A keyboard-first note app for Mac. Press a shortcut, type your thought, close. Your note is saved as a plain markdown file in under 3 seconds. No account, no cloud, no setup.
Italy
EU
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.
filter to find the best alternatives
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.
Alternatives list
VB Notes is a free, open-source (MIT) notes app for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. Every note is a plain markdown file in a folder you choose, such as iCloud Drive or a Syncthing folder, so there is nothing to export and any other app can open the same notes.
India
+2
+5
LocArk is a local-first private workspace for notes, passwords, kanban, mind maps, and Inbox. Content stays in storage you choose and works offline. Back it up or use a sync folder you trust; LocArk does not provide hosted cloud sync.
United Kingdom
+3
Otterly opens a folder of Markdown notes on your computer. You can write in a rich editor, search your notes, follow wiki links, see backlinks, keep notes open in tabs, and save checkpoints with Git. Your notes stay as ordinary files you can open with other tools.
Element Note is the next-gen note taking, PDF annotation, and light sketching app. We stripped down the unnecessaries and carefully polished the elemental functions for a digital notebook. With a modern look and powerful features, Element Note strives to provide an elegant...
+9
A lightweight, local-first notes app for Mac with rich formatting, slash commands, and iCloud sync - no subscription, no cloud lock-in.
Australia
Offline desktop AI that indexes, searches and analyzes documents stored on a Windows or macOS computer. It processes data locally, retains conversation memory, and presents responses with citations to the underlying files for verification and privacy-sensitive work.
Cost / License
- Paid
- Proprietary
Since
- New
- United Kingdom
Acard is an open-source (AGPL-3.0), local-first workspace in the style of Notion. One small Bun process serves the editor and stores everything in SQLite files inside a folder you choose; nothing leaves your machine unless you turn on a cloud feature.
Quill is a free, open-source Markdown editor for macOS where an AI agent edits the document you are writing. Hold a key, say what to change, and Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or another agent rewrites the note in front of you.
- United Kingdom
Local-first, Mac-native quotes management and revisiting app. Full data ownership with easy import (from Kindle and CSV files) and export options. Use offline, manage with Tags and Collections. Rediscover through full-text search, Widgets & Reminders! iOS coming soon!.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Since
- Since 2025
United States
+7
WitNote is a macOS writing, reading, and local AI assistant for people who want to keep drafts, notes, research, and ideas organized on their own device.
