7 Open Source Note-Taking Apps for Privacy-Focused Users

Note-taking apps have become essential tools for knowledge workers, students, and anyone who wants to capture ideas before they slip away. But with proprietary solutions like Notion and Evernote, your data lives on someone else's servers — often locked behind paywalls or subject to changing privacy policies.

Open source note-taking apps offer a different path. They give you full control over your data, the freedom to self-host, and the transparency that comes from auditable code. In this guide, we compare seven open source alternatives that cover a range of workflows — from simple markdown notes to complex knowledge bases.

Joplin: The Privacy-First All-Rounder

Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking and to-do application designed with privacy at its core. It supports markdown editing and organises notes into notebooks with tags, making it easy to structure large collections of notes.

One of its standout features is end-to-end encryption combined with flexible sync options — you can sync via Joplin Cloud, Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive, or your own server. This makes Joplin a strong self-hosted alternative to Evernote, removing the need to trust a proprietary cloud with your data.

Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, Joplin also supports a web clipper browser extension for capturing web content. It is scriptable via plugins and has an active community ecosystem, making it suitable for both casual note-takers and power users.

• Best for: Users wanting a mature, cross-platform solution with mobile support
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Freemium (free for core features, paid for Joplin Cloud)

Learn more about Joplin on OpenAltFinder

AFFiNE: The All-in-One Workspace

AFFiNE is an open-source, privacy-first workspace that merges three tools into one: a rich document editor, an infinite whiteboard, and a database-style organiser. It is designed to replace the combination of Notion for notes and Miro for visual collaboration.

Built with a local-first architecture using CRDT, AFFiNE works offline by default and syncs when connected — meaning your data lives on your device, not just in the cloud. It supports both self-hosted deployment and AFFiNE Cloud for teams that want a managed option.

AFFiNE is highly customisable and supports markdown, block-based editing, kanban views, and edgeless canvas mode for mind-mapping and diagramming. Written in TypeScript and Rust, it is actively developed and positions itself as a next-generation alternative for knowledge workers who want flexibility without vendor lock-in.

• Best for: Users who want documents, whiteboards, and databases in one tool
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Freemium

Learn more about AFFiNE on OpenAltFinder

TriliumNext Notes: The Hierarchical Knowledge Base

TriliumNext Notes (a community fork of Trilium Notes) is a powerful, open-source personal knowledge base application focused on building large, hierarchical note collections. It supports rich text editing, markdown, code blocks with syntax highlighting, diagrams, relation maps, and advanced scripting via JavaScript.

Notes are organized in a tree structure, but each note can appear in multiple places through clones — a flexible approach that lets you organize information in interconnected ways. Trilium also features a powerful attribute system for tagging and templating notes, and a scripting API that enables custom automations.

For self-hosters, Trilium can be deployed as a web server and accessed from any browser. It syncs across multiple instances, supports end-to-end encryption for sensitive notes, and exports to standard formats. It is an ideal alternative to Notion or Obsidian for users who want complete data ownership and a deeply customizable note-taking system.

• Best for: Power users building complex, interlinked knowledge bases
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Free

Learn more about TriliumNext Notes on OpenAltFinder

SilverBullet: The Hacker's Notebook

SilverBullet is a powerful, markdown-based personal knowledge management tool and note-taking app optimized for people with a hacker mindset. It stores all notes as plain markdown files and extends them with a live query and template system that lets you create dynamic, database-like views within your notes.

Key features include live queries that pull data from across your note space into any note, slash commands for quick insertion of templates and snippets, a command palette, full-text search, backlinks, a rich plugin system (Plugs), and a web-based interface that works offline. SilverBullet is serverless — it runs entirely in the browser for a single user, or can be hosted on a server for access from multiple devices.

For Obsidian or Notion users who want something more programmable and self-hostable, SilverBullet's live query engine and template system provide a uniquely powerful approach to building a second brain and personal knowledge base.

• Best for: Technical users who want programmable, queryable notes
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Free

Learn more about SilverBullet on OpenAltFinder

HedgeDoc: Real-Time Collaborative Notes

HedgeDoc (formerly CodiMD) is an open-source, self-hosted realtime collaborative markdown editor. Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously with real-time sync, making it ideal for meeting notes, documentation, and knowledge sharing.

HedgeDoc supports the full CommonMark markdown spec plus many extensions: math equations (MathJax/KaTeX), diagrams (Mermaid, PlantUML, Graphviz), syntax-highlighted code blocks, interactive checklists, and embedded media. Documents can be published as presentations (using reveal.js), exported to PDF, or shared via public link.

For teams that collaborate on text documents, HedgeDoc provides a lightweight, privacy-friendly alternative to Google Docs or Notion. It integrates with various authentication providers (LDAP, OAuth, email) and can be deployed with Docker. Each document gets a shareable URL and notes are stored with full version history.

• Best for: Teams who need real-time collaborative editing
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Free

Learn more about HedgeDoc on OpenAltFinder

Jotty: Minimalist File-Based Notes

Jotty is a minimalist, self-hosted note-taking and checklist application built for simplicity and control. It stores notes as plain files, giving you full ownership of your data without relying on any proprietary sync service.

Designed for homelab and personal use, Jotty covers everyday productivity needs — quick notes, to-do lists, and checklists — without the complexity of feature-heavy tools like Notion. It is lightweight by design, making it easy to deploy and maintain on your own infrastructure.

With Docker-based deployment, Jotty is a practical choice for self-hosters who want a fast, no-frills notes manager that stays out of the way.

• Best for: Users who want a simple, lightweight self-hosted solution
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Free

Learn more about Jotty on OpenAltFinder

NoteDiscovery: Zettelkasten for Everyone

NoteDiscovery is an open-source, self-hosted knowledge base designed for personal note-taking and knowledge management. Built with a modern JavaScript stack and FastAPI backend, it provides a clean interface for capturing and organizing your thoughts.

The application supports markdown formatting, making it easy to write and format notes. It is designed around the Zettelkasten methodology, a powerful system for connecting ideas and building a personal knowledge network.

As a self-hosted solution, NoteDiscovery gives you complete control over your data and privacy. It can be easily deployed using Docker, making setup straightforward for users familiar with containerization. Whether you are looking to replace Notion, Evernote, or Obsidian with a privacy-focused alternative, NoteDiscovery offers a compelling option.

• Best for: Users interested in the Zettelkasten method of knowledge management
• Self-hostable: Yes
• Pricing: Free

Learn more about NoteDiscovery on OpenAltFinder

Choosing the Right Tool

The best note-taking app depends on your specific needs:

• Need mobile apps and web clipper? Choose Joplin
• Want an all-in-one workspace with whiteboards? Try AFFiNE
• Building a complex knowledge base? TriliumNext Notes delivers
• Love markdown and want live queries? SilverBullet is for you
• Collaborating with a team? HedgeDoc handles real-time editing
• Prefer minimal, file-based notes? Jotty keeps it simple
• Following the Zettelkasten method? NoteDiscovery is purpose-built

All seven tools are open source and self-hostable, giving you the freedom to own your data and customize your workflow. Start with the one that matches your current needs — you can always export and migrate later.