Markdown notes

Knowledge bases and note-taking systems built around plain text.

31 tools

How to choose a Markdown note-taking app

Consider where notes are stored, how sync works, and whether the app supports backlinks, mobile capture, encryption, and standard Markdown files you can move elsewhere.

Find your fit

Editor capabilities

Optional. Requires verified editing support. All selected capabilities must match.

31 tools

Showing 1–12 of 31

Freemium

Caliu

Keep Markdown notes offline with tags, sync, and source editing.

A local-first notes app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and the web, with Android available in beta. Write in a rich inline editor or switch to raw Markdown, organize notes with nested tags, and work offline. The Mac app can connect a folder of plain Markdown files and pick up external edits. Core writing, tags, sync, and Markdown export are free. Caliu Pro adds server-backed version history, API access, and additional export formats; history needs an internet connection. Pro PDF export is available on Apple apps, while HTML export also works on the web.

Desktop app · Mobile app · Web app
macOS · iOS · Android · Web

Raw sourceInline live previewLocal files

Personal Markdown notes across Apple devices and the web, with optional sync and Pro history.

Free

Header

Keep Markdown notes, meeting minutes, and research together on your Mac.

Work with plain Markdown files in a folder you choose, using a rich editor, raw source, or side-by-side editing. Header combines linked notes, tags, version history, meeting minutes, and research tools, with exports to PDF, HTML, Word, and other formats. AI is optional and can use your own provider, Ollama, or supported Apple Intelligence features. The Mac beta is free to try on macOS 14.4 or later; full-release pricing has not been announced. Meeting transcription can run locally on macOS 26 or with an optional Whisper model; earlier systems and some languages may use Apple's servers.

Desktop app
macOS

Raw sourceSplit source + previewLocal files

Combining local Markdown notes, meeting minutes, and research on a Mac

FreeOpen source

Mnemo

Bring notes, flashcards, and mind maps into one study workspace.

Study in a free, open-source desktop app with a visual block editor, Markdown import and export, spaced-repetition flashcards, and mind maps. Notes support tables, equations, code highlighting, tabs, and PDF export, while study dashboards track your practice. Your data stays in the app’s local storage rather than a folder of Markdown files. Mnemo is in beta on Windows, Apple silicon Macs, and Linux; the Linux build is a preview.

Desktop app
macOS · Windows · Linux

Visual (WYSIWYG)

Combining portable study notes, flashcards, and mind maps in a local desktop app

Freemium

Obsidian

A private and flexible knowledge base.

Keep a personal knowledge base in local Markdown files, with source editing, inline Live Preview, and a separate reading view. Link notes with backlinks, explore connections in a graph or Canvas, and organize note properties with Bases. Community plugins extend the app; optional paid Sync and Publish services add device synchronization and web publishing.

Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android

Raw sourceInline live previewLocal files

Building a connected knowledge base in files you control

Freemium

Octarine

A private Markdown workspace for notes and daily planning.

Capture ideas, organize knowledge, and plan from a fast local-first editor that keeps notes as plain Markdown files. Octarine combines a Daily Desk, workspace search, tasks, properties, backlinks, optional AI assistance, shared-note feedback, and a companion web clipper across desktop and iOS.

Desktop app · Mobile app · Browser extension
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS

Private knowledge management and daily work in files you own

Free

HermesMarkdown

Edit local Markdown folders directly from your browser.

Open a folder as a vault and read or write its Markdown files through the browser's File System Access API, with no account or default upload step. HermesMarkdown adds command search, frontmatter, vault-wide tasks, interactive tables, optional GitHub sync, and bring-your-own-key AI actions with review before changes are applied.

Web app
Web

Local-first Markdown writing in a Chromium-based browser without an account

Freemium

Saive

Save the web as a searchable Markdown knowledge library.

Collect articles, threads, videos, papers, and PDFs from the browser, then organize them with AI-generated summaries, key points, tags, highlights, and notes. Saive stores each item as Markdown with YAML frontmatter, supports full-vault export, and connects saved knowledge to AI tools through feeds and MCP.

Web app · Browser extension
Web

Building a portable research library from material saved across the web

Free

Marknote

A native Windows studio for Markdown workspaces.

Write in a multi-tab Windows editor with live previews for math, diagrams, and code while keeping every note in plain files. Marknote adds wiki links, workspace tasks, Git tools, file history, a command palette, Vim mode, custom keybindings, and export through print, PDF, HTML, or Pandoc.

Desktop app
Windows

Windows users managing Markdown notes and projects in local workspaces

FreeOpen source

SilverBullet

A self-hosted, programmable Markdown knowledge platform.

Run a browser-based personal knowledge workspace that stores pages as Markdown files on your own server. SilverBullet combines live preview, wiki links, backlinks, tags, tasks, full-text search, structured objects and queries, and deep customization through Space Lua, commands, widgets, and styles.

