JoplinKeep searchable notes, attachments and notebooks locally, with optional encrypted sync.
Free open-source apps · no note-count cap · storage limited by your device or chosen sync provider
Notes, tasks & docs
Obsidian
Free optionLocal
Write linked Markdown notes and organise a personal knowledge base locally.
What you can use it for
Write linked Markdown notes and organise a personal knowledge base locally.
- Covers the core everyday task of Ulysses, Scrivener and iA Writer: writing and organising notes and long-form drafts in plain Markdown you own on disk.
- Creators report about a year of daily use built around real problems (an address book, exercise tracking with graphs) and note that everything stays Markdown on disk with search and a link graph.
Workflow coverage and comparison notes
Write, link and export Markdown notes and drafts without buying a paid writing app subscription. Local vault plus your own file sync; the paid apps' subscription sync and research/compilation features need separate evaluation.
Before you switch
Not open source; Sync and Publish are paid add-ons, so the free route depends on your own file syncing (one long-term user relies on iCloud). Desktop app is Electron. Cross-device work outside your own sync needs separate evaluation.
Alternatives to these paid apps
Each comparison covers the workflow described above, rather than every paid feature.
More for the same workflow
See alternatives →Joplin
Trilium NotesOrganise a personal wiki with nested notes, links, attachments and searchable reference material.
Free open-source desktop app · no feature paywalls · optional server uses your own resources
SiYuanKeep linked notes and structured personal knowledge in a local workspace.
Free local notes and basic features · sync features are paid