Stellar Hosted – Managed Open Source software hosting in the EU: secure, compliant, fast.

A clean, quiet space for your thoughts with zero vendor lock-in. Your notes live in standard Markdown within a local SQLite database, ensuring your content remains accessible forever.

Key Features:

Lightweight & Fast: Single Go binary (~20MB memory) or Docker deployment
Future-Proof Storage: Standard Markdown files in local SQLite - no proprietary formats
Flexible Organization: Tag-based system with custom "Focus Modes" instead of rigid folders
Instant Search: Full-text search with BM25 ranking across all content
Rich Markdown Support: Tables, code blocks, task lists, highlights, and more

Smart Workflow:

Multiple Views: Switch between list, card, and gallery layouts
Image Support: Drag-and-drop images with automatic management
Archive & Restore: Soft delete with cleanup automation
Keyboard Shortcuts: Essential shortcuts for creating, searching, and formatting
Mobile-Friendly: Responsive design with PWA installation option

Built for Longevity:

: Read and edit notes without internet connection

Categories:

Note-Taking

Stellar Hosted – Managed Open Source software hosting in the EU: secure, compliant, fast.

Learn More

Zen

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

Open Source Alternative to:

OneNote

Google Keep

Apple Notes

Evernote

Visit Zen

InfluxDB

The purpose-built time series platform for high-velocity ingestion and real-time queries at scale, without sacrificing performance or cost. Download InfluxDB for free.

Try for free

A clean, quiet space for your thoughts with zero vendor lock-in. Your notes live in standard Markdown within a local SQLite database, ensuring your content remains accessible forever.

Key Features:

Lightweight & Fast: Single Go binary (~20MB memory) or Docker deployment
Future-Proof Storage: Standard Markdown files in local SQLite - no proprietary formats
Flexible Organization: Tag-based system with custom "Focus Modes" instead of rigid folders
Instant Search: Full-text search with BM25 ranking across all content
Rich Markdown Support: Tables, code blocks, task lists, highlights, and more

Smart Workflow:

Multiple Views: Switch between list, card, and gallery layouts
Image Support: Drag-and-drop images with automatic management
Archive & Restore: Soft delete with cleanup automation
Keyboard Shortcuts: Essential shortcuts for creating, searching, and formatting
Mobile-Friendly: Responsive design with PWA installation option

Built for Longevity:

: Read and edit notes without internet connection

Categories:

Note-Taking

Tags:

mcp-server sqlite markdown notes preact

Built with:

Github Actions

JavaScript

CSS

Docker

JSX

Golang

CodeRabbit

The leading AI Code Review platform. Ship better quality code in 50% less time, with 90% fewer bugs.

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Fast, secure, and free personal note-taking app

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Activity score
65/100
Stars
1,129
Forks
61
Last commit
3 months ago
Repository age
1 year
License
AGPL-3.0
Repository
sheshbabu/zen

Activity score
65/100
Stars
1,129
Forks
61
Last commit
3 months ago
Repository age
1 year
License
AGPL-3.0
Repository
sheshbabu/zen

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Every Sunday we deconstruct one proprietary app and pick the best open source alternatives worth switching to.

Similar open source projects

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CodeRabbit

The leading AI Code Review platform. Ship better quality code in 50% less time, with 90% fewer bugs.

Try it for free

Featured projects:

InfluxDB

The purpose-built time series platform for high-velocity ingestion and real-time queries at scale, without sacrificing performance or cost. Download InfluxDB for free.

Try for free

Similar open source projects

Check Zen alternatives

Memos

Self-hosted timeline for quick notes, logs, and snippets

Stars
61,895
Forks
4,606
Last commit
5 hours ago

Memos is a self-hosted, open-source note-taking app built around a private timeline. Write in Markdown, skip the folder setup, and keep your data on your own server.

Compare with

Zen

Joplin

Encrypted note-taking that syncs across all your devices

Stars
55,779
Forks
6,201
Last commit
6 hours ago

Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, web clipping, and sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, or Joplin Cloud.

Compare with

Zen

SiYuan

Privacy-first knowledge management with block-level linking

Stars
45,504
Forks
2,925
Last commit
4 hours ago

Personal knowledge management system with WYSIWYG block editing, bidirectional links, spaced repetition flashcards, a relational database, and end-to-end encrypted sync.

Compare with

Zen

Tolaria

Local-first, Git-native personal knowledge base with AI

Stars
19,158
Forks
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Last commit
12 hours ago

A free, open source note-taking app built on plain Markdown files, Git version control, and direct AI model integration. No account required.

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Notesnook

Zero-knowledge encrypted notes that sync across all devices

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A local-first, encrypted workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and chats. Your data stays on your device, syncs peer-to-peer, and never passes through a central server.

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Justnote

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