Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.
Comment summary: Joplin is highly regarded as a privacy-friendly, open-source note-taking app that rivals Evernote and OneNote. It offers features like end-to-end encryption, cross-platform support, and markdown formatting, making it a versatile choice for users valuing data control and flexibility. While many praise its rich feature set and syncing capabilities, some users mention performance issues, especially with the desktop's Electron-based app, and limited image handling. Overall, its independence from corporate ecosystems is a major draw.
As 100% paranoid I trust only things that stay with me, that's why I write notes and save part of webpages to local storage. A long ago I started to use Evernote, that time it was almost only solution for such kind of task. But Evernote is terrible, really. Well, if we write a note with Evernote WYSIWYG editor then no problem, but if you saved web-page or even its part then problems stars. Evernote is trying to keep original HTML/CSS formatting of page and adopt it for internal editor, but its viewer can't show it identically, moreover it doesn't allow edit raw code of saved elements. It feels like fight against MS Word.
For the reason I have a lot of broken and unreadable notes in Evernote postponed to "someday-edit". But I will never fix them, it's impossible except rewriting everything with hands, but I don't want to do it with Evernote, who knows how it will be works tomorrow. :)
A time later I found another organizer Laverna, it allows to solve some problems of Evernote with text notes, and Markdown format guarantees that data could be saved even in worst situation. But Laverna has ton of critical bugs, it’s just dangerous to work with it because next release could brake everything. Here you can read why I hate it.
Finally, I found quite perspective Evernote alternative, at least for desktop, like Laverna with no critical bugs but much better. :) Joplin brings together better of two worlds: Markdown layout with inline HTML code. When features of Markdown not enough for well looking formatting just add HTML code, or even use TeX syntax. Joplin works with extra fast TeX math rendering engine KaTeX what allows to view notes containing hundreds of math notions and symbols just for a second.
UPD1:
It's amazing, I found the aspect recently and suddenly for me. You also can use CSS styles to format Markdown! Therefore, you even doesn't need to keep HTML structure for things like "image wall"! See the screenshot below!
CSS styles to format Markdown layoutCSS styles to format Markdown layout
UPD2:
WebClipper now supports full HTML clipping as non-editable note with local resources!
UPD3:
Some major additions were made:
Typography plugin support
Typography plugin support
UPD4:
A long-awaited feature is here now. When importing MD files create resources for local linked files! This largely closes the issue of processing attached images. Now you can finally export the note, make batch manipulations with the files, and then import it back. For such a fan of do copy-paste Images to Joplin like me, this is great news.
PROS:
Live-editing with third-party software. Finally, you can fix and organize note with Vim (for example) and all changes will transfer to Joplin note immediately on save.
Web Clipper. Not so universal with Markdown like Evernote analogue, but personally, better then Evernote's, because reduces unusual HTML, convert common elements to correct Markdown code and allows to edit a note deeply. Clipper can save part of web-page as image file, reduce image size and add link to full version.
Evernote's backup file format support for import (only notes and tags, not notebooks).
Local resources, images and any other file format as links. Inserting images from the clipboard also supported (but it can increase storage size, because uncompressed PNG).
Cross-note links in body.
Quick response for issue reports.
Inline HTML code rendering.
Automatic code and its syntax detection. But on other hand, Web Clipper just save a code with tabs, looks good in Joplin, but incompatible with another Markdown readers. Manual correction needed.
Terminal mode.
ToDo mode for notes.
CONS:
SQL database is not encrypted, so anyone who will be able to get the file on your device will get full access to your data. Seems the developer doesn't want to change it, offers use scripts to encrypt/decrypt database file before/after software running. Sounds like a mad, especially for mobile devices.
Common design looks unpolished. For example: in desktop version user have option to define source URL for a note, but with Android version user can only read it on metadata slide.
No line numbering for edit or even code blocks.
Not optimized at the moment. Android version has too laggy interface, sometimes top panel invisible 'til you tap it. Search across all notes works faster than opening left tab with huge amount of tags. So, I recommend use mobile App for Find-and-Read, it will be inconvenient to write and organize there.
