Obsidian Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Obsidian for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is Joplin, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Obsidian and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Obsidian are Logseq, Anytype, Notion and Notesnook.

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Most Obsidian alternatives are Note-taking Tools, but you can also narrow the list to Task Management Tools or Todo List Managers. Other popular filters are Open Source, Windows, Android and Self-Hosted.
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Alternatives
Obsidian alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Plainva icon
     1 like

    Plainva is an open-source, local-first editor for plain Markdown vaults. It aims to open existing Obsidian-compatible vaults directly from cloud storage and preserve file ownership.

    52 Plainva alternatives

    Cost / License

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  2. Binderus icon
     2 likes

    Local-first Markdown note-taking app with Notion-quality WYSIWYG editing on plain .md files. No cloud required, no account needed. Built with Tauri + Rust (~9 MB).

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  3. A free, local-first notes app that keeps your notes as plain Markdown files, with collections, properties and views built in, and no account needed.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  4. Knowledge is a tool for saving, searching, accessing, exploring and chatting with all of your favorite websites, documents and files.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  5. Rucola icon
     2 likes

    Terminal-based markdown note manager to view statistics, explore connections and launch editing and viewing applications.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2024

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  6. Rhyolite icon
     1 like

    Rhyolite is a simple markdown editor build using tauri framework that allows user to edit and work on markdown files.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  7. Notestudio icon
     1 like

    Notestudio brings the charm of traditional handwriting together with powerful digital tools, making note-taking feel natural and intuitive. With flexible paper styles, advanced drawing tools, and a smooth, customizable interface, it’s perfect for capturing and organizing your ideas.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Local-first note-taking app for desktop and mobile that works offline and stores notes on your device. Record and transcribe audio, ask an AI agent about your workspace, and turn notes into flashcards, quizzes, mind maps or slide decks. Includes drawing, PDF annotation, sync and export.

    32 Grape AI Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Stickily icon
     1 like

    Sticky notes sync seamlessly across Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web, with offline editing, a simple design allowing title, note, and one attachment per sticky, plus strong encryption, privacy protection, no ads, and data never used for training.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    Good alternative?
     
  10. LowNotes icon
     2 likes

    LowNotes is an open-source, local-first Markdown note-taking app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Built with Tauri, Rust, Svelte, and TypeScript, it offers peer-to-peer sync and real-time collaboration without centralized cloud storage.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  11. Ariv icon
     2 likes

    Your notes, always findable. Capture everything. Maintain nothing. Auto-tagging, smart search, zero organization required.

    51 Ariv alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Nesso icon
     1 like

    Nesso is an open-source (MIT), local-first app for building a personal knowledge graph. You connect concepts with typed, directed relations such as "causes", "part of" or "example of", and organize them in views: named subsets of the same graph, so...

    8 Nesso alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • AppImage
    Good alternative?
     
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