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Microsoft OneNote Alternatives for Linux

Looking for Microsoft OneNote alternatives? We've curated 21 top alternatives that offer similar functionality. Whether you need Linux options, free plans, or open source solutions, explore our comprehensive list to find the perfect fit for your needs.

Zim

Zim

Open Source

Zim is a powerful, open-source graphical text editor designed for maintaining a personal wiki or notebook. It allows users to organize notes, ideas, and various types of information in a hierarchical, interlinked structure, similar to a wiki.

Key Features

  • Data stored in plain text files for maximum portability and longevity.
  • Excellent for organizing notes and ideas in a hierarchical and interlinked structure.
  • Lightweight and performs well on various systems.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Data stored in plain text files for maximum portability and longevity. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Simplenote

Simplenote

Open Source

Simplenote is a minimalist note-taking application designed for speed and efficiency. It provides a clean interface across multiple platforms, focusing on text-based notes with robust synchronization and versioning capabilities. Ideal for capturing ideas quickly and accessing them anywhere.

Key Features

  • Extremely fast and responsive interface.
  • Reliable and fast synchronization across multiple platforms.
  • Excellent version history for notes.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Extremely fast and responsive interface. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Joplin

Joplin

Open Source

Joplin is a free and open-source note-taking and to-do application designed for users who value data ownership, privacy, and flexibility. It offers robust synchronization options, including cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Nextcloud, as well as WebDAV. With support for Markdown, powerful search capabilities, and cross-platform availability, Joplin is a versatile tool for organizing information and boosting productivity.

Key Features

  • Free and open-source with strong community support.
  • Excellent privacy features, including end-to-end encryption.
  • Flexible synchronization options with multiple services.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Free and open-source with strong community support. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Tomboy

Tomboy

Open Source

Tomboy is a free and open-source desktop note-taking application designed for simplicity and efficiency across Linux, Unix, Windows, and macOS. It utilizes a wiki-like interface for easy linking between notes and offers features like automatic linking, full-text search, and local storage, making it an accessible and reliable tool for organizing your thoughts and tasks.

Key Features

  • Simple and user-friendly interface.
  • Excellent wiki-like linking feature for connecting notes.
  • Notes stored locally, ensuring data privacy and offline access.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Simple and user-friendly interface. compared to Microsoft OneNote
CherryTree

CherryTree

Open Source

CherryTree is a powerful, free, and open-source hierarchical note-taking application. It allows you to organize your thoughts, ideas, notes, and code snippets in a tree-like structure with rich text editing and syntax highlighting.

Key Features

  • Excellent hierarchical organization.
  • Supports both rich text and syntax highlighting.
  • Data is stored in a single file, easy to backup.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Excellent hierarchical organization. compared to Microsoft OneNote
NixNote

NixNote

Open Source

NixNote is an open-source, cross-platform desktop client for Evernote, offering a familiar interface and offline access to your notes.

Key Features

  • Open-source and free to use.
  • Provides excellent offline access to notes.
  • Familiar interface for Evernote users.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Open-source and free to use. compared to Microsoft OneNote
KeepNote

KeepNote

Open Source

KeepNote is a versatile note-taking application designed for organizing information in a hierarchical structure. Available on Windows, Linux, and macOS X, it features robust organization tools, including a tree-like outline, wiki-like linking, and support for embedded files and images. Although discontinued, its local storage and rich features make it a compelling tool for detailed note-taking and research.

Key Features

  • Excellent hierarchical organization for complex information.
  • Wiki-like linking facilitates building a connected knowledge base.
  • Supports rich text formatting and embedded files/images.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Excellent hierarchical organization for complex information. compared to Microsoft OneNote
BasKet

BasKet

Open Source

BasKet Note Pads is a versatile, freeform note-taking application for KDE that allows users to organize thoughts, manage tasks, and gather information visually. It supports various content types, offering powerful organization and sharing capabilities.

Key Features

  • Highly flexible and visual freeform organization of notes.
  • Supports a wide variety of content types including text, images, files, and links.
  • Integrated task management and linking features.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Highly flexible and visual freeform organization of notes. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Paperwork

Paperwork

Open Source

Paperwork is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to popular note-taking and archiving applications like Evernote and OneNote. It offers a powerful suite of features for creating, organizing, and managing notes and documents with a strong emphasis on privacy and control.

Key Features

  • Complete data ownership and control through self-hosting.
  • Integrated OCR for searchable scanned documents.
  • Strong hierarchical organization and tagging system.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Complete data ownership and control through self-hosting. compared to Microsoft OneNote
WizNote

WizNote

Freemium

WizNote is a feature-rich, cross-platform cloud-based note-taking application designed for individuals and teams. It offers robust tools for capturing, organizing, and sharing information, with a strong focus on productivity and knowledge management.

Key Features

  • Extensive feature set for note-taking and knowledge management.
  • Available on a wide range of platforms with reliable synchronization.
  • Powerful hierarchical folder structure and tagging for organization.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Extensive feature set for note-taking and knowledge management. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Piggydb

Piggydb

Open Source

Piggydb is an open-source web notebook application designed for building and managing knowledge bases, either individually or collaboratively. It emphasizes structured organization through hierarchical tagging and concept mapping.

