Open Source OneNote Alternatives

Rnote is a vector-based note-taking and drawing application designed for capturing handwritten input. It functions as a digital workspace that records stylus pressure and movement to create sketches and notes, storing them as mathematical paths rather than pixels to allow for infinite scaling and non-destructive editing. The application provides a flexible canvas environment that supports infinite scrolling and various page layouts. Users can organize their work using a layer-based system, which allows for the independent manipulation and ordering of individual strokes, shapes, and background

Trilium is a hierarchical personal knowledge base and digital garden tool designed to organize information into a tree of linked nodes. It functions as a JavaScript programmable wiki and a self-hosted note server, allowing users to maintain a private database of documents synchronized across multiple devices. The platform distinguishes itself through an embedded scripting engine for automating tasks and a REST API that exposes internal data and actions to external tools. Users can further extend the system by modifying the user interface layout and styling through a custom theme engine. The

QOwnNotes is a desktop note editor that stores each note as a plain-text Markdown file on the local filesystem, avoiding proprietary formats and enabling direct file access. It functions as a Nextcloud Notes client, syncing notes and metadata with Nextcloud or ownCloud servers through a companion API service for versioning and sharing. The application also integrates with AI providers and exposes a local MCP server for external agents to search and fetch notes, and includes a companion browser extension for capturing web content, bookmarks, and screenshots. The editor distinguishes itself thr

Marktext is a cross-platform desktop application designed for markdown document authoring and structured note-taking. It functions as a WYSIWYG text processor, providing a distraction-free interface that renders formatted content in real-time while hiding the underlying markup syntax. The application utilizes a multi-process architecture that separates system integration from the user interface, ensuring consistent performance across Windows, macOS, and Linux. By employing a custom editor core built on native browser capabilities and a structured syntax tree, it manages complex document eleme

Notesnook is a cross-platform note-taking application designed for private knowledge management. It functions as a secure personal information manager that prioritizes user data confidentiality by employing client-side end-to-end encryption for all stored notes, attachments, and metadata. By utilizing a local-first synchronization model, the application ensures that information remains accessible offline while maintaining a consistent state across desktop and mobile devices. The platform distinguishes itself through a focus on privacy-centric organization and secure information handling. User

Joplin is an open-source, cross-platform note-taking application designed for secure, private knowledge management. It functions as a local-first productivity platform, maintaining a complete relational database on the user's device to ensure offline availability and high-performance data retrieval. The application prioritizes data sovereignty by implementing an end-to-end encryption layer, which secures all information locally with a master key before any synchronization occurs. The platform distinguishes itself through a delta-based synchronization engine that transmits only specific file c

Laverna is an open-source note-taking application designed as a privacy-focused alternative to Evernote. It operates as a single-page application that runs entirely in the browser, combining Markdown editing with client-side encryption to ensure note content is encrypted on the device before it ever reaches a server or cloud storage. The application distinguishes itself through its offline-first architecture, storing notes locally using browser storage for full offline access and editing capabilities. It synchronizes notes across devices through a unified interface that connects to multiple b

Logseq is a privacy-focused, local-first knowledge base designed for personal information management and networked thought mapping. It functions as a bi-directional graph editor that organizes content into hierarchical, outliner-based structures, allowing users to connect related concepts through automated backlinking and visual relationship mapping. The platform distinguishes itself by maintaining all user data in plain text markdown files stored directly on the local device, ensuring offline availability and long-term portability. It employs a logic-based query engine to perform complex rel

Trilium is a local-first personal knowledge management system designed to store and organize information on a user's own device. It functions as a hierarchical knowledge base where every note acts as both a standalone document and a container for nested children, allowing for complex information relationships and deep categorization. The platform distinguishes itself through a component-based interface that dynamically renders diverse content types, including rich text, diagrams, and executable scripts. All data is persisted within a single relational database file, which supports a versioned

Siyuan is a self-hosted knowledge management platform designed for private note-taking and information organization. It functions as a local-first application that stores all user content as plain text files on the local file system, ensuring data ownership and offline availability. The platform utilizes a block-based document model, which structures information as a tree of independent content blocks to facilitate granular manipulation and bidirectional linking. Users can extend the core functionality through a sandboxed plugin architecture, allowing for the development of custom themes and

Saber is an end-to-end encrypted note-taking application designed for handwritten content. It provides a digital ink canvas for creating documents and a system for organizing those notes within a hierarchy of nested folders. The application ensures privacy by encrypting both notes and device configurations on the client side before they are synchronized across devices. This process prevents the server from accessing stored content or user settings. The toolset includes digital ink annotation capabilities, such as text highlighting and layer-based stroke rendering. The user interface supports

Notable is a local-first markdown note taking application and document manager. It functions as a personal knowledge base that persists notes as plain text files on the local disk to ensure data portability and user ownership. The application provides a markdown editor featuring a split-pane live preview for real-time rendering of content, including mathematical expressions and diagrams. Information is organized through a hierarchical tagging system that allows for nested labels and multi-dimensional categorization. The software includes tools for bulk note management to apply operations acr

AppFlowy is a local-first knowledge base and collaborative workspace platform designed for structured information management. It functions as a modular productivity suite where users organize content through a block-based document model, allowing for flexible nesting and granular manipulation of data. The system prioritizes data sovereignty by enabling self-hosted storage, ensuring that sensitive information remains under user control while maintaining offline accessibility. The platform distinguishes itself through a decoupled architecture that separates its high-performance, memory-safe cor

Notable is a local-first markdown note-taking application designed for managing personal knowledge bases. It functions as a document management system that stores all notes and attachments as plain text files directly on the local disk, ensuring data ownership and compatibility with external file-system tools. The application prioritizes a keyboard-centric workflow, utilizing a command-palette-driven interface to facilitate rapid navigation and content manipulation. It provides a distraction-free writing environment that allows users to hide interface elements, helping to maintain focus while

Foam is a personal knowledge management system that organizes information into a navigable web of interconnected markdown files. It functions as a knowledge graph tool, utilizing wiki-style bidirectional linking and metadata to track relationships between documents and concepts. By storing data in standard text files, the system ensures long-term portability and compatibility with external tools. The platform distinguishes itself through its integrated visualization and automation capabilities. It generates graphical maps of file connections to help users identify patterns and discover relati

Boostnote is a local-first note management system and markdown text editor designed for personal knowledge management. It functions as a desktop application that reads and writes markdown files directly to the local disk, allowing for the creation of a searchable personal knowledge base and digital garden. The application provides a writing interface that renders markdown syntax in real time. It is used to organize fragmented information, maintain project documentation, and author structured technical guides.

Notes is a terminal-based utility for managing personal knowledge bases through plain-text files. It functions as a command-line manager that organizes information directly on the local filesystem, ensuring data portability and preventing reliance on proprietary formats. The tool integrates with standard shell workflows by leveraging Unix-style design principles, such as accepting piped data streams and delegating text editing to the user's preferred system editor. By storing content as standard files within a directory structure, it allows users to perform file management, search, and organi