Best 7 Local-First Note Apps to use in 2025

Reor is a note-taking application that uses artificial intelligence to help you manage your knowledge. When you write notes, the app automatically finds related content from your other notes and shows them to you. This helps you discover connections you might have missed.

AFFiNE is a workspace application that brings together three main tools in one place: documents for writing and note-taking, whiteboards for visual thinking and drawing, and databases for organizing information. Unlike cloud-first tools, AFFiNE takes a local-first approach, which means your data lives on your computer first and only syncs to the cloud if you choose.

SiYuan is a personal knowledge management system that treats every piece of content as a block. These blocks can be linked, referenced, and organized in multiple ways. Unlike traditional note-taking apps, SiYuan gives you complete control by storing everything locally on your device.

Trilium Notes is a note-taking application that lets you organize information in a tree structure. Each note can contain text, images, code, diagrams, or other content types. Unlike basic note apps, Trilium allows one note to appear in multiple places in your tree without copying it, which is called cloning.

Anytype is a tool for organizing your notes, tasks, files, and projects while keeping everything private on your device. You create content using objects, which are like structured notes with properties you can customize. For example, a book object can have an author, rating, and notes all connected together.

Logseq is an open-source note-taking tool that helps you capture and connect your thoughts. Everything you write is stored as plain text files on your device, giving you complete control over your data. You never have to worry about a company shutting down or changing their prices because your files belong to you.

Obsidian is a note-taking app that works with plain text files stored directly on your device. You can write notes, link them together, and see how your ideas connect through a visual graph. Unlike cloud-based tools, everything stays private on your computer.