Key Features

  • Open source and self-hostable for data control and privacy.
  • Powerful hierarchical tagging for deep organization.
  • Fragment-based structure encourages interconnected knowledge.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Open source and self-hostable for data control and privacy. compared to Microsoft OneNote
xournal

xournal

Open Source

Xournal is a classic open-source application designed for digital note-taking, sketching, and PDF annotation, primarily using a stylus. It provides a simple yet effective environment for handwritten notes and document markup, offering support for various input methods including Wacom tablets.

Key Features

  • Excellent support for stylus and graphics tablets.
  • Efficient and lightweight, performs well on older hardware.
  • Effective PDF annotation capabilities.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Excellent support for stylus and graphics tablets. compared to Microsoft OneNote
TreeSheets

TreeSheets

Open Source

TreeSheets is a hierarchical data organizer and note-taking application that utilizes a unique tree-like grid structure to manage information in a highly visual and flexible manner. It supports various data types and offers features for brainstorming, list management, and spreadsheet-like organization within a unified interface.

Key Features

  • Unique and flexible hierarchical grid structure.
  • Highly visual organization aids comprehension.
  • Excellent for brainstorming and creative processes.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Unique and flexible hierarchical grid structure. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Turtl

Turtl

Open Source

Turtl is a secure and private note-taking, bookmarking, and document storage application. It utilizes strong client-side encryption to ensure that only you and authorized collaborators can access your sensitive information, making it ideal for managing confidential projects and data.

Key Features

  • Strong client-side encryption ensures high level of data privacy.
  • Secure collaboration features for sensitive projects.
  • Seamless synchronization across multiple devices.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Strong client-side encryption ensures high level of data privacy. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Leanote

Leanote

Open Source

Leanote is a versatile self-hosted note-taking application that blends rich text editing with Markdown support. It offers seamless synchronization across multiple devices and features built-in blog publishing capabilities, making it a powerful tool for both personal information management and content creation.

Key Features

  • Self-hosting provides excellent data privacy and control.
  • Supports both rich text and Markdown editing.
  • Integrated blog publishing is a unique and useful feature.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Self-hosting provides excellent data privacy and control. compared to Microsoft OneNote
lumio

lumio

Free

Lumio is a versatile online platform designed for organizing, curating, and managing web content, notes, and knowledge. It offers a visual and hierarchical structure for storing information, making it ideal for researchers, students, and teams needing to collect and share digital resources efficiently.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive features for content organization and knowledge management.
  • Supports both individual and collaborative use cases.
  • Offers offline access to saved content.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Comprehensive features for content organization and knowledge management. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Cryptee

Cryptee

Open Source

Cryptee is a privacy-focused, end-to-end encrypted platform for secure notes, documents, and photo storage. It offers a robust solution for individuals and teams seeking uncompromised data privacy and organizational tools, accessible across multiple devices with offline capabilities.

Key Features

  • True end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption for all data.
  • Comprehensive privacy features beyond just encryption (auditable code, jurisdiction).
  • Versatile note-taking, document creation, and secure photo storage.

vs Microsoft OneNote

True end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption for all data. compared to Microsoft OneNote
MyTetra

MyTetra

Open Source

MyTetra is a versatile, cross-platform information manager designed for collecting, organizing, and managing various types of data. It excels as a portable note-taking application, personal information manager, and notebook, offering a robust outliner and rich text editing capabilities.

Key Features

  • Excellent hierarchical organization with infinite depth.
  • Highly portable, runs from a local folder or drive.
  • Strong focus on data ownership and privacy with local storage and encryption.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Excellent hierarchical organization with infinite depth. compared to Microsoft OneNote
myBase

myBase

Commercial

myBase is a powerful, free-form database and information manager designed to organize diverse types of information including text, web pages, documents, and multimedia files within a flexible hierarchical structure.

Key Features

  • Highly flexible and free-form data organization structure.
  • Supports embedding and linking a wide variety of file types.
  • Robust search capabilities including tag-based search.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Highly flexible and free-form data organization structure. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Trilium Notes

Trilium Notes

Open Source

Trilium Notes is a versatile, open-source personal knowledge base application designed for organizing notes in a hierarchical tree structure. It empowers users to manage information efficiently, from simple text notes to complex knowledge graphs, with robust features for tagging, search, and synchronization. Ideal for anyone seeking a powerful, customizable, and offline-first note-taking solution.

Key Features

  • Unmatched hierarchical organization with infinite depth.
  • Robust tagging system for flexible content categorization.
  • Strong privacy features including end-to-end encryption.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Unmatched hierarchical organization with infinite depth. compared to Microsoft OneNote
Elephant

Elephant

Open Source

Elephant is a portable, privacy-focused note-taking application featuring a classic, intuitive interface. It supports robust note organization, rich text formatting, markdown, and offline access. With capabilities like image insertion and secure cloud synchronization, Elephant is designed for users needing a reliable and versatile digital notebook.

Key Features

  • Strong emphasis on privacy and security with encryption and password protection.
  • Excellent portability, can be run from removable media.
  • Robust hierarchical organization with infinite depth.

vs Microsoft OneNote

Strong emphasis on privacy and security with encryption and password protection. compared to Microsoft OneNote

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