What are the best note taking apps for Linux?

Question

23

Options
Considered

214

User
Recs.

Dec 7, 2018

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

The Best 2 of 21 OptionsWhy?

Best note taking apps for Linux	Price	Platforms	Price
92 Turtl	Free	Windows, Linux, Android	free
90 Simplenote	Free	Android / iOS / OSX / Windows / Linux	-
77 Google Keep	FREE	Android / iOS / Chrome / Web / Desktop	-
-- Joplin	FOSS	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS	Free
-- Boostnote	-	Windows/MacOS/Linux/Andoid/iOS	Free

See Full List

Simplenote

Top Pro

Markdown support via web interface

There is support for Markdown when using the web app. This can be convenient for those who want to use Markdown in a particular note. See More

Top Con

No support for file attachments

Simplenote doesn't provide support for embedded attachments. This can limit the use for some as many other note-taking apps do support this type of feature. See More

Keith Sanders's Experience

Sweet combination of simplicity, synchronization and mark-down support. See More

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / OSX / Windows / Linux

API:No

Collaborative:yes

Top Pro

Very simple and clean interface

Simplenote takes a minimalist approach to its interface. There are no toolbars full of formatting options or extra features like notebooks to group notes. The entire desktop interface consists solely of a sidebar with your tags and trash filters, the list of existing notes with search, a button to add a new note and a simple view for looking an existing note or writing a new one. See More

Top Con

Requires that you sign up for an account

You can not use the application without an account with simplenote. See More

CourageousPodaga's Experience

When the application demanded that I signup for an account in order to use the application on my computer, it was deleted. I am looking for a Note Taking Application not an online service masquerading as an application. See More

Top Pro

Works offline

Users can edit and create documents offline, can then sync their content the next time they are online. This way a user can work even when there's no data connection without the worry of losing work. See More

Top Con

Only Online use

If you are not connected to the internet the application will not work. See More

Top Pro

Linux client available

Top Con

The search function doesn't see tags

If you search for 'foo' you won't find notes with tag foo. In that regard, tags are completely isolated from the search. See More

Top Pro

"Time machine" style revision control on the notes

Each edit of a note is saved in order to allow the user to go back to a previous version of a document. This way, if mistakes are made or something is deleted, you can go back to the previous version without any hassle. See More

Top Con

No 32-bit version

Top Pro

Desktop app is open source

The desktop version of Simplenote is hosted on the GitHub and since it is open source, it can allow developers to fork the code in order to improve the app. See More

Top Con

Unencrypted at rest

From Simplenote's help page: we recommend not using Simplenote to store anything particularly sensitive. See More

Top Pro

Geared towards fast usage

Unlike alternatives (such as Evernote) that are laden with features, Simplenote is fast to use and sync. Reviews from the Verge, Lifehacker, and a variety of other sources all describe using the Simplenote apps as very fast. While it may not be as feature-rich as other apps, the responsiveness of the app and simple interface keep it easy to use while never slowing down the user when they need to quickly take a note. See More

Top Con

No note groupings

All notes are in the same place (sidebar) and there is no way to group them under different notebooks or categories. See More

Top Pro

Shared Notes

Top Con

No way to bulk-apply a tag

This is a typical workflow action in other apps: Do a search, multi-select notes among the matches, then apply or de-apply one or more tags to all these notes at once. There's no way to do this in Simplenote. The only bulk operations are Delete and Pin-to-top. See More

Top Con

Search is limited to one tag

There seems to be no way to find notes that have both tag X and tag Y. This isn't a big deal until you have a large library of notes, and want to cross-search for two things at the same time to vastly narrow down your search. See More

See All

19 Other Options Considered

Google Keep

Top Pro

Syncs automatically with your Android phone

Top Con

Your notes have to be stored on the cloud

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / Chrome / Web / Desktop

API:No

Collaborative:Yes

Top Pro

Localized to many languages

Top Con

Google can access and mine your data

You have to be okay with Google analyzing and using your data in order to use Keep. See More

Top Pro

Nice responsive UI

Top Con

Not free/libre

This application is proprietary, and thus cannot be modified or freely distributed. See More

