Computerized information syncing is nice, till it leaves a private word in your desktop for everybody to see. Offline note-taking apps are the best way to go if you wish to hold your notes non-public, and these apps sync them solely if you resolve.
Amir Bohlooli / MUO
Obsidian is among the strongest note-taking and information administration apps you may ever come throughout. It is constructed across the thought of connecting ideas, which you’ll be able to see occur actually within the app’s graph view. When you stand up to sufficient notes and begin utilizing good methods to hyperlink them, your notes’ graph view will look straight out of a sci-fi film.
What makes Obsidian actually offline-first is that it shops every thing as plain Markdown information in your laptop. These are textual content information that may be opened by a textual content editor so simple as Notepad, to one thing extra difficult like Microsoft Phrase. This information storage methodology ensures your notes aren’t locked into a particular app and could be accessed for so long as computer systems can learn Markdown information.
Whereas the Obsidian app is out there on Home windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android, it does not sync any information between gadgets by default. That is a function you may need to pay $4 monthly for, so except you actually need to share notes between gadgets, they continue to be on the system they had been written on.
One other cost-effective means of manually syncing your Obsidian notes is to place your vault folder into Dropbox, Google Drive, or every other cloud service you favor and sync it to different gadgets.
The one catch with Obsidian is that it may be slightly tough to get the dangle of initially, particularly should you’re new to Markdown. Whether or not or not Obsidian is well worth the studying curve for note-taking falls on you.
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
Like Obsidian, Joplin can also be an offline-first note-taking app that does not sync your notes between gadgets by default. The app is out there on Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, with a terminal app obtainable for command-line interfaces as effectively. Nonetheless, an enormous distinction between the 2 is that Joplin is open-source and utterly free to make use of.
Aside from that, Joplin can do nearly every thing Obsidian can. You may make notes with photographs, movies, PDFs, audio information, and even save complete internet pages or screenshots as notes. It additionally helps math expressions and diagrams inside the app. Moreover, there’s customization assist with plugins, customized themes, and a number of textual content editors with assist for Wealthy Textual content or Markdown.
Do you have to select to sync your notes, you need to use virtually any cloud storage service or host your individual server if wanted. It additionally makes use of end-to-end encryption to safe your notes so nobody else can entry them.
Joplin’s method to notice modifying can also be slightly totally different. The writing interface is split into two panes—one displaying the uncooked Markdown you are writing and the opposite displaying the formatted consequence. I discover this conduct annoying, as I have been utilizing Markdown for some time. Nonetheless, should you’re new to Markdown, having the ability to have a look at the Markdown syntax and its formatted consequence might help you get acquainted with it rapidly.
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
Logseq takes a singular method to note-taking that you just will not see in quite a lot of different apps. As a substitute of utilizing pages and paragraphs to comprise notes, every thing in Logseq is designed round blocks—particular person bullet factors that may be linked, referenced, and related throughout your complete word database.
Much like Obsidian, Logseq can also be dedicated to completely offline storage. All of your notes are saved as Markdown information and saved regionally in your laptop. You keep full management of your information, and if you’d like, the choice to sync notes between gadgets can be utilized with nearly each main cloud service supplier along with Logseq’s personal sync service.
The app is meant to be a everlasting thought dump the place you jot down your ideas and finally join them to type full concepts. There is a built-in whiteboard, activity administration, flashcards, and PDF annotations, all whereas supporting over 150 plugins to increase performance. You additionally recover from 30 themes to customise the feel and appear of the app.
One other function Logseq borrows from Obsidian is the visible connection between your nodes. It isn’t as polished as Obsidian’s graph view, but it surely works on the identical thought, providing you with a birds’-eye view of all of your related ideas and concepts.
Logseq does this whereas being open-source and utterly free to make use of. You possibly can at the moment obtain it on Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS gadgets.
Android
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
NeutriNote is among the easiest note-taking Android apps you may ever come throughout. The app’s constructed for storing your ideas in plain textual content that you would be able to search simply later. To this function, it saves every thing as UTF-8 textual content information. This implies you possibly can open your notes on any working system with nearly each app that may learn a textual content file.
The slightly plain interface can also be on function and is meant to make the app compact and quick, even on older Android gadgets. Above all, the app is greatest recognized for its search function, which may discover any piece of textual content nearly immediately—no matter what number of notes you have got. Should you’re like me and are continually jotting down fast notes all through the day, you may vastly respect the pace and low friction between you and the note-taking course of.
It additionally helps Markdown and LaTeX for mathematical notation, so do not suppose you will not be capable to make extra difficult or higher formatted notes right here. There’s in-note Python assist, inter-note linking, PDF/HTML exports, and customizable themes with coloration temperature and OLED assist as effectively.
Cross-device syncing is not a function out of the field for the app. Nonetheless, you possibly can obtain add-ons to make use of your cloud storage service of option to sync notes between gadgets.
The app does all this with minimal impression in your battery and reminiscence use. It is also open-source and utterly free with no lock-in or in-app advertisements. Nonetheless, putting in the app generally is a little bit of a trouble.
On the time of writing, the Google Play Retailer web page for neutriNote is not obtainable. This implies you may need to obtain the app by way of F-Droid, a free and open-source third-party Android app market. Alternatively, you may as well sideload an APK file from the official GitHub repository releases.
macOS/iOS
Bear
Bear
Bear is well essentially the most visually pleasing note-taking app on this listing. It helps a number of languages and comes with a minimal interface that stays out of your means whereas offering all of the instruments essential to make your notes with out friction. You possibly can work with textual content, images, tables, and to-do lists on the identical web page and format notes with easy Markdown.
The app is barely obtainable on Mac, iPhone, and iPad so except you are utilizing an Apple system, you are out of luck. For individuals who do, the app has a Professional tier for $2.99 monthly or $29.99 yearly that permits you to sync your notes with iCloud. Notes are additionally encrypted for an additional layer of safety, and the app helps Apple’s Superior Information Safety program.
The free model is proscribed to native entry, doc scanning, three free themes, one app icon, and export choices within the type of TXT, Markdown, TextBundle, and RTF information. Should you resolve to go for the Professional tier, you possibly can search inside PDFs and pictures, recover from 28 themes, 15 app icons, and extra export choices.
Aside from that, Bear is a straightforward, easy note-taking app with some useful options that’ll assist you to observe your life effectively. There’s additionally Apple Pencil assist, must you need to scribble notes or make drawings as a substitute of typing.
With each app striving to be web-based and synced throughout, discovering offline-first note-taking apps generally is a activity. These apps will hold your notes safe, and if you’d like, hold them on all of the gadgets you want.