Portable version unpacks full app to OS user dir each time then delete it. Not that thing we expects from portable software, isn't :(
Too small default font size for KaTeX notions, you're always should use size from \large to \Huge
UPD1:
It's amazing, I found the aspect recently and suddenly for me. You also can use CSS styles to format Markdown! Therefore, you even doesn't need to keep HTML structure for things like "image wall"! See the screenshot below!
CSS styles to format Markdown layout
UPD4:
A long-awaited feature is here now. When importing MD files create resources for local linked files! This largely closes the issue of processing attached images. Now you can finally export the note, make batch manipulations with the files, and then import it back. For such a fan of do copy-paste Images to Joplin like me, this is great news.
Top Negative Comment
lordmoddo
★★★★★
•
5
Maybe some people don't mind, but until 2024 access is not password protected and local sqlite is unencrypted. You can just take it and read it (what's the point of those great add-ons for encrypted cloud backups then, when colleagues can read what they don't have (I recently dealt with a client who did this too - a classic office in a small company with shared computers and a naive owner). CherryTree is rock solid compared to this ;) Otherwise, I liked webcliper.
Sounds like user error. If you're on a shared computer you have far bigger problems. Your password can be keylogged extremely easily. And Veracrypt can provide more robust encryption.
coth
Comment•
Replying to @lordmoddo
Veracrypt cannot encrypt notebooks and individual notes within Joplin sqlite database. It's a software of different scale.
L-M
★★★★★
•
0
THE BEST FREE alternative to Evernote, UpNote, Craft, Amplenote and so on..
whiteblade7777
★★★★★
•
0
Very, very good but it has the markdown virus which keeps affecting anything that isn't formatted with markdown...I need simply plain text or respect the original characters in all notes and maybe formatting(not necesarily markdown) in some notes. This review essentially applies to all markdown editors,note taking, etc.
Review from a new or low-activity account — shown here, but not counted in the app rating.
hothothot
Comment•
0
So smooth to use! Cross-plattform using my NextCould!
Jared ScottFounder at Variable
★★★★★
•
0
Founder at Variable
The most dependable of the open-source note apps, and syncing end-to-end encrypted through storage you already own is the killer feature. The Electron desktop app feels clunky next to newer tools, but it has earned the trust.
aalhumedi85
★★★★★
•
0
i hope to add arabic language
Review from a new or low-activity account — shown here, but not counted in the app rating.
WHAT IS F-DROID ?
F-Droid is an awesome app repository for FOSS (Free & Open Source Software) android apps. From productivity apps to games, f-droid has (almost) everything you need.
Hope you will discover useful FOSS apps to free your phone from Big Tech^^
REPOSITORIES :
This list includes apps from the official f-droid repo but also from IzzyOnDroid and some customs repositories which will be always linked so you can add them easily.
CATEGORIES :
F-Droid clients
Utilities
Social & Communication / 8 subcategories
Health / 7 subcategories
Customization / 3 subcategories
Gaming / 3 subcategories
Internet / 6 subcategories
Productivity / 15 subcategories
Privacy / 5 subcategories
Security / 4 subcategories
Media apps / 10 subcategories
If you care about privacy check :
Privacy focused OS for everyoneMy privacy and user friendly setup
For more FOSS Android apps check : Beautiful Open Source Apps for Android
DISCLAIMERS :
Adding custom repo might not be as secure as the official one so I'm not responsable if you encounter any problems with them ! I encourage you to do your own research about it !
Also while open source is great for privacy and security it is not perfect. So keep that in mind before downloading any apps.
Most apps that I've listed are privacy friendly but some might be not be perfectly private and secure. I again encourage you to do your own research about them.
I am not a privacy and security expert. I'm also don't consider myself as a developper so I do not have any technical knowledge and so I didn't look into any source code of any apps in this list !
English is not my mother tongue ^^'
I spend a ridiculous amount of time searching for a PKM tool that fits my organizational needs. Everything falls short. I want to help others on their own quests by compiling this list. Tags on AlternativeTo are helpful, but I wanted a place to keep a curated list with my own findings that others can contribute to.