Top Pro

Supports images

Top Con

Too simplistic of an approach

Top Pro

Supports checklists

Top Con

Google account required

You're required to have a Google account in order to use the app. See More

Top Con

Not distributed

Cannot run on own servers as Keep will only run on Google's own servers. This increases the risks which are normally associated with handing over critical applications to a large (US) corporation. See More

Top Con

Can be taken down some day

As Google is notorious for taking down services, you may end up with just a backup of your notes in XML format and a need to look for a substitute. See More

Top Con

It's a Google Chrome app, rather than a standalone app

See All

Joplin

Top Pro

Supports markdown

Top Con

Sync issue under Linux

The Linux client has a bug that requires the user to click the mouse frequently in order for sync to proceed. This bug has been open for a while. See More

GenerousVenus's Experience

OPEN SOURCE. encryption, timed reminder alarms, simple to use and agile response times. also available on linux and android. ticks all the boxes for me ! See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Top Pro

Offline access

Top Con

No dark theme

ConfidentQetesh's Experience

Available on all platforms. Specifically the desktop app has become a full fledged notetaking tool. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform

Supports Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. See More

Top Con

Can't create tags from the mobile app

Top Pro

Supports tags for notes

Top Pro

Supports multiple languages

English, French, and Spanish. See More

Top Pro

Supports file attachments

Top Pro

Encryption

Top Pro

Web Clipper

Browser extension saves full pages, clean content, or screen selections to new notes. See More

Top Pro

Open source

Peace of mind that there is no malicious piece of software in the app. See More

Top Pro

Nextcloud support

Top Pro

Active user forum with support from app creators

Support, troubleshooting, and new feature requests are easy to make at the user forum and you can contact the app creator directly. See More

Top Pro

Optional CLI interface

Provides a CLI interface for terminal lovers. See More

Top Pro

Timed alarm reminder for to-do lists

See All

Boostnote

Top Pro

Open source

https://github.com/BoostIO/Boostnote See More

Top Con

Cannot attach files to a note

Boostnote does not support file attachments to notes. See More

ElatedHidimbi's Experience

offline. can set font-size can search from all See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows/MacOS/Linux/Andoid/iOS

Top Pro

Cross platform support

Supports Windows, macOS and Linux. See More

Top Con

Geared towards developers only, for storing code

Currently not intended for general use. See More

Top Pro

Great for developers

Boostnote is great for developers looking to take programming notes with code snippets and such. See More

Top Con

Some of the features are not consistent

Top Pro

Works offline

Boostnote doesn't require an internet connection to work. You can write notes offline and sync later. See More

Top Con

Must use third-party service for sync-ing (Dropbox, etc.)

Boostnote does not have sync-ing capabilities and relies on third-party services to fulfil notes storage. There are additional steps involved to set this up. See More

Top Pro

Supports code snippets and syntax highlighting

Boostnote has the ability to store code snippets and comes with syntax highlighting out of the box, supporting many languages. See More

Top Pro

Markdown support

Top Pro

vim/emacs key bindings available

Boostnote supports vim/emacs key bindings. If you're a developer familiar with either of them, navigation should be easy to pick up. See More

Top Pro

Global search, tag feature

Top Pro

Comes with many themes

Boostnote comes with many themes out of the box, most of which are popular themes and color schemes for code editors: e.g. 3024, base16, solarized, tomorrow. See More

See All

Inkdrop

Top Pro

Secure backend

Top Con

Expensive

CreativeYacatecuhtli's Experience

I use it as my main note taking app for lectures at university. See More

Specs

Platforms:macOS,Windows,Linux,iOS,Android

Top Pro

Multi-platform

It also runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. See More

Top Con

Not open source

izoom's Experience

Not open source ! See More

Top Pro

Responsive developer

Top Pro

Markdown with code syntax support

It's useful for taking notes for programming. See More

Top Pro

Supports flowchart and sequence diagrams

Top Pro

Create-your-own themes and plugins

Top Pro

Supports Math equations

See All

Notes (formerly known as Bijiben)

