apps
• 🚧 More AI features
• 🚧 Advanced analytics (optional)
• 🚧 Collaboration features
• 🚧 Email subscriptions

Micro.blog (Mature, Steady Updates)

• ✅ Established feature set
• 🔄 Regular refinements
• 🔄 Community-driven features
• 🔄 Plugin ecosystem growth
• ✅ Stable, proven platform

Hybrid Strategy: Use Both?

Some creators use both platforms strategically:

Jottings for:

• Product announcements (tag-based channels)
• AI-assisted content creation
• Free subdomain testing
• Tag-specific audiences

Micro.blog for:

• Community engagement
• Cross-posting to other platforms
• Mobile posting with native apps
• IndieWeb interactions

Example Workflow:

1. Draft posts in Jottings with AI assistance
2. Publish to Jottings for SEO and tags
3. Cross-post highlights to Micro.blog for community
4. Use Micro.blog for replies and conversations
5. Jottings as primary archive, Micro.blog for social

Making Your Decision

Choose Jottings if you prioritize:

1. AI writing assistance - Built-in help with drafting
2. Free starting option - Try before paying
3. Tag-based channels - Organized content distribution
4. No social features - Pure publishing focus
5. Simplicity - Minimal, focused interface
6. Unlimited length - No character constraints

Choose Micro.blog if you prioritize:

1. Native apps - iOS and Mac clients
2. Community - Timeline, follows, replies
3. IndieWeb standards - Webmentions, Micropub, ActivityPub
4. Established platform - Proven track record
5. Dual content types - Microblog and traditional blog
6. Plugin ecosystem - Extend functionality

Consider both if you want:

1. Best features of each - AI + community
2. Different audiences - Separate content strategies
3. Experimentation - Test both approaches
4. Diversification - Multiple publishing platforms

Conclusion

Jottings is perfect for creators who want AI-assisted, distraction-free microblogging with tag-based organization. It's ideal if you don't need social features and want to start free or pay less ($5/mo) for custom domains.

Micro.blog is the choice for those who want a proven, community-oriented platform with IndieWeb features, native apps, and established ecosystem. At $5/month with hosting included, it's excellent value if you want the full package.

Key Deciding Factors:

• Want AI writing help? → Jottings
• Want native mobile apps? → Micro.blog
• Want to start free? → Jottings
• Want a community timeline? → Micro.blog
• Want tags as channels? → Jottings
• Want IndieWeb features? → Micro.blog

Both platforms respect your data ownership and privacy. Your choice depends on whether you value AI assistance and simplicity (Jottings) or community and IndieWeb features (Micro.blog).

Ready to try Jottings? Start for free with a subdomain, or go Pro for $5/month.

Get started with Jottings → See a live Jottings example →