A curated list of awesome note-taking software.
📖 notes are stored in plain text format (e.g. Markdown, org-mode, dokuwiki)
📕 notes are stored in a database or otherwise need an export for external use
🤖 Android support or app. Alternatively, see termux for CLI (including emacs and vim plugins) on Android devices.
👍 Recommended. In active use for many years by a pull-request author.
🔁 provides multi-device sync. Alternatively, see syncthing or any cloud provider
- 📕 AppFlowy - The Open Source Alternative To Notion.Supports macOS, Windows & Linux (rust+flutter).
- 📖 QOwnNotes - Open source plain-text file markdown note-taking native-application with Nextcloud / ownCloud integration.
- 📕 Cherrytree - A hierarchical note-taking app, featuring rich text and syntax highlighting.
- 📕 treesheets - Free Form Data Organizer using hierarchical spreadsheet. Open source native desktop application.
- 📖 Zim Deskop Wiki - Open source multi-platform native desktop GUI to manage a collection of local wiki pages.
- 📕 Leo - PIM, IDE and outliner that accelerates the work flow of programmers, authors and web designers. Open source native desktop app.
- 🤖🔁 Tomboy - GNOME desktop note-taking application for Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- 📕 CrossLine - An outliner with sophisticated cross-link capabilities in the tradition of the well-respected Ecco Pro.
- 📖 nvpy - Open source cross-platform Simplenote syncing Notational Velocity and ResophNotes inspired note-taker.
- 📖 Red Notebook - Open source native desktop journal using plain-text files.
- 📖🤖 GitJournal - Open source markdown notes editor with integrated syncing with Git. Supports iOS, Android, Linux and MacOS (flutter).
- Fluster - All in one note taking solution for modern students and academics. Powered by Rust with integrated AI.
- 📖 todo-txt - A simple and extensible shell script for managing your todo.txt file.
- 📖 zk - A command-line tool helping you to maintain a plain text Zettelkasten or personal wiki.
- Note CLI - Converts a markdown file to a SQLite database and provides a regular-expression searching capability.
- nb - A command line and local web note‑taking, bookmarking, archiving, and knowledge base application
- 📖 FuzPad - A minimalistic note management solution. Powered by fzf.
- 📖 Toney - Toney is a fast, lightweight, terminal-based note-taking app for the modern developer.
- Visual Studio Code - Microsoft text editor
- 🤖 Emacs - An open source, cross-platform, extensible, and customizable text editor.
- 📖 Org-mode plain-text markup and major mode for keeping notes, authoring documents, computational notebooks, literate programming, …
- 📖 Org-roam - plain-text personal knowledge management system inspired by roam research.
- 📖 Org-brain - Concept mapping in Emacs using org-mode.
- 📖 Deft - an Emacs mode for quickly browsing, filtering, and editing directories of plain text notes, inspired by Notational Velocity.
- 📖 Hyperbole/Koutliner - multi-level autonumbered hypertextual outliner
- 📖 howm - Note-taking tool on Emacs that can be combined with any format.
- 📖 vim-wiki - A personal wiki for Vim -- a number of linked text files that have their own syntax highlighting.
- Logseq - Local-first, non-linear, outliner notebook for organizing and sharing your personal knowledge base.
- 📕🤖🔁 SiYuan - A privacy-first, self-hosted, fully open source personal knowledge management software.
- TriliumNext Notes - A cross-platform personal knowledge base with advanced features. WYSIWYG.
- Zettlr - Markdown Editor for the 21st century.
- 🤖🔁 Standard Notes - A free, open-source, and completely encrypted notes app. macOS, Windows, & Linux app repository. Archived
- AnyType - Open source local-first electron and phone app for tasks, notes, and more.
- Bangle.io - A free alternative to Notion that takes markdown notes saved right in your computer
- Linked - Forget less by daily journaling, completely offline, secure and free. Supports macOS, Windows & Linux.
