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. Zim icon
     522 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"...

    371 Zim alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • NL flagNetherlands
    • European Union flagEU
    Zim screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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    3
  2. AFFiNE icon
     129 likes

    Open-source, privacy-focused workspace combining note-taking, project and task management, Kanban board, interactive whiteboard, Pomodoro timer, Markdown support, offline access, real-time team collaboration with @mentions, goal tracking, subtasks, and customizable features.

    241 AFFiNE alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2024

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Good alternative?
     
  3. CherryTree icon
     337 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.

    169 CherryTree alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2010

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Good alternative?
     
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  4. Trilium Notes icon
     129 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

    446 Trilium Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2018

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Good alternative?
     
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  5. Tolaria icon
     37 likes

    Desktop note app stores plain markdown files with YAML, supports offline-first use, integrated Git repositories for full history, native Claude AI and Codex CLI integration, open source, portable data, keyboard-driven interface, no proprietary lock-in.

    63 Tolaria alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  6. HelixNotes icon
     32 likes

    HelixNotes is a local markdown note-taking app built with Rust, Tauri 2.0, and SvelteKit. Your notes are standard .md files on your filesystem - sync with whatever you want or nothing at all.

    187 HelixNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  7. GNU Emacs icon
     393 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:

    216 GNU Emacs alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Debian
    • Android
    • Haiku
    • F-Droid
    • Snapcraft
    • Homebrew
    • MacPorts
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Beaver Notes icon
     79 likes

    Your personal note-taking haven for privacy and efficiency.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2023

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Flathub
    Good alternative?
     
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  9. SiYuan icon
     85 likes

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

    141 SiYuan alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2021

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • Docker
    • Docker Hub
    Good alternative?
     
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  10. QOwnNotes icon
     104 likes

    Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.

    347 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2015

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
    • Flathub
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  11. FUTO Notes icon
     22 likes

    Markdown notes stored as plain files, no database required, ensuring no lock-in. Works fully offline, has first-class self-hosted end-to-end encrypted sync, no ads, no analytics, no tracking, and maintains user privacy and transparency at all times.

    18 FUTO Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Source Available

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Deta Surf icon
     39 likes

    Workspace fusing browsing, file management, and AI with local-first data; offers note-taking, applet creation, offline media storage, YouTube and PDF interaction, customizable AI-powered notes, citation tools, split views, sidebar navigation, and privacy features.

    119 Deta Surf alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2024

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
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