Simple, Non-Commercial, Open Source Notes

Goal and criteria

The creator wanted a Notion replacement with strict constraints:

• Free, non-commercial, and open source.
• Plain-text storage (notes remain usable as simple text files).
• Local / self‑hosted (no cloud vendor lock‑in).
• Optional per‑note encryption.
• Fast and simple — avoid sprawling “second brain” feature bloat.
• Syncable by any tool and addressable via version control.

Key design preference: notes should remain usable as plain text (viewable on many devices), syncable by whatever tool you choose, and manageable via VCS.

Why Notion was rejected

• Privacy concerns: cloud storage, model-training exposure, ad profiling.
• Poor performance: slow UI and database views, long page loads.
• Feature bloat: too many unnecessary “second brain” features.

Quick exclusions (didn’t meet plain‑text / non‑commercial / philosophical criteria)

The creator excluded these tools early:

• Obsidian, OneNote, Evernote, Roam, LogSeq, Typora, Boost Note, Standard Notes, Simplenote, Notable (no longer open), Mem.ai, Notes Nook, Google Keep.
• Non-plain-text or SQLite-backed apps: CherryTree, Laverna, Tomboy NG, TiddlyWiki, Joplin, Trilium.
• Dendron: admired for hierarchical flat-file naming but effectively ceased development during the creator’s search.

Shortlist and runners‑up

Runners‑up (met criteria but not chosen as the favorite):

• Zettlr (sometimes written Zettler?): a polished Markdown editor with GUI tables and a pretty editor; sometimes exhibits overly “fancy” UI behaviors.
• VNote: Markdown editor with separate edit/read modes; issues with read-mode and link-following in some environments.
• NB: a single bash‑script notes manager (terminal-friendly, supports linking/encryption/images); skipped because editor plugins already covered the same ground.

Main recommendations — reviews, features, pros & cons

1) Zim (desktop wiki)

Concept: hierarchical wiki-style notes where each folder is also a note; flat-file storage with a simple internal syntax.

Pros:

• Ultra‑simple and lightweight.
• Hierarchical organization (folders-as-notes).
• Snappy rich-text editor and useful plugins (tags, tables, tasks, journal, encryption).
• Minimal by default.

Cons:

• Custom syntax (not Markdown).
• Table plugin lacks tab-to-next-cell convenience.
• Default theme is unattractive; GTK theming on Windows may require manual tweaks.

Recommended for users who want a minimal, no‑frills note-taking app and dislike feature bloat.

2) QOwnNotes (native Markdown desktop app)

Concept: native double‑pane Markdown editor with strong Nextcloud integration.

Pros:

• Fast editor with real Markdown preview.
• No surprise JS behavior; native UI.
• Highly customizable UI (panels can be hidden).
• Hierarchical tags and convenient encrypted-notes feature.
• Built‑in Nextcloud sync with file version history.
• Theme options and per-editor font zoom (Ctrl + mouse wheel).
• Easy “open in file manager” convenience.

Cons:

• Markdown split‑view quirks: no inline images in the editor (images show in preview only).
• Some limitations are inherent to the Markdown split-view paradigm.

Recommended as the creator’s favorite “works exactly as expected” app for typical users wanting Markdown + sync.

3) Emacs + Org Mode (with Doom Emacs / Org‑roam)

Concept: heavyweight, extensible editor with org-mode — a plain‑text system for notes, tasks, agendas, and code execution.

Pros:

• Org-mode is extremely powerful: headings, folding, TODOs, agenda/scheduling.
• Outstanding plain‑text tables and in‑document code evaluation (“programmable spreadsheet”).
• Backlinks via org-roam and unique ID links (robust to renames/moves).
• GUI and terminal parity: same setup can run locally or over SSH.
• Massive automation and programmability.

Cons:

• High complexity and configuration overhead.
• Occasional breaking changes and heavy updates.
• Can be sluggish on lower‑spec machines and phones.
• Steep learning curve for non-developers.

Recommended for power users who want unlimited text-native features and automation.

4) Neovim / Vim + plugins (e.g., Neorg, vimwiki)

Concept: lightweight modal text editor with a rich plugin ecosystem for note-taking.

Pros:

• Fast, distraction‑free, and highly customizable.
• Great for turning text files into organized, linkable notes.
• Author uses hierarchical numeric filenames effectively.

Cons:

• High setup and maintenance cost (choosing/configuring plugins).
• Ecosystem churn (Lua vs Vimscript, package manager migrations).
• Plugins are more fragmented and immature compared to org-mode’s unified system.

Recommended for users who enjoy tinkering, want a minimalist fast editor, and accept ongoing configuration work.

Other editors / minimalists mentioned

• Cocoon: modal editor focused on doing one thing well; small wiki & table plugin — Unix-philosophy lean.
• Helix: similar to Cocoon but with more developer features; plugin story still immature.
• neatVI, Viz and similar tiny editors: extreme minimalism for “suckless”/hipster workflows.

Notable technical themes and advice

• Plain‑text and hierarchy: the author prefers hierarchical file naming (inspired by Dendron) so files self-organize and remain portable.
• Encryption: preference for per‑note encryption rather than only full‑disk encryption; QOwnNotes and various plugins support this.
• Sync/versioning: local‑first workflows using Nextcloud or git-based syncing are emphasized; ability to view/restore version history is a plus.
• Trade‑offs: simplicity and low maintenance (Zim, QOwnNotes) versus power/customizability (Emacs, Neovim).
• Productivity treadmill warning: avoid endless tweaking — pick a tool and use it.

Practical takeaways / recommendations

• Minimal, non-technical, stable solution: Zim.
• Simple Markdown with built‑in sync and encryption that “just works”: QOwnNotes.
• Maximal programmability and plain‑text power: Emacs + Org Mode (+ org‑roam).
• Minimal, fast, highly tweakable editor for config‑enthusiasts: Neovim + Neorg/vimwiki (expect maintenance).
• Extreme minimalists / Unix purists: explore Cocoon, Helix, or tiny vi clones.

Main speaker / sources

• Speaker: an unnamed YouTuber/reviewer presenting a personal search and evaluation of open‑source note apps.
• Primary projects and tools referenced: Notion, Dendron, Zettlr, VNote, NB (bash notes), Zim, QOwnNotes, Emacs, Doom Emacs, Org Mode, Org‑roam, Neovim/Vim, Neorg, NVChad, Cocoon, Helix, neatVI, Viz, Nextcloud, and various note apps (Obsidian, LogSeq, Joplin, Trilium, etc.).