The Best Open Source Zim AlternativesTop Note-taking & Task Management Tools like Zim

Alternatives list

1. 

   

   Joplin

    945 likes

   Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.

   226 Joplin alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Open Source

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Origin

   • France
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Online
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Android Tablet
   • iPad
   • Self-Hosted
   • AppImageHub
   • Snapcraft
   • Google Chrome
   • Flathub
   • PortableApps.com
   • F-Droid
   • Cloudron
   • Homebrew
   • Chocolatey
   • Termux
   • Mozilla Firefox

   • France
   • EU

   

   

   

   +7

   

   More about Joplin  

   

   Good alternative?Is Joplin a good alternative to Zim?

    

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   4comments

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   Joplin vs Zim Comments

   Comment by Marco Bartoli · Dec 9, 2022

   Sadly, Joplin's Notes are proprietary: You cannot easily access your files with a third party tool (like a text editor). Zim (and other tools) keep your files readable and writeable in plaintext.

   Positive comment by LordMax · Feb 28, 2020

   IT's not so similar to Zim Desktop, it's really near to evernote/nixnote It can be a good replacement too

   Positive comment by andgregorik · Dec 12, 2019

   Joplin caters to a somewhat different user base: more simplistic, quicker, requires way less IT/wiki savvy just to operate daily. It also has pitch perfect syncing which is not Zim's cup of tea. Still, the moving parts are similar, and it can work as an alternative.

   3 of 4 comments

   

   

   • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceZim is Free and Open Source
   • Joplin is Minimalistic and DecentralizedZim is not according to our users
2. 

   

   CherryTree

    334 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.

   152 CherryTree alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Flathub
   • PortableApps.com
   • Flatpak

   

   

   

   +3

   

   More about CherryTree  

   

   Good alternative?Is CherryTree a good alternative to Zim?

    

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   2comments

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   CherryTree vs Zim Comments

   Positive comment by John Fastman · Mar 26, 2017

   If Zim isn't to your liking, CherryTree might be: open-source, stores data locally, supports instant search, interprets code blocks, and has more text editing features. The only thing it's not good at (yet) is attaching things by drag-n-drop. But that is in development, I hear.

   Positive comment by bekir celik · Nov 26, 2019

   wysiwyg , bug free, easy-to use and versatile interface, encrypted and un-encrypted mode, can import/export data from/to zim keynote html etc . Code box with syntax highlighting feature is nice. Also can import files image etc . Strictly hierarchical. More likely an outlining software.

   2 of 2 comments

   

   

   • CherryTree is Free and Open SourceZim is also Free and Open Source
   • CherryTree is CustomizableZim is not according to our users
4. 

   

   Notesnook

    221 likes

   Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.

   395 Notesnook alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Task Management

   Origin

   • Pakistan

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Online
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Android Tablet
   • iPad
   • Google Chrome
   • Flathub
   • F-Droid
   • Software as a Service (SaaS)
   • Flatpak
   • Self-Hosted

   • Pakistan

   

   

   

   +6

   

   More about Notesnook  

   

   Good alternative?Is Notesnook a good alternative to Zim?

    
5. 

   

   Zettlr

    267 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.

   248 Zettlr alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Text Editor

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Flathub
   • PortableApps.com

   • Germany
   • EU

   

   

   

   +5

   

   More about Zettlr  

   

   Good alternative?Is Zettlr a good alternative to Zim?

    

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   1comment

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   Zettlr vs Zim Comments

   Positive comment by Marco Bartoli · Dec 9, 2022

   Native markdown editor. My new choice after retiring Zim. Good features, even clunkier interface than Zim, yet easy to learn and master.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceZim is also Free and Open Source
6. 

   

   AppFlowy

    213 likes

   Open-source workspace offering complete data control, deep customization via themes, plugins, and templates, native multi-platform support using Flutter and Rust, offline access, privacy features, collaborative tools, and easy extensibility for all users.

   154 AppFlowy alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Origin

   • Singapore

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Self-Hosted
   • Snapcraft
   • Rust
   • Flathub

   • Singapore

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about AppFlowy  

   

   Good alternative?Is AppFlowy a good alternative to Zim?

    
8. 

