What is the main difference between Darkwrite and Zen?

Darkwrite and Zen are both note-taking tools but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Darkwrite or Zen?

The choice between Darkwrite and Zen depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Darkwrite to Zen?

Migration between Darkwrite and Zen is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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Darkwrite vs Zen

Learn how Darkwrite and Zen differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these note-taking tools is best for you.

Darkwrite

A customizable, offline-first note editor that lets you format text, create lists, add images, and export to HTML - all while maintaining your privacy.

Visit Darkwrite

Zen

Minimal note-taking app storing Markdown notes in local SQLite database. Features instant search, flexible tagging, keyboard shortcuts, and offline access.

Visit Zen

Detailed Comparison

Both Darkwrite and Zen have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Zen wins

Community & Popularity

Zen significantly outpaces Darkwrite in community adoption with 1,129 stars compared to 297 stars on GitHub. This 3.8x difference suggests Zen has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, Zen has 61 forks, indicating growing developer engagement.

Darkwrite wins

Development Activity

Darkwrite shows more recent development activity with its last commit 21 hours ago, while Zen was last updated 3 months ago. This suggests Darkwrite is being more actively maintained.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, JSX. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Darkwrite uses Bash, Typescript, Next.js while Zen leverages Golang.

Darkwrite wins

Project Maturity

Darkwrite has been in development longer, starting 4 years ago, compared to Zen which began 1 year ago. This 2.9-year head start suggests Darkwrite may have more mature features and established processes.

Comparable

Licensing

Both projects use the AGPL-3.0 license, providing identical terms for usage and distribution.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Note-Taking. However, they also have distinct specializations: Darkwrite also focuses on Secure & Encrypted Notes.

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Darkwrite vs Zen: A Detailed Comparison of Note-Taking Tools in 2026

Darkwrite vs Zen

Learn how Darkwrite and Zen differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these note-taking tools is best for you.

Darkwrite

A customizable, offline-first note editor that lets you format text, create lists, add images, and export to HTML - all while maintaining your privacy.

Visit Darkwrite

Zen

Minimal note-taking app storing Markdown notes in local SQLite database. Features instant search, flexible tagging, keyboard shortcuts, and offline access.

Visit Zen

Detailed Comparison

Both Darkwrite and Zen have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Zen wins

Community & Popularity

Darkwrite wins

Development Activity

Darkwrite shows more recent development activity with its last commit 21 hours ago, while Zen was last updated 3 months ago. This suggests Darkwrite is being more actively maintained.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Darkwrite wins

Project Maturity

Comparable

Licensing

Both projects use the AGPL-3.0 license, providing identical terms for usage and distribution.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Note-Taking. However, they also have distinct specializations: Darkwrite also focuses on Secure & Encrypted Notes.

Other tool comparisons to consider