- Calculist - The open source thinking tool for problem solvers.
- 📖🤖🔁 TidGi - Customizable personal knowledge-base with git as backup manager and blogging platform. A TiddlyWiki app based on TiddlyWiki platfrom.
- 📕🔁 AFFiNE - Next-gen knowledge base that brings planning, sorting and creating all together. Privacy first, open-source, customizable and ready to use.
- 📖 Tangent Notes - An open source, local-first markdown note taking application designed to let you write the way you think.
- Notable - Free app for simple note taking based on VS Code Editor. Important: Notable is no longer Open Source as of Sep 28, 2019 (v1.8.4 / 7403a47)
- Athens - Open-source and local-first alternative to Roam Research. Important: Now abandoned by the author.
- 📕 Treedome - Open-source and local-first, encrypted, note taking application organized in tree-like structures.
- 📖🤖🔁 Joplin - Open source note taking app that supports synchronization and has Windows, Linux, Android, Cli builds. Supports import from Evernote.
- 📕 Laverna - Evernote like note-taking web application with a Markdown editor using indexedDB local storage.
- 📖 CodiMD - CodiMD is the free software version of HackMD with reduced features (without book mode).
- 📖 Dokuwiki - a simple to use and highly versatile Open Source wiki software that doesn't require a database.
- 📕 Hypothes.is - Annotate anything online.
- NattyNote - A free, open-source browser extension to take time-stamped YouTube notes.
- 📖 Fossil source control software with built-in stand-alone wiki pages.
- 📖 SilverBullet - Free, open-source self-hosted PWA for markdown notes.
- 📖 TiddlyWiki - A self-contained JavaScript wiki for the browser, Node.js, AWS Lambda etc.
- 📕 Solo - Minimalistic private note-taking app with focus on typography
- 📖 Ephe - A Markdown Paper for daily todo and thoughts. Privacy first, OSS, local-only.
- Neuron - Future-proof open-source app for managing your plain-text notes in Zettelkasten style. Superceeded by Emanote.
- 📖 Obsidian - Free for personal use app, that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.
- Wridea - Web service to organize and improve ideas and notes by sharing with friends and necessary tools.
- Google Keep - Google Keep is a note-taking service developed by Google. It is available on the web and as mobile app.
- OneNote - Microsoft OneNote is a program for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration.
- Notebook - Mobile/Web/Desktop app to take multiple forms of notes from Zoho.
- Simplenote - Available for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, and the web and supports Markdown.
- Somnote - Record and save important information, ideas, and moments. Available for multiple platforms.
- Squid - Android app to take digital handwritten notes for class, work, or fun! Markup PDFs and sign documents.
- HackMD - HackMD helps developers write better documents and build active communities with open collaboration.
- Evernote - An (online) app designed for note-taking, organizing, task management, and archiving of different formats.
- Inkdrop - An (online) app for organizing Markdown notes.
- Workflowy - WorkFlowy is a web-based organizational tool to create todo lists, notes, team projects and others.
- DEVONthink - macOS or iPhone app with lots of features that can handle many files.
- Roam - A note-taking tool for networked thought.
- TheBrain - Mind mapping and personal knowledge base software application.
- Polar - An integrated reading environment to build your knowledge base.
- 📖📕🤖🔁 Supernotes – A multi-platform notes app built around markdown notecards and card nesting with real-time collaborative features.
- NotePlan - NotePlan combines tasks, notes, and calendar - all in one place. It is available on Web, MacOS and iOS.
- 📕🤖🔁 JournalCalls - Voice journal/note taking over a phone call, exports to markdown and Notion
- 📕🤖🔁 Taskade – A tree-structured note-taking and productivity app for individuals and teams. Features real-time collaboration, AI agents, automation, and multiple views (List, Board, Calendar, Mind Map, Table, etc.). Available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and browser extensions.
Contributions are very welcome! Please, read the contribution guidelines first.
