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. Docbook Notes icon
     2 likes

    Calendar-based notebook for writing Markdown notes, tasks, and events on specific days. AI topic detection links related paragraphs across dates into editable topic pages, while unfinished tasks move to Overdue. Use it in a browser without an account or sync across devices.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  2. TreeWrite icon
     1 like

    Local-first desktop outliner. Your notes live in a plain JSON Lines file on your computer, with no account or cloud, and sync through your own Git.

    13 TreeWrite alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  3. RecallNote icon
     1 like

    Review Cards · Memorization · Exam Prep · PDF Notes — All in One.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  4. Folding Mirror is a Markdown editor for macOS, featuring live preview which renders what you type in place. When the caret is moved onto a line, it folds back into its Markdown source, allowing you to edit the original content instead of a representation.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  5. Encrypted online notepad with real-time autosaving, password protection, rich text formatting, sharing through unique links, downloading, printing, multilingual support, no registration needed, seamless across devices, privacy and safety-focused, ideal for personal notes and collaboration.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  6. Sophiastra icon
     1 like

    A free note app that shows what you don't understand yet. Organize topics in layers, explore them in 3D, and turn your notes into quizzes to find your gaps.

    5 Sophiastra alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Online
    Good alternative?
     
  7. ais icon
     1 like

    AIS is a personal index. You save anything (a link, a note, a file path, a password) under one or more keywords of your own, and recall it by any combination of them: "venice 2006" returns what you filed under both.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Strokes icon
     1 like

    Desktop writing app for Mac and Windows with a personal assistant beside your document; your files stay on your machine.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • US flagUnited States
    Inline suggestions you accept or reject, with the assistant beside the document
    Good alternative?
     
  9. NormNote icon
     1 like

    NormNote is a minimalist, distraction-free Markdown editor built for focus and privacy. All notes are stored directly on your device — no accounts, no forced cloud sync. If you want to sync across devices, simply point NormNote to your iCloud or Google Drive folder.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  10. Muse is a macOS note-taking app built to be “notes first” — fast writing, clean organization, and a great editor — with optional AI that runs locally on your Mac. The goal is to feel like a real notebook (not a chatbot with notes attached), while still giving you AI everywhere...

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  11. MiaoYan icon
     Like

    MiaoYan is a native Markdown notes app for macOS, written in Swift. Notes are plain .md files in a folder you choose, so they work with iCloud Drive, Dropbox or any other folder sync, and with other Markdown editors.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2020

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Homebrew
    Good alternative?
     
  12. All-in-one life organizer combining journal, planner, notes, habits, and goals in one interconnected system. Mobile-first, offline-first, with optional E2E encryption.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    Good alternative?
     
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