Alternatives to Foam

A personal knowledge management system built on Visual Studio Code and plain Markdown files. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Foam.

  • Obsidian

    A notes app that works on a folder of plain Markdown files on your own disk, with links between them.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Obsidian works on a folder of plain Markdown files with links, backlinks and graph view in its own app with mobile clients, but it is not open source.

  • Logseq

    An outliner that stores notes as plain Markdown files, built around a daily journal and linked blocks.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Logseq is an AGPL-3.0 outliner storing plain Markdown files with block linking and a daily journal in a standalone app, including mobile apps.

  • Org-roam

    An Emacs package for linked, plain-text personal knowledge management built on Org mode files.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Org-roam gives a linked plain-text knowledge base with backlinks and a graph view inside Emacs using Org mode files instead of Markdown in VS Code.

  • zk

    A command-line tool for maintaining a plain-text Markdown Zettelkasten or personal wiki.

    FreeProprietaryCommand line

    zk is a command-line tool for a Markdown Zettelkasten that works with any text editor, so you are not tied to Visual Studio Code.

  • Denote

    An Emacs note-taking package that organises plain-text notes through a predictable, descriptive file naming scheme.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Denote organises plain-text notes in Emacs through a predictable file naming scheme with no database, switching the editor from VS Code to Emacs.

  • MindForger

    Organize Markdown notes in a personal knowledge workspace.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    MindForger is a GPL-2.0 standalone Markdown knowledge workspace linking related notes on Windows, macOS and Linux, with no VS Code requirement.

  • SilverBullet

    Keep linked Markdown notes in a self-hosted browser workspace.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostedWeb

    SilverBullet keeps linked Markdown notes in a self-hosted browser workspace with queries and extensions, needing a running instance instead of VS Code.

  • VimWiki

    A Vim plugin that turns linked plain-text files into a personal wiki with its own syntax.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    VimWiki turns linked plain-text files into a personal wiki inside Vim with its own syntax rather than Markdown, and has no built-in sync.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Foam as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • nb

    A command-line and local web tool for plain text notes, bookmarks and a Git-backed knowledge base.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Foam keeps Markdown notes with wikilinks, backlinks and graph view inside Visual Studio Code and uses Git for sync, replacing a terminal workflow with an editor.

  • Notenik

    A free, open-source Mac note-taking app that stores notes as plain-text Markdown files in folders.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    Foam keeps a linked Markdown knowledge base inside Visual Studio Code with wikilinks and graph view, so it requires VS Code rather than a native Mac app.

  • The Archive

    A plain-text Zettelkasten note-taking app for macOS that stores notes as Markdown files.

    PaidProprietarymacOS

    Foam builds a linked Markdown knowledge base inside Visual Studio Code with wikilinks, backlinks and Git sync, and is free and open source.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.