🏠 Host Your Own Damn Notes: Stop Letting Big Tech Babysit Your Brain

Tools & Scripts
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:books: 20 Open-Source Note Apps for People Who Hate Themselves

Here’s the dumpster fire guide you didn’t ask for: note apps you’ll hoard, worship for a week, then abandon like your gym membership.

What the tables actually mean:

  • ~GitHub stars → Nerd upvotes. Basically clout tokens. Fake as hell.
  • License → Legal bullshit. Either “steal me” or “get sued, loser.”
  • One-liner → Baby-sized summary so your goldfish brain survives.
  • Platforms → Where it runs. If it doesn’t run on your crusty laptop, cry in silence.

And yeah, those star counts? About as stable as your ex. Don’t trust them for a damn second.

:exploding_head: Brain-Melt Tier: “Feature-Rich” Flex Toys

Junk Name :glowing_star: Nerd Karma (~) Legal Spellbook WTF It Does Runs On
Logseq 32k AGPL-3.0 Roam cosplay with a paranoid corkboard vibe, keeps your mess offline. Desktop, Mobile, Web
Joplin 45k MIT Evernote’s cooler cousin that doesn’t suck and actually syncs. Win, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Trilium Notes 27k AGPL-3.0 Russian-doll notes + encryption so tight even future-you can’t crack it. Win, macOS, Linux, Web (self-host)
AppFlowy 57k AGPL-3.0 Notion but open-source, minus the cult tattoos. Win, macOS, Linux, Mobile
SiYuan 19k AGPL-3.0 Block fetishist’s dream with databases you’ll never touch. Win, macOS, Linux, Web, Mobile

:shield: Privacy Cult: Notes for Paranoid Bastards

App :star: Clout (~) License Crap WTF It Is Runs On
Notesnook 10k GPL-3.0 Locks your grocery list like it’s CIA intel. Works on everything. Win, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web
Standard Notes 5k AGPL-3.0 Minimal as fuck. Secure, boring, takes itself too seriously. Win, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web
QOwnNotes 4k GPL-2.0 Plain text nerd pad. Only fun if you’re horny for Nextcloud. Win, macOS, Linux

:technologist: For Code Monkeys Who Write Feelings in Markdown

App :star: Clout (~) License Crap WTF It Is Runs On
Foam (VS Code) 16k MIT Turns VS Code into Roam cosplay. Has a “graph” you’ll stare at once, then never again. VS Code (Win/macOS/Linux)
Dendron (VS Code) 7k Apache-2.0 Hierarchy hell. Schemas for people who fetishize folder trees. VS Code (Win/macOS/Linux)
VNote 12k LGPL-3.0 Markdown crack pipe with Vim controls for masochists. Win, macOS, Linux
Kompad 600 MIT Baby dev toy made with Tauri. Tags, themes, and hopes you’ll care. Desktop, Web

:graduation_cap: Nerd Notes: Academia Without the Student Loans

App :star: Clout (~) License Crap WTF It Is Runs On
Zettlr 10k GPL-3.0 Lets you pretend your half-assed notes are “research.” Spits out LaTeX nobody asked for. Win, macOS, Linux
Org-roam 6k GPL-3.0 Roam knockoff inside Emacs. Requires wizard-level keyboard kung fu. Emacs (Win/macOS/Linux)
Athens Research 6k EPL-1.0 Another Roam clone. Dead project. Congrats, you’re using abandonware. Web/Desktop

:puzzle_piece: Weird Old-School Sh*t That Still Works

App :star: Clout (~) License Crap WTF It Is Runs On
TiddlyWiki 8k BSD One HTML file that turns into a damn wiki. Feels cursed, still unbeatable. Any modern browser
Notes (nuttyartist) 4k MPL-2.0 Pretty little note app that just
 stays on your computer like a pet rock. Win, macOS, Linux

:world_map: Brain Vomit Maps & Doodle Apps

App :star: Clout (~) License Crap WTF It Is Runs On
Freeplane 900 GPL-2.0 Grandpa’s mind map tool with scripting no one uses. Cross-platform (Java)
Mindolph 1k — Mind maps mashed with Markdown, PlantUML, and AI. Franken-app energy. Desktop (Java)
Butterfly 2k GPL-3.0 Notes + doodles = feels like drawing on your homework. Cross-platform (Flutter/Web)

:magnifying_glass_tilted_right: Pick Your Poison (Zero-Bullshit Hints)

Note: Stars = internet likes, not divine truth. They bounce around like crypto prices. Don’t be a dumbass—check the repo yourself to see if it’s alive or just a digital corpse.

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