Web app
Web · macOS · Windows · Linux

Technical note-takers who want a self-hosted and deeply programmable knowledge base

Freemium

LightNote

Put Markdown notes, code, and local AI agents in one Windows workspace.

Work with plain Markdown notes and source code in a lightweight native Windows app that also includes tasks, diagrams, math, a knowledge graph, Git, terminals, data tools, and local retrieval. LightNote exposes opted-in workspaces to AI clients through an MCP server and CLI while keeping files on your machine.

Desktop app · AI agent plugin · CLI
Windows · CLI

Windows users combining a local Markdown knowledge base with coding and AI-agent workflows

Freemium

Vist

A Markdown notes and tasks workspace your AI can use directly.

Write rich Markdown notes, organize folders and labels, track inline tasks, and search by text or meaning from the web, desktop, or a mobile PWA. Vist adds an authenticated remote MCP server so supported assistants can read and update notes, tasks, and persistent memories, with full Markdown export when you want to leave.

Web app · Desktop app · Mobile app · AI agent plugin
Web · macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android

People who want one hosted notes system shared across their devices and AI assistants

FreeOpen source

Joplin

Open-source notes with end-to-end encryption.

Keep Markdown notes and to-do lists across desktop and mobile, with free sync options and optional paid Joplin Cloud hosting. Markdown and Rich Text editors, notebooks, search, plugins, and note history support everyday organization; rich-text editing has Markdown compatibility limitations. A free web clipper browser extension for desktop Chrome and Firefox saves web pages and screenshots to the installed Joplin desktop app.

Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android

Raw sourceVisual (WYSIWYG)

Cross-platform notes with flexible sync and optional end-to-end encryption

An unlisted capability may be unverified. Pricing describes the product; individual features may require a paid plan.

Markdown notes

Knowledge bases and note-taking systems built around plain text.

31 tools

How to choose a Markdown note-taking app

Consider where notes are stored, how sync works, and whether the app supports backlinks, mobile capture, encryption, and standard Markdown files you can move elsewhere.

Find your fit

Editor capabilities

Optional. Requires verified editing support. All selected capabilities must match.

31 tools

Showing 1–12 of 31

Freemium

Caliu

Keep Markdown notes offline with tags, sync, and source editing.

Desktop app · Mobile app · Web app
macOS · iOS · Android · Web

Raw sourceInline live previewLocal files

Personal Markdown notes across Apple devices and the web, with optional sync and Pro history.

Free

Header

Keep Markdown notes, meeting minutes, and research together on your Mac.

Desktop app
macOS

Raw sourceSplit source + previewLocal files

Combining local Markdown notes, meeting minutes, and research on a Mac

FreeOpen source

Mnemo

Bring notes, flashcards, and mind maps into one study workspace.

Desktop app
macOS · Windows · Linux

Visual (WYSIWYG)

Combining portable study notes, flashcards, and mind maps in a local desktop app

Freemium

Obsidian

A private and flexible knowledge base.

Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android

Raw sourceInline live previewLocal files

Building a connected knowledge base in files you control

Freemium

Octarine

A private Markdown workspace for notes and daily planning.

Desktop app · Mobile app · Browser extension
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS

Private knowledge management and daily work in files you own

Free

HermesMarkdown

Edit local Markdown folders directly from your browser.

Web app
Web

Local-first Markdown writing in a Chromium-based browser without an account

Freemium

Saive

Save the web as a searchable Markdown knowledge library.

Web app · Browser extension
Web

Building a portable research library from material saved across the web

Free

Marknote

A native Windows studio for Markdown workspaces.

Desktop app
Windows

Windows users managing Markdown notes and projects in local workspaces

FreeOpen source

SilverBullet

A self-hosted, programmable Markdown knowledge platform.

Web app
Web · macOS · Windows · Linux

Technical note-takers who want a self-hosted and deeply programmable knowledge base

Freemium

LightNote

Put Markdown notes, code, and local AI agents in one Windows workspace.

Desktop app · AI agent plugin · CLI
Windows · CLI

Windows users combining a local Markdown knowledge base with coding and AI-agent workflows

Freemium

Vist

A Markdown notes and tasks workspace your AI can use directly.

Web app · Desktop app · Mobile app · AI agent plugin
Web · macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android

People who want one hosted notes system shared across their devices and AI assistants

FreeOpen source

Joplin

Open-source notes with end-to-end encryption.

Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android

Raw sourceVisual (WYSIWYG)

Cross-platform notes with flexible sync and optional end-to-end encryption

An unlisted capability may be unverified. Pricing describes the product; individual features may require a paid plan.

How to choose a Markdown note-taking app

Notes in the directory

31 tools

How to choose a Markdown note-taking app

Notes in the directory

31 tools