Add Video or Image

CherryTree

Top Pro

Can be password-protected

Top Con

No Online Sync

BrightGibil's Experience

Simple, with a lot of functionality and password protected. I highly recommend it. See More

Friar Tux's Experience

This is the best database/list/notebook/PIM program so far. It is a database attached to a word processor. It's small and simple to use. It does what it says and does it well. There is a table of contents on the left while the right holds the actual info. It will handle .txt or .rtf format and save it's data in a folder location of your choice. You can even insert pictures. And it's cross-platform so you can save your stuff and switch between Windows and Linux. (It's still much, much simpler to use than those databases that come with most office suites. One of the things I've learned to absolutely dislike are databases - especially the ones that come with office suites. Whoever came up with those was a genius in mental torture. How in the name of St. Patrick are you supposed to work with that. Well, here is a really easy to use database that doesn't require you to do any mental Olympics...) Also, it works a lot better than the Kjots program. THE BEST DATABASE PROGRAM OUT THERE. I USE THIS ONE A LOT ON BOTH WINDOWS AND LINUX See More

ExcitedPheme's Experience

simple, useful, beatiful See More

See All

Org mode for Emacs

Top Pro

Plain text data storage

Future-proof. See More

Top Con

Complicated to get started

Marcel Kapfer's Experience

Great and powerful tool, if one knows its way around. Integrates especially well with other Emacs functions. See More

Top Pro

Exports data to PDF, LaTeX, HMTL and other

You can even build presentation or blog from your data. See More

Top Con

Obtuse documentation

The documentation assumes a level of understanding of basic Emacs usage that not all users may have. See More

SuccessfulDemeter's Experience

It's worth the learning curve! See More

Top Pro

Libre/open source

Top Con

Uses Emacs (for those who prefer vi, menus, etc.)

Top Pro

Supports tables with formules (quite powerful!)

Top Pro

Inline image displaying

Top Pro

Can be as simple or as complex as you want

Org mode started out as a simple outlining/note taking app. Then each outline heading can optionally be a TODO list item. And if you desire, you can add SCHEDULE and DEADLINE dates. (Schedule being the date you'd like to start the item.) You can customize the TODO states to add things like DELEGATED, WAITING, BLOCKED, etc. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform

Emacs runs on all platforms, Windows, Linux, OSX, even Android and IOS. See More

See All

Zim

Top Pro

Freely Licensed

Libre software for users who value their freedom. See More

Top Con

Looks ancient

Zim has a very plain and outdated interface. See More

Specs

License:GPL

Price:Free

Top Pro

Support for multiple platforms

Windows, Linux, and BSD are supported with their own clients. This is nice for those that use multiple operating systems but still want to use the same app on each. See More

Top Con

No mobile app support

This is a desktop app and there are no mobile versions available. This can make it more difficult to use on-the-go if using cloud storage to store files from the app, as there is no mobile app version to access those files. See More

Top Pro

Good export options

Zim supports HTML, LaTeX, Pandoc Markdown, and RST. This allows ones documents to be easily used in a wide selection of other apps. See More

Top Con

No native sync support

Zim notes don't automatically synchronize with other devices or offer built-in cloud sync support. Of course the user can add the files to Dropbox, or something similar, to then open them on another device with the app installed. But this is more of a work-around than a built-in solution. See More

Top Pro

Automatically manages files and folders

Zim will automatically create a folder structure that fits your page hierarchy and adds/removes files such as images to/from appropriate folders. See More

Top Pro

Plain text data format rather than proprietary

If/when the app is no longer developed (or if the user simply decides to no longer use the application or view/edit it on a non-supported platform), this can still be done with any plain-text editor. See More

Top Pro

Allows for organized, wiki-style navigation

Notes can contain links to other notes, allowing you to reference important information when needed. This way the user can connect and reference many different pages in the app, keeping things clean and structured, unlike Evernote, which makes this a good Evernote alternative. See More

See All

Lenote

Top Pro

Great for note-taking

All entries are organized in notes and notebooks, accessed from the sidebar or via search. See More

Specs

Platforms:MacOS

License:Proprietary

Export:PDF, Plain Text

gNote

Top Pro

Light weight

Extremely light-weight. See More

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