Best 13 Open Source Obsidian Alternatives in 2025

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.

Joplin is a powerful tool for capturing and organizing your thoughts, to-do lists, and information. It supports rich text and Markdown formatting, allowing you to create notes with images, attachments, tables, and even code snippets. You can clip web pages directly from your browser and save them as notes for later reference.

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.

Standard Notes is a note-taking tool that protects your data with strong encryption. When you write a note, it gets locked with a secret code that only you have. This means even the company that runs Standard Notes cannot read what you write. Your notes sync across all your devices automatically, so you can start writing on your phone and continue on your computer.

Tangent Notes is a note-taking app that treats your thoughts like a web of connected ideas. When you write, you can link notes together using simple double brackets, just like Wikipedia. As you follow these links, Tangent remembers where you have been and shows your path with sliding panels that move horizontally across your screen.

DeepNotes is a visual note-taking application that uses an infinite canvas approach. Instead of regular pages stacked on top of each other, you get unlimited space where notes can be placed anywhere and connected freely. Each note can contain other notes inside it, creating layers of information.

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.

Blinko is a self-hosted note-taking application that combines simplicity with powerful features. Unlike cloud-based tools where companies store your data, Blinko runs entirely on your own computer or server, giving you complete privacy. The app organizes content into two categories: quick notes called "Blinkos" for instant capture, and full "Notes" for detailed information you want to keep long-term.

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.