Foam AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

The best Note-taking alternative to Foam is Obsidian, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Foam and loads of them are Note-taking Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Note-taking Tool alternatives to Foam are Zettlr, Zim, AFFiNE and TiddlyWiki.

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Foam alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Foam.
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Alternatives list

  1. Obsidian icon
     1160 likes

    Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.

    267 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • AppImage
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
  2. Zettlr icon
     259 likes

    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    212 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
  3. Zim icon
     517 likes

    Zim brings the concept of a wiki to your desktop. Store information, link pages and edit with WYSISYG markup or directly typing some lightweight markup syntax and see it previewed as-you-type. Creating a new page is easy by either clicking on the "Create new note"...

    343 Zim alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  4. AFFiNE icon
     119 likes

    Open-source, privacy-focused workspace combining note-taking, project and task management, Kanban board, interactive whiteboard, Pomodoro timer, Markdown support, offline access, real-time team collaboration with @mentions, goal tracking, subtasks, and customizable features.

    171 AFFiNE alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
     
  5. TiddlyWiki icon
     314 likes

    TiddlyWiki is a single html file with all the characteristics of a wiki - including all of the functionality (including editing, saving, tagging and searching) and the style sheet. Because its a single file, its very portable - you can email it, put it on a web server or share...

    194 TiddlyWiki alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    • Xfce
    • RemoteStorage
     
  6. CherryTree icon
     330 likes

    Hierarchical note-taking software that is free, open-source, cross-platform. Features include rich text, syntax highlighting, multi-level lists, embedded files, customizable interface, code execution, PDF export, spell check, images & tables, and comprehensive project management support.

    130 CherryTree alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
     
  7. TagSpaces icon
     247 likes

    Privacy-first, multi-device organizer for files and folders with customizable tags, color labels, note editing in markdown or HTML, Kanban boards, S3 object storage support, web page clipping, vendor lock-in free filename tagging, open source option, and multi-format preview.

    104 TagSpaces alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
  8. Workflowy icon
     320 likes

    Offers limitless nested lists for outlining, instant sync on web and mobile, real-time collaboration, file and photo uploads, kanban boards, tagging, offline editing, hoisting for branch focus, content sharing, text highlighting, and Dropbox auto-backup.

    395 Workflowy alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  9. Cryptee icon
     112 likes

    Encrypted, privacy-focused digital storage with zero-knowledge architecture supporting document editing, notes, journals, and photo storage with raw DSLR support, live sync, markdown, code, LaTeX, to-dos, audio, tables, EPUB, PDF, and cross-platform access.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  10. Tolaria icon
     27 likes

    Desktop note app stores plain markdown files with YAML, supports offline-first use, integrated Git repositories for full history, native Claude AI and Codex CLI integration, open source, portable data, keyboard-driven interface, no proprietary lock-in.

    28 Tolaria alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  11. QOwnNotes icon
     100 likes

    Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.

    294 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
     
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