# What is Fernscout?

Fernscout is a travel journal for the people at home. You write a day while you travel, and the people you invite read it by email, without installing anything.

## What it does

- You write each day yourself, in your own studio, or hand your notes to an AI agent that drafts it for you to review.
- Readers you invite get the day by email, free, and read it in any browser.
- A day can become a printed postcard, posted anywhere (CHF 3.90); a trip can become a photobook (CHF 36.90).


## What it costs

Free: CHF 0, with 2 GB of storage. Trip pass: CHF 19 once. Plus: CHF 49 a year (CHF 59 inside the iPhone app). Plans open with public sign-up; until then, joining is by invitation.

Prints are paid when you order them, and you see the price first.


## Where your data is

The hosted journal stores its data in Helsinki, Finland. Your journal is JSON documents and your original photos in a folder; you can download all of it as one zip.


## What is open source

The journal itself is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence, and you can run it on your own server. Printing, postcards and payments are part of the hosted service only.


## In short

### Do my readers need an app?

No. They read in any browser, and get new days by email.

### Who can read my journal?

Only the people you invite. A trip becomes public only if you publish it that way.

### What does a printed photobook cost?

From CHF 36.90. You see the exact price before you order.

### Where is my data stored?

In Helsinki, Finland, and you can export all of it as one zip at any time.

### Is it open source?

The journal is, under Apache-2.0. The printing and messaging services are part of the hosted edition.

## More answers

- [Let your AI write your travel journal](https://fernscout.ch/guides/ai-travel-journal)
- [Fernscout, Polarsteps, FindPenguins and Journi compared](https://fernscout.ch/guides/compare)