Open Source Obsidian Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Obsidian for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best open source Linux alternative is Logseq. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Obsidian and loads of them are open source and available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Linux alternatives to Obsidian are Zettlr, Joplin, Notesnook and Standard Notes.

filter to find the best alternatives

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, Android + Open Source, Linux, Free + Ad-free + No Tracking + Privacy focused, Windows, Self-Hosted 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
     345 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.

    206 Logseq alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Flathub
     
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    15
  2. Zettlr icon
     257 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.

    204 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
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    9
  3. Joplin icon
     910 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.

    148 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. Notesnook icon
     200 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.

    346 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
  5. Standard Notes icon
     699 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.

    164 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
  6. AppFlowy icon
     206 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.

    121 AppFlowy alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Rust
    • Flathub
     
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    2
  7. Trilium Notes icon
     120 likes

    The original trilium is transfered to this repo by its owner and the app continues to develop here as stated here: https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium

    404 Trilium Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Google Chrome
    • Cloudron
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
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    1
  8. Zim icon
     515 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"...

    338 Zim alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    3
  9. CherryTree icon
     326 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.

    124 CherryTree alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
     
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    2
  10. Simplenote icon
     608 likes

    Cloud-based, open-source note-taking app supporting plain text notes, lists, and ideas with real-time sync, multi-device support, version history, markdown, tagging, collaborative editing, no ads, and free registration required for all cloud features.

    147 Simplenote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    6
  11. SiYuan icon
     82 likes

    SiYuan is a desktop Markdown Block-Reference and Bidirectional-Link note-taking application. Support fine-grained block-level reference and Markdown WYSIWYG.

    100 SiYuan alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Docker
    • Docker Hub
    • F-Droid
     
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    4
  12. GNU Emacs icon
     389 likes

    GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editor—and more. At its core is an interpreter for Emacs Lisp, a dialect of the Lisp programming language with extensions to support text editing. The features of GNU Emacs include:

    187 GNU Emacs alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • F-Droid
    • Haiku
    • Debian
    • MacPorts
    • Homebrew
     
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