The Best Free Obsidian AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Obsidian

The best free alternative to Obsidian is Logseq, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Obsidian and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Obsidian are Zettlr, Joplin, Anytype and sNotes – Students Notes.

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Obsidian alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Free + Ad-free + No Tracking + Privacy focused, Android + Open Source, Windows, Linux and Note-taking. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Obsidian.
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Alternatives list

  1. Logseq icon
     353 likes

    Local-first, privacy-focused notebook supporting Markdown and Emacs Org mode. Offers offline use, encrypted backups, plugin extensibility, LaTeX support, real-time collaboration, and hierarchical organization for personal knowledge management.

    221 Logseq alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
     
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    15
  2. Zettlr icon
     261 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.

    216 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
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    9
  3. Joplin icon
     924 likes

    Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.

    169 Joplin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
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    13
  4. Anytype icon
     307 likes

    Manage notes, tasks, and projects offline with Markdown support. Enjoy encrypted storage, P2P syncing, and powerful dynamic collections across all devices, while allowing redistribution and modification for non-commercial uses.

    195 Anytype alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    4
  5. Students Notes is a note-taking app designed for online learners to overcome information overload, organization, and memorization challenges.

    107 sNotes – Students Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
     
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    3
  6. Notesnook icon
     207 likes

    Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.

    361 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    • Self-Hosted
     
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    5
  7. Notion icon
     669 likes

    Enhance team collaboration and content organization with Notion. Experience real-time access, intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities, and visually simple interfaces designed for productivity in managing tasks, notes, and databases effectively. Ideal for teams of every size.

    322 Notion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
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    8
  8. Standard Notes icon
     701 likes

    Secure note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, unlimited syncing across all platforms, offline access, detailed organization through tags, strong passcode and biometric protections, and premium features like encrypted files, themes, web clipper, super note types, and hardware key support.

    185 Standard Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
     
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    3
  9. Microsoft OneNote icon
     1146 likes

    Comprehensive digital notebook offering organizers, shared notes, multi-device syncing, and optical character recognition, plus cloud-based data management for efficient information handling and accessibility.

    202 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire
     
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    2
  10. AppFlowy icon
     211 likes

    Open-source workspace offering complete data control, deep customization via themes, plugins, and templates, native multi-platform support using Flutter and Rust, offline access, privacy features, collaborative tools, and easy extensibility for all users.

    129 AppFlowy alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Rust
    • Flathub
     
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    2
  11. Google Keep icon
     844 likes

    Google Keep is a multifunctional tool that merges note-taking with browsing, allowing capture of thoughts, checklists, or voice notes, with cross-device synchronization. Features include color-coded notes, voice transcription, geo-fencing, collaboration, cloud storage, and seamless Google integration.

    143 Google Keep alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Android Wear
     
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    6
  12. Google Docs icon
     962 likes

    Powerful online word processor with real-time collaboration, document conversion from Word, extensive formatting options, revision history, and multilingual capabilities, all integrated within the Google Drive ecosystem, accessible through any internet-connected device.

    129 Google Docs alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
12 of 252 Obsidian alternatives