The research shortlist
Page updated
JoplinTop pick
Free, open-source notes and to-dos with secure sync.
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Closest overall match: a mature native macOS notes-and-to-dos app with Markdown, offline storage, extensibility, and active releases.
Offline-first Markdown notebooks with search, tags, attachments, to-dos, web clipping, plugins, and optional encrypted synchronization.
- 01Markdown notes organized in notebooks
- 02To-dos, tags, search, attachments, and web clipping
- 03Offline-first storage with optional end-to-end encrypted sync
- 04Plugins, themes, and multiple editors
- Calendar planning is less central than in NotePlan; richer synchronization and sharing are optional services.
Evidence sources (18)
- Joplin GitHub repositorySource available ·
- Joplin LICENSELicense ·
- Joplin releasesRelease ·
- Joplin official homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- Joplin installation documentationDocumented macOS path ·
- Joplin desktop downloadFree at review time ·
- Joplin product screenshotScreenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- Latest GitHub releaseRelease ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
- Joplin dev branch commit historySource available ·
- Joplin 3.6.15 macOS downloadFree at review time ·
- Joplin plans and pricingFree at review time ·
- Joplin project iconScreenshots ·
- Joplin multimedia notes product imageScreenshots ·
- Joplin collaboration product imageScreenshots ·
- Joplin web clipper product imageScreenshots ·
- Joplin LICENSELicense ·
AppFlowy
Open-source workspace for wikis, projects, and tasks.
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Broad workspace alternative with strong coverage of notes, structured projects, tasks, templates, and a current native macOS build.
Full review — capabilities, 1 caveat, evidence
Notion-style workspace with pages, databases, templates, projects, and tasks, distributed as a native macOS desktop app.
- 01Wikis and rich-content pages
- 02Projects and task management
- 03Database views, templates, and structured content
- 04Native desktop app with self-hosting and local-data options
- More workspace- and database-oriented than Markdown-first; hosted sync, collaboration, and AI features are service-dependent.
Evidence sources (13)
- AppFlowy GitHub repositorySource available ·
- AppFlowy LICENSELicense ·
- AppFlowy 0.13.2 releaseRelease ·
- AppFlowy official homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- AppFlowy macOS installation documentationDocumented macOS path ·
- AppFlowy free desktop downloadFree at review time ·
- AppFlowy workspace screenshotScreenshots ·
- AppFlowy tasks screenshotScreenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
- AppFlowy releases and macOS assetsRelease ·
- AppFlowy pricing and free tierFree at review time ·
Logseq
Local-first outliner for journals, tasks, and linked knowledge.
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Closest to NotePlan's journal/outliner workflow, combining daily notes, linked knowledge, task states, and current macOS releases.
Full review — capabilities, 2 caveats, evidence
Block-based knowledge base built around daily journals, task states, backlinks, and local graphs, with a native macOS desktop build.
- 01Daily journals and block-based outlining
- 02TODO states and task planning
- 03Backlinks, graph navigation, and linked knowledge
- 04Local graphs with Markdown-oriented workflows and plugins
- The current 2.0.1 desktop release is explicitly beta; the project warns of rough edges and possible data loss, so backups are important.
- Sync and collaboration workstreams are also marked beta or alpha.
Evidence sources (11)
- Logseq GitHub repositorySource available ·
- Logseq LICENSE.mdLicense ·
- Logseq Desktop 2.0.1 releaseRelease ·
- Logseq official homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- Logseq downloads with macOS buildDocumented macOS path ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
- Logseq LICENSE.mdLicense ·
- Logseq releases and macOS desktop assetsRelease ·
- Logseq official repository iconScreenshots ·
Specifications, side by side
| Attribute | 1 · Joplin | 2 · AppFlowy | 3 · Logseq |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | AGPL-3.0-only | AGPL-3.0-only |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Status | Checked | Checked | Checked |
| Version | v3.6.15 | v0.13.2 | v2.0.1 |
| Stars | 56.0k | 75.7k | 44.5k |
| Last push | |||
| Caveats | 1 | 1 | 2 |
About NotePlan
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