Best note taking apps for Linux
Note apps with a native Linux app. Most of them are open source or store notes as Markdown files, which fits a Linux workflow of syncing with Git or Syncthing.
8 apps. 7 free or with a free plan, 4 open source, 4 store notes as Markdown files. Facts checked on vendor sites between 2026-11-12 and the latest update in 2026.
Quick picks by need
- Notes as Markdown files you own: Obsidian, free for personal use, notes stay as plain Markdown files in a folder, large plugin ecosystem.
- Free and open source on every platform: Joplin, open source apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and the terminal, sync through Dropbox, OneDrive or Joplin Cloud.
- Outliner and daily journal: Logseq, open source (AGPL-3.0), local Markdown or Org-mode files.
- Open source Notion-style workspace: AppFlowy, AGPL-3.0, can be self-hosted, free personal plan.
- Academic writing with citations: Zettlr, open source (GPL-3.0), Markdown files on disk, free.
- Clean Markdown editing on the desktop: Typora, live inline preview, Markdown files on disk, one-time license.
Compare all 8
| App | Price | Free option | License | Platforms | Notes stored as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Free for personal use | Free without limits for personal use, no sign-up required | Proprietary, free for personal use | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Plain Markdown files on your device |
| Logseq | Free | The app is free; the vendor describes it as privacy-first and open source | Open source (AGPL-3.0) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Local Markdown or Org-mode files (outline format) |
| Joplin | Free app, optional Joplin Cloud from 2.99 EUR per month | The apps are free; sync works with Dropbox, OneDrive and other services as well as Joplin Cloud | Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Terminal | Local notes in an open format, synced to a service of your choice |
| Typora | $14.99 per license | 15 day free trial on up to 3 devices | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux | Markdown files on disk |
| Zettlr | Free | Free to download and use | Open source (GPL-3.0) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Markdown files on disk |
| AppFlowy | Free personal plan, Pro from $12 per member per month billed annually | Personal plan: $0, 100 MB storage, 7 MB per file, 7 days of version history | AGPL-3.0 (per the GitHub repository) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Workspace data in AppFlowy Cloud or on your own self-hosted server |
| Anytype | Free plan, paid from $4 per month billed yearly | Free: 100 MB of remote storage, 10 shared channels, unlimited private channels | Any Source Available License 1.0 (source available, not an OSI open source license) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Offline-first local storage with optional peer-to-peer sync |
| Capacities | Free plan, Pro $9.99 per month | Basic is free forever: unlimited spaces, objects and blocks, sync, offline support, import and export, 5 GB media uploads in total then 100 MB per month | Proprietary | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Synced to the vendor cloud, hosted in EU data centers, with offline support |
Each app in one paragraph
Obsidian
Local-first notes in a folder of Markdown files, with optional paid sync and publishing. Price: Free for personal use.
Good: Your notes are ordinary Markdown files in a folder, so any other editor can open them. Large plugin and theme ecosystem.
Watch out: The app itself is not open source.
Logseq
Open source outliner for linked notes and daily journals, with local storage. Price: Free.
Good: Open source with a public codebase you can read. Outliner first: every bullet can be linked and referenced.
Watch out: Outline format means exported Markdown is a nested bullet list.
Joplin
Open source note app with Markdown or rich text editing and end-to-end encrypted sync. Price: Free app, optional Joplin Cloud from 2.99 EUR per month.
Good: End-to-end encryption. Web clipper for Chrome and Firefox.
Watch out: Interface is more utilitarian than Obsidian or Bear.
Typora
Distraction-free Markdown editor with live inline preview, sold as a one-time license. Price: $14.99 per license.
Good: Live preview where you edit rendered text directly. Tables, code fences, MathJax math, Mermaid and other diagrams.
Watch out: Proprietary and paid after the trial.
Zettlr
Open source Markdown editor aimed at academic writing, citations and note linking. Price: Free.
Good: Citation and reference manager support for academic work. Open source with a public codebase.
Watch out: Desktop only, no iOS or Android app.
AppFlowy
Self-hostable AI workspace for projects, wikis and teams, positioned as a Notion alternative. Price: Free personal plan, Pro from $12 per member per month billed annually.
Good: Self-hosting is documented, including in your own cloud. Notion-style pages, databases and boards in one workspace.
Watch out: The vendor pages do not describe Markdown import or export, so check before relying on it for plain-file workflows.
Anytype
Local-first, peer-to-peer and end-to-end encrypted knowledge workspace. Price: Free plan, paid from $4 per month billed yearly.
Good: Local-first with zero-knowledge encryption (per the client README). Objects and relations instead of a single page tree.
Watch out: The client README lists macOS, Windows and Linux; check the vendor site for mobile availability.
Capacities
A note app that organizes ideas as connected objects with types, rather than files and folders. Price: Free plan, Pro $9.99 per month.
Good: Object types and links let you model people, books, meetings and projects as structured notes. Free plan keeps sync, offline use and export.
Watch out: Proprietary and stored in the vendor cloud, not as a folder of Markdown files.
Capacities pricing · Capacities alternatives · official site ↗
What is the best note taking app for Linux?
It depends on what you need. Notes as Markdown files you own: Obsidian (free for personal use, notes stay as plain Markdown files in a folder, large plugin ecosystem). Free and open source on every platform: Joplin (open source apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and the terminal, sync through Dropbox, OneDrive or Joplin Cloud). Outliner and daily journal: Logseq (open source (AGPL-3.0), local Markdown or Org-mode files). Open source Notion-style workspace: AppFlowy (AGPL-3.0, can be self-hosted, free personal plan).
Which of these note apps are free?
Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, Zettlr, AppFlowy, Anytype and Capacities can be used at no cost, either as a free app or on a free plan.
Which of these note apps are open source?
Logseq, Joplin, Zettlr and AppFlowy are open source. The others are not open source, even when they are free to use.
Which note apps store notes as Markdown files?
Obsidian, Logseq, Typora and Zettlr keep notes as Markdown or plain text files on disk, so other editors can open them.
How this list is made
Every price, license and platform here comes from the vendor's own website, its app store listing or its source repository, and each profile shows the date it was checked. We do not take payment for placement, and the order of the table is not a ranking. Apps that only import or export Markdown are not counted as storing Markdown files. For the storage question in more depth, read which notes apps keep your notes as Markdown files.
Markdown Tools is not affiliated with any app on this page. 16 apps are tracked in the directory.