Knowledge bases and note-taking systems built around plain text.
31 tools
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.
Beautiful notes for Apple devices.
Write and organize Markdown notes on Mac, iPhone, and iPad with inline formatting, tags, links, tables, to-do lists, images, and sketches. Notes can be used offline and exported as Markdown. Bear Pro adds iCloud synchronization, note encryption, and richer exports including PDF, HTML, DOCX, and EPUB.
Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · iOS
Offline-first notes with local AI and study tools.
An open-source Markdown notes app that keeps work local while combining diagrams, flashcards, tasks, a knowledge graph, encrypted notes, Git history, offline dictation, and optional local AI features.
Desktop app
macOS · Linux
Local Markdown notes synchronized over your own network.
An open-source notes app that stores ordinary Markdown files and synchronizes devices locally without an account or hosted cloud. Fedora, macOS, and iOS are officially supported, with Windows and Android builds also available from the project.
Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android
Private, cross-platform notes built on plain files.
A free, open-source knowledge app for desktop and mobile with daily notes, tasks, graph navigation, and a rich Markdown editor. Notes remain in local files, and no account is required.
Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android
Turn private notes into durable research records.
An offline-first web workspace for notes, on-device transcription, structured missions, and bilingual journals. The free tier covers the core workflow; paid plans add features such as AI-assisted review and publishing integrations including Zenodo, DOI, and ORCID.
Web app
Web
Explore connected notes without losing your train of thought.
A free, open-source knowledge app that stores local Markdown files and opens linked notes in sliding panels. Backlinks, wiki links, custom queries, and a self-building map help reveal relationships while you write.
Desktop app
macOS · Windows · Linux
Structured Markdown notes and publishing on the Mac.
A free, open-source macOS app for organizing Markdown collections with custom fields, sorting, and flexible views. Its export and site-generation tools can turn the same plain-text records into reports, books, websites, or other published output.
Desktop app
macOS
Private, connected Markdown notes built for the Mac.
A native macOS notes app that keeps Markdown and PDF files on your own disk, connects notes with wiki links, and maps relationships in a visual graph. Its Markdown editing core is an Apache-licensed open-source editor engine, while the Nodes app itself is proprietary and uses free and one-time-purchase editions.
Desktop app
macOS
Edit rich Markdown vaults visually while keeping plain files.
A free desktop workspace for local Markdown vaults with true WYSIWYG editing for tables, columns, callouts, galleries, task lists, and collapsible blocks. Its source is publicly available, but the repository currently declares no software license, so it is not classified as licensed open source.
Desktop app
macOS · Windows
Plain-text Markdown notes with optional Nextcloud sync.
A mature open-source notes app that stores ordinary Markdown files locally and can synchronize them through Nextcloud or ownCloud. QOwnNotes combines source and preview panes with folders, tags, tasks, search, scripting, version recovery, and companion apps across desktop and Android.
Desktop app · Mobile app
macOS · Windows · Linux · Android
An Apple Notes-style workspace built on local Markdown files.
An early alpha desktop notes app for macOS and Windows that is free during testing. Notes Plus combines raw, split, and visual Markdown editing with local folders, tags, priorities, attachments, Kanban boards, math, diagrams, citations, and import from Apple Notes.
Desktop app
macOS · Windows
Branch ideas across connected cards, then export them as Markdown.
A card-based Markdown writing space for shaping connected ideas into a document. Its browser edition is free for up to 30 cards per document, with larger files still openable and editable. Import Markdown, rearrange or fold branches, switch to a document reading view, and export a plain .md file. The site also offers one-time paid Mac and Windows editions with unlimited cards, offline writing, and direct file saving; purchase availability should be checked on the official site.
Web app · Desktop app
Web · macOS · Windows
An unlisted capability may be unverified. Pricing describes the product; individual features may require a paid plan.