Awesome Note-Taking 
A curated list of awesome note-taking software.
Legend
📖 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
Contents
Open Source
Native GUI
- ArcGIS location services - Postman Workspace - Official Postman collections to work with the Geocoding & Search API, Routing & Directions API, Demographics & GeoEnrichment API, Data hosting and more.
- 📕 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).
CLI
- 📖 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
Editor Plugin
- 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.
Electron
- Logseq - Local-first, non-linear, outliner notebook for organizing and sharing your personal knowledge base.
- Trilium notes - Powerfull app focused on building personal knowledge base. 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.
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Calculist - The open source thinking tool for problem solvers.
- 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.
Tauri
- 📕 Treedome - Open-source and local-first, encrypted, note taking application organized in tree-like structures.
Web UI
- 📖🤖🔁 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.
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📖 SilverBullet - Free, open-source self-hosted PWA for markdown notes.
- Neuron - Future-proof open-source app for managing your plain-text notes in Zettelkasten style. Superceeded by Emanote.
Proprietary
- 📖 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
Contributing
Contributions are very welcome! Please, read the contribution guidelines first.