Where I can, I have tried to answer the following important questions for each app:
- Is it open source?
- Is it offline-capable?
- Can blocks/notes exist in multiple locations?
As well as providing rough overall ratings (Scale of 1 to 5) for the following metrics:
- Organization: How does the app allow you to structure information? Is it flexible? Is it logical?
- User experience (UX): Is it easy to use? Is the interface designed in a way that is not just logical, but natural for the everyday user?
- Privacy: To the best of my (limited) knowledge, does this tool protect your personal data AND is it designed so that you can ensure the safety of your data yourself rather than relying on the app developers (trust, but verify).
Please comment with additions/suggestions, collaboration makes things better.
Everytime I setup a phone for a friend or myself I usually remove stock apps using adb or UniversalAndroidDebloaterNextGeneration and replace them with theses apps listed here. I added also a couple of nice to have apps that people might wants on their device.
Almost all of them are free as in free beer and many are open source (around 80%)
I tried to feature more applications and less services but there are several services still in this list, however I find them great and/or accessible (freemium most of the time).
FOSS = Free(as in freedom) and Open Source Software
Joplin is an open source note-taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, can be copied, tagged, and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor. The notes are in Markdown format.
Notes exported from Evernote via .enex files can be imported into Joplin, including the formatted content (which is converted to Markdown), resources (images, attachments, etc.), and complete metadata (geolocation, updated time, created time, etc.). Plain Markdown files can also be imported.
The notes can be synchronised with various cloud services, including Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, their own service (paid), or the file system (for example, with a network directory). When synchronising the notes, notebooks, tags, and other metadata are saved to plain text files, which can be easily inspected, backed up, and moved around.
The application is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS. A Web Clipper, to save web pages and screenshots from your browser, is also available for Firefox and Chrome.
100% your data
The app is open source, and your notes are saved to an open format, so you'll always have access to them. Uses End-To-End Encryption (E2EE) to secure your notes and ensure no one but you can access them.
Features:
Desktop, mobile, and terminal applications.
Web Clipper for Firefox and Chrome.
End To End Encrypted (E2EE) synchronisation (but not encrypted locally at rest)
Synchronisation with various services, including NextCloud, Dropbox, WebDAV, and OneDrive.
Import Enex files (Evernote export format) and Markdown files.
Export JEX files (Joplin Export format) and raw files.
Support for to-dos and tags
Support for notifications in mobile and desktop applications.
Offline first, so the entire data is always available on the device even without an internet connection.
Markdown notes. Support for extra features such as math notation, checkboxes, and Fountain (screenwriting markup language).
File attachment support, images, etc.
Search functionality.
Geo-location support.
Supports multiple languages
External editor support - open notes in your favorite external editor with one click in Joplin.
Comments and Reviews
Simple comparison Evernote vs. Joplin. The same full-site copy created with Evernote's Web Clipper then imported to Joplin. Evernote can't even show it correct in its viewer. Simple comparison Evernote vs. Joplin. The same full-site copy created with Evernote's Web Clipper then imported to Joplin. Evernote can't even show it correct in its viewer.
As 100% paranoid I trust only things that stay with me, that's why I write notes and save part of webpages to local storage. A long ago I started to use Evernote, that time it was almost only solution for such kind of task. But Evernote is terrible, really. Well, if we write a note with Evernote WYSIWYG editor then no problem, but if you saved web-page or even its part then problems stars. Evernote is trying to keep original HTML/CSS formatting of page and adopt it for internal editor, but its viewer can't show it identically, moreover it doesn't allow edit raw code of saved elements. It feels like fight against MS Word. For the reason I have a lot of broken and unreadable notes in Evernote postponed to "someday-edit". But I will never fix them, it's impossible except rewriting everything with hands, but I don't want to do it with Evernote, who knows how it will be works tomorrow. :)
A time later I found another organizer Laverna, it allows to solve some problems of Evernote with text notes, and Markdown format guarantees that data could be saved even in worst situation. But Laverna has ton of critical bugs, it’s just dangerous to work with it because next release could brake everything. Here you can read why I hate it.
