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zk vs Org-roam: catalog facts
zk	Org-roam
Free Free to download and use from GitHub.	Free Free and open source under the GPL version 3 or later.
Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux
Notes stay as plain Markdown files Works with any text editor	Plain-text notes that stay fully under your control Backlinks and a graph view for connecting ideas
Command-line only, no graphical interface Assumes comfort with the terminal	Requires Emacs and familiarity with Org mode No mobile app of its own
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0-or-later
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.