Alternatives to nb
A command-line and local web tool for plain text notes, bookmarks and a Git-backed knowledge base. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
nb
A command-line and local web tool for plain text notes, bookmarks and a Git-backed knowledge base.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as nb.
zk
A command-line tool for maintaining a plain-text Markdown Zettelkasten or personal wiki.
zk is a command-line tool for a plain Markdown Zettelkasten that works with any editor, but it lacks bookmarking, encryption and Git sync, and it is not open source.
Org mode
A GNU Emacs major mode for notes, outlines, to-do lists and documents kept in plain text.
Org mode keeps notes, outlines, tasks and an agenda in plain text inside GNU Emacs, easy to version control, with a steep learning curve for newcomers.
Denote
An Emacs note-taking package that organises plain-text notes through a predictable, descriptive file naming scheme.
Denote is an Emacs package organising plain-text notes through a predictable file naming scheme with no database, requiring Emacs familiarity and offering no mobile app.
VimWiki
A Vim plugin that turns linked plain-text files into a personal wiki with its own syntax.
VimWiki turns linked plain-text files into a personal wiki inside Vim with website export, but has no bookmarking, encryption or built-in sync between devices.
Neorg
A Neovim plugin and file format for notes, tasks and organising your life inside the editor.
Neorg keeps notes and tasks as plain-text files inside Neovim with an extensible module system, but it uses its own format rather than Markdown.
Foam
A personal knowledge management system built on Visual Studio Code and plain Markdown files.
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.
Zim
A desktop wiki that keeps linked notes as plain text files in a folder structure.
Zim is a desktop wiki for Windows and Linux storing linked notes as plain text files with a version control plugin, using a graphical interface and its own markup.
Also worth comparing
These listings name nb as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Karakeep
Save bookmarks, notes and documents in a self-hosted library.
nb keeps bookmarks, archives and notes as plain text with Git-backed sync from the command line and a local web interface, rather than a self-hosted web library.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
jrnl
A command-line journal that stores entries in plain text files, with optional AES encryption.
Emanote
A tool that turns a folder of Markdown notes into a linked, browsable website.
Org-roam
An Emacs package for linked, plain-text personal knowledge management built on Org mode files.
Omnivore
An open-source, self-hosted read-it-later app for saving, highlighting and annotating articles, newsletters and PDFs.
Markor
An open-source Android text editor for Markdown notes, todo.txt lists and plain text files.
