Foam AlternativesNote-taking Tools and other similar apps like Foam

Foam is described as 'Personal knowledge management and sharing system inspired by Roam Research, built on Visual Studio Code and GitHub' and is a popular Note-taking tool in the office & productivity category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Foam for a variety of platforms, including Web-based, Windows, Mac, Linux and Android apps. The best Foam alternative is Obsidian, which is free. Other great apps like Foam are Zettlr, Zim, Google Docs and AFFiNE.

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Foam alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. ClickUp icon
    Sponsored

    All-in-one system integrates project, task, and time management with customizable modular dashboards, collaborative image annotation, multiple task views, and granular workflow customization for teams of any size or industry, streamlining complex to simple projects.

    173 ClickUp alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
  2. Obsidian icon
     1089 likes

    Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.

    169 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
    • Obsidian is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Foam.

    • Obsidian is the most popular free alternative to Foam.

    • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryFoam is Free and Open Source
    • Obsidian is Lightweight and Privacy focusedFoam is not according to our users
  3. Zettlr icon
     245 likes

    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    180 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
     
    • Zettlr is the most popular Open Source alternative to Foam.

    • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceFoam is also Free and Open Source
    • Zettlr is Privacy focused and LightweightFoam is not according to our users
  4. Zim icon
     511 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"...

    317 Zim alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  5. Google Docs icon
     954 likes

    Powerful online word processor with real-time collaboration, document conversion from Word, extensive formatting options, revision history, and multilingual capabilities, all integrated within the Google Drive ecosystem, accessible through any internet-connected device.

    111 Google Docs alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
    • Google Docs is the most popular Web-based alternative to Foam.

    • Google Docs is Free and ProprietaryFoam is Free and Open Source
  6. AFFiNE icon
     107 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.

    134 AFFiNE alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
     
    • AFFiNE is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Foam.

    • AFFiNE is Freemium and Open SourceFoam is Free and Open Source
    • AFFiNE is Privacy focused and LightweightFoam is not according to our users
  7. TiddlyWiki icon
     308 likes

    TiddlyWiki is a single html file with all the characteristics of a wiki - including all of the functionality (including editing, saving, tagging and searching) and the style sheet. Because its a single file, its very portable - you can email it, put it on a web server or share...

    178 TiddlyWiki alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    • Xfce
    • RemoteStorage
     
  8. TagSpaces icon
     244 likes

    Privacy-first, multi-device organizer for files and folders with customizable tags, color labels, note editing in markdown or HTML, Kanban boards, S3 object storage support, web page clipping, vendor lock-in free filename tagging, open source option, and multi-format preview.

    99 TagSpaces alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once or Subscription)
    • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
  9. CherryTree icon
     321 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.

    100 CherryTree alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
     
  10. Workflowy icon
     315 likes

    Offers limitless nested lists for outlining, instant sync on web and mobile, real-time collaboration, file and photo uploads, kanban boards, tagging, offline editing, hoisting for branch focus, content sharing, text highlighting, and Dropbox auto-backup.

    350 Workflowy alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  11. Cryptee icon
     103 likes

    Cryptee is a safety and privacy focused, encrypted and cross-platform personal data storage service. You can write personal documents, notes, journals, store photos (including raw photos from DSLR cameras) and all sorts of other files.

    72 Cryptee alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
    • Cryptee is the most popular SaaS alternative to Foam.

    • Cryptee is Freemium and Open SourceFoam is Free and Open Source
    • Cryptee is Privacy focused and LightweightFoam is not according to our users
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