Finally, I found quite perspective Evernote alternative, at least for desktop, like Laverna with no critical bugs but much better. :) Joplin brings together better of two worlds: Markdown layout with inline HTML code. When features of Markdown not enough for well looking formatting just add HTML code, or even use TeX syntax. Joplin works with extra fast TeX math rendering engine KaTeX what allows to view notes containing hundreds of math notions and symbols just for a second.
UPD1: It's amazing, I found the aspect recently and suddenly for me. You also can use CSS styles to format Markdown! Therefore, you even doesn't need to keep HTML structure for things like "image wall"! See the screenshot below! CSS styles to format Markdown layout CSS styles to format Markdown layout
UPD2: WebClipper now supports full HTML clipping as non-editable note with local resources!
UPD3: Some major additions were made:
UPD4: A long-awaited feature is here now. When importing MD files create resources for local linked files! This largely closes the issue of processing attached images. Now you can finally export the note, make batch manipulations with the files, and then import it back. For such a fan of do copy-paste Images to Joplin like me, this is great news.
PROS:
CONS:
\largeto\HugeSome exposition
Inline HTML table inside Markdown table, KaTeX math notations and live-editing with Gvim Inline HTML table inside Markdown table, KaTeX math notations and live-editing with Gvim
Auto-detection of code blocks Auto-detection of code blocks
Local image resources (imported from Evernote backup) Local image resources (imported from Evernote backup)
Inline iframe with embeded OpenStreetMap. Link outside main code, styled and added link to local image resource for offline view. Inline iframe with embeded OpenStreetMap. Link outside main code, styled and added link to local image resource for offline view.
Reduce storage size with replacing extra images with HTML code. Reduce storage size with replacing extra images with HTML code.
Reduce storage size with replacing extra images with HTML code. Reduce storage size with replacing extra images with HTML code.
To-Do mode of notes To-Do mode of notes
Web Clipper chrome widget Web Clipper chrome widget
[Edited by M_O_Z_G, January 21]
This is the best review I've ever seen outside of a full, published article. You're awesome.
Yourmother, thank you! I like to write about things I like, glad to see that it's helpful! Joplin is ultimate and only solution, I think.
This is an impressive review. Thanks a lot for giving such a detailed overview of the app!
UPD1: It's amazing, I found the aspect recently and suddenly for me. You also can use CSS styles to format Markdown! Therefore, you even doesn't need to keep HTML structure for things like "image wall"! See the screenshot below! CSS styles to format Markdown layout
UPD2: WebClipper now supports full HTML clipping as non-editable note with local resources!
UPD4: A long-awaited feature is here now. When importing MD files create resources for local linked files! This largely closes the issue of processing attached images. Now you can finally export the note, make batch manipulations with the files, and then import it back. For such a fan of do copy-paste Images to Joplin like me, this is great news.
Maybe some people don't mind, but until 2024 access is not password protected and local sqlite is unencrypted. You can just take it and read it (what's the point of those great add-ons for encrypted cloud backups then, when colleagues can read what they don't have (I recently dealt with a client who did this too - a classic office in a small company with shared computers and a naive owner). CherryTree is rock solid compared to this ;) Otherwise, I liked webcliper.
Sounds like user error. If you're on a shared computer you have far bigger problems. Your password can be keylogged extremely easily. And Veracrypt can provide more robust encryption.
Veracrypt cannot encrypt notebooks and individual notes within Joplin sqlite database. It's a software of different scale.
THE BEST FREE alternative to Evernote, UpNote, Craft, Amplenote and so on..
Very, very good but it has the markdown virus which keeps affecting anything that isn't formatted with markdown...I need simply plain text or respect the original characters in all notes and maybe formatting(not necesarily markdown) in some notes. This review essentially applies to all markdown editors,note taking, etc.
So smooth to use! Cross-plattform using my NextCould!
The most dependable of the open-source note apps, and syncing end-to-end encrypted through storage you already own is the killer feature. The Electron desktop app feels clunky next to newer tools, but it has earned the trust.
i hope to add arabic language