Notenik
A free, open-source Mac note-taking app that stores notes as plain-text Markdown files in folders.
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About Notenik
Notenik is a note-taking app for the Mac that keeps every note in a plain text file, readable in any text editor or Markdown editor. Notes are collected into folders you can store anywhere and sync with whatever cloud service you already use.
Formatting uses Markdown with footnotes, citations, definition lists and MathJax. Wiki-style double bracket links connect notes, and it can generate a table of contents for a long note or a whole collection. It is distributed through the Mac App Store with all features enabled.
Strengths
- Notes stored as plain text files you can open anywhere
- Wiki-style links between notes
- Markdown extras such as footnotes, citations and MathJax
- Runs natively on Apple silicon
Limitations
- Mac only
- Sync depends on a third-party service you set up yourself
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree with no in-app purchases, subscriptions or ads; source code under the MIT license.
- License
- MIT
- Platforms
- macOS
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Mac users who want Markdown notes in plain files they fully control
- Categories
- Note-taking
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Notenik
Compare allSoftware that can replace Notenik for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Obsidian
A notes app that works on a folder of plain Markdown files on your own disk, with links between them.
Obsidian also keeps notes as plain Markdown files with links, and adds Windows, Linux and mobile apps and plugins, but the application is not open source.
The Archive
A plain-text Zettelkasten note-taking app for macOS that stores notes as Markdown files.
The Archive is a paid macOS app that stores notes as plain Markdown files for a Zettelkasten, where Notenik is free and open source under MIT.
FSNotes
An open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone that stores notes as plain files.
FSNotes is a paid, open-source Markdown app for Mac and iPhone with plain files, built-in Git backups and per-note encryption, adding an iOS version.
Octarine
A local-first Markdown note-taking app for macOS that keeps notes as plain files.
Octarine is a freemium, closed-source macOS app that keeps notes as local Markdown files and includes a web clip bookmarklet.
Zettlr
Write and organize Markdown documents for publication.
Zettlr is a free, open-source GPL-3.0 Markdown app for Windows, macOS and Linux, aimed more at organizing documents for publication and export.
VNote
An open-source desktop Markdown note-taking app written in native C++ that keeps notes as local files.
VNote is a free, open-source native C++ Markdown notebook for Windows, macOS and Linux that keeps notes as local files, with no built-in sync.
Logseq
An outliner that stores notes as plain Markdown files, built around a daily journal and linked blocks.
Logseq stores notes as plain Markdown files but uses an outliner built around a daily journal, with apps on desktop and mobile under AGPL-3.0.
Foam
A personal knowledge management system built on Visual Studio Code and plain Markdown files.
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.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
QLMarkdown
Preview Markdown files with macOS Quick Look.
Typora
A polished Markdown editor with live in-place rendering, sold as a one-off purchase rather than a subscription.
iA Writer
Minimalist Markdown writing app focused on the text.
Bear
Apple-exclusive markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a polished editor.
Emanote
A tool that turns a folder of Markdown notes into a linked, browsable website.
