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
Trilium Notes
Free optionOpen sourceLocal
Organise a personal wiki with nested notes, links, attachments and searchable reference material.
What you can use it for
Organise a personal wiki with nested notes, links, attachments and searchable reference material.
- Hierarchical notes, backlinks and local personal knowledge management.
- Optional self-hosted browser access and sync.
Workflow coverage and comparison notes
Replace personal notes, linked reference material and a small personal knowledge base. Not a replacement for Notion relational databases, automations or real-time team collaboration. Obsidian itself is already free; this is an optional different notes workflow, not a claim that its base app requires payment.
Before you switch
A local desktop instance needs no hosting subscription. Remote access and multi-device sync require your own server, storage, backups and network security; third-party hosting is paid separately. No official native mobile app: use the server web interface. Optional AI requires a paid API or your own local model and hardware. No Notion database/team-workspace parity. Use the maintained TriliumNext releases, not the archived original project.
Alternatives to these paid apps
Each comparison covers the workflow described above, rather than every paid feature.
