this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2024
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Yes, I know that the are dozens of notes apps. I'm looking for recommendations based on a few features that I like:

  • nice design (including color coding)
  • easy checklists
  • sharing - this one is key. I use a shared shopping list and we both need to add and edit.
  • pinning and archiving (hidden notes)

I don't mind running it from my homelab server, but that is not a requirement. Does anyone use a notes app that you love? Let me know!

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago
  • sharing - this one is key. I use a shared shopping list and we both need to add and edit.

i use and love notally but you can't share/sync (export/import wouldn't satisfy the above requirement)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

I was using Joplin for a while... Self hosted their server. On two occasions it screwed up on me and wouldn't load my folders... Luckily I had backups but it was still frustrating. I don't recommend them purely because the notes are stored in a custom format instead of just plain text files.

My favorite way of doing notes now is with git, currently using a free private repo on gitlab.

Just clone the repo on whatever PC I need them and it has backups and version control.

Then use GitJournal on my phone.

It's perfect for me. I love it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago

Nice, I’ve been doing something similar, using the obsidian-git plug-in for Obsidian and the Working Copy app on iOS.

Obsidian is my front-end, and it saves the notes in markdown files in a git-synced folder on my computer.

The plug-in pushes and pulls automatically, and Working Copy does the same thing on iOS, just before opening the Obsidian app on iOS.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

I had similar experiences with Joplin. Would randomly lose quite a lot of data, and exporting to other formats was a hassle. I also cannot recommend.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I also found a fork called NotallyX, which includes import functions from Keep and Evernote. Pretty useful for someone migrating.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
  • amount of backups to keep

also is a nice addition but i like the fact that notally is just 1.9mb. So i keep using notally and delete a dozen backups from time to time :/

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago

if you're comparing note apps and don't want to try them all one by one like i did, somebody apparently tried them all and wrote reviews ☞https://www.noteapps.ca

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Upvotes because the devs are good. Sharing does not work well if at all though.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I just use NextCloud Notes. Categories are just sub folders, so you can create a Shared category and just share it in Nextcloud.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)
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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Results from me asking this 1Y ago: https://lemm.ee/post/4593760

Went with Joplin and using it since.

Results from the same question 1 month ago: https://lemm.ee/post/45943693

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Obsidian is amazing, though it isn't FOSS but your notes are saved in Markdown, so even if something happens with the app, they will remain yours.

Another alternative may be Joplin and AnyType, but I think AnyType is also not 100% FOSS.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (4 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

+1 for notesnook, self hosting coming soon

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

Joplin is my pick.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Fossify Notes is quiet good for note taking and quick check-lists.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No sync or share though, right?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (9 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

This is the best answer and should be much higher. It's the closest thing to Google Keep with the features OP wants.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Joplin + Syncthing has been great for me. Sync across multiple devices with no third party in between. However the "sharing" in this context is limited to other installations of the entire db. To my knowledge, there's no way to say "sync these notes with my wife, and these others with my phone only" etc.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Last i looked into it, joplin had a bug which ment syncthing didnt work . Can't remember the details but the solution was pinning an old version.

I am much much happier with markor notes + syncthing.

Super sinple, 100 % foss, sync what you want .

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

Nextcloud Notes?

I was skeptical at first but have found it the most useable of all the ones I tried out.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Basically unmaintained at this point until they release the DB version "some day". And you're delusional if you think they can maintain both versions at the same time. They can't even update the current production version that they already have without focusing all their efforts on a new app that hasn't been released yet.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

You might like Blinko. It seems similar to Keep to me. I set it up for awhile, but it didn't give me anything beyond what I already have with Joplin, so couldn't justify keeping it or transitioning to it. Here's a video from DB Tech on the set up process: Self-host Blinko with docker

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Anyone know of any that integrate with Google assistant? Such that I can use my voice to add items to a list? Currently using keep due to this

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago
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