   

   Simplenote

    612 likes

   Cloud-based, open-source note-taking app supporting plain text notes, lists, and ideas with real-time sync, multi-device support, version history, markdown, tagging, collaborative editing, no ads, and free registration required for all cloud features.

   194 Simplenote alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Origin

   • United States

   Alerts

   • Discontinued

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Online
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Android Tablet
   • iPad

   • United States

   

   

   

   +3

   

   More about Simplenote  

   

   Good alternative?Is Simplenote a good alternative to Zim?

    

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   2comments

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   Discontinued

   Automattic ends Simplenote active development, only basic maintenance continues

   Simplenote vs Zim Comments

   Negative comment by John Fastman · Mar 26, 2017

   Simplenote is much less functional than Zim (no rich-text, no attachment to notes) and although it does work on mobile, it syncs your data via web-facing servers on which your info is held unencrypted. In that respect your information is much more vulnerable to hackers and govt agencies than if you used Zim, stored the data locally and maybe - if you need - sync it with an end-to-end encrypted service like Spideroak, Tresorit or Seafile (Seafile encrypts file content, not metadata).

   Positive comment by Guest · Oct 26, 2016

   Free and free of problems. Just simple.

   2 of 2 comments

   

   

   • Simplenote is Free and Open SourceZim is also Free and Open Source
   • Simplenote is MinimalisticZim is not according to our users
9. 

   

   TiddlyWiki

    315 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...

   207 TiddlyWiki alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Origin

   • United Kingdom

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Online
   • BSD
   • Self-Hosted
   • Xfce
   • RemoteStorage

   • United Kingdom

   

   More about TiddlyWiki  

   

   Good alternative?Is TiddlyWiki a good alternative to Zim?

    

   |

   1comment

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   TiddlyWiki vs Zim Comments

   Positive comment by Guest · May 14, 2017

   The single html file of TW is unbelievably simple and platform agnostic. File can be opened in any browser. There TW will open, edit, etc. Works just as well on a phone. File can be hosted/sync'd on DropBox or similar so you don't even need to download/upload (in the usual sense). Very smooth interface to boot. Robust support community constantly adding plugins.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • TiddlyWiki is Free and Open SourceZim is also Free and Open Source
   • TiddlyWiki is CustomizableZim is not according to our users
10. 

    

    Trilium Notes

     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

    432 Trilium Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

    Application typeApplication types

    • Note-taking
    • Todo List Manager

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Google Chrome
    • Cloudron
    • Mozilla Firefox

    

    

    

    +9

    

    More about Trilium Notes  

    

    Good alternative?Is Trilium Notes a good alternative to Zim?

     
11. 

    

    HelixNotes

     29 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.

    159 HelixNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

    Application typeApplication types

    • Note-taking
    • Todo List Manager

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android

    

    

    

    +1

    

    More about HelixNotes  

    

    Good alternative?Is HelixNotes a good alternative to Zim?

     
12. 

    

    Docmost

     52 likes

    Open-source wiki and documentation solution offering real-time collaborative editing, robust permissions, group management, spaces for organizing content, inline commenting, full-page history, advanced full-text search, nested pages, attachments, and flexible storage.

    148 Docmost alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

    Application typeApplication types

    • Note-taking
    • Todo List Manager

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    • Cloudron

    • United States

    

    

    

    +7

    

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13. 

    

    SiYuan

     85 likes

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

    125 SiYuan alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

    Application typeApplication types

    • Note-taking
    • Todo List Manager

    Origin

    • China

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Docker
    • Docker Hub
    • F-Droid

    • China

    

    

    

    +3

    

    More about SiYuan  

    

    Good alternative?Is SiYuan a good alternative to Zim?

     
14. 

    

    Cryptee

     113 likes

    Encrypted, privacy-focused digital storage with zero-knowledge architecture supporting document editing, notes, journals, and photo storage with raw DSLR support, live sync, markdown, code, LaTeX, to-dos, audio, tables, EPUB, PDF, and cross-platform access.

    102 Cryptee alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application typeApplication types

    • Note-taking
    • Todo List Manager

    Origin

    • Estonia
    • EU

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)

    • Estonia
    • EU

    

    

    

    +9

    

    More about Cryptee  

    

    Good alternative?Is Cryptee a good alternative to Zim?