Top Related Projects
Think fearlessly with end-to-end encrypted notes and files. For issues, visit https://standardnotes.com/forum or https://standardnotes.com/help.
Joplin - the privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Quick Overview
Notable is an open-source, markdown-based note-taking application. It offers a clean, minimalist interface for creating and organizing notes, with support for tags, attachments, and multi-note editing. Notable is designed to be simple, portable, and extensible.
Pros
- Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Markdown-based note-taking with support for attachments
- Customizable and extensible through plugins
- Data is stored in plain text files, ensuring portability and longevity
Cons
- No mobile app or official sync solution
- Limited collaboration features compared to some commercial alternatives
- Steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with Markdown
- Development pace has slowed down in recent years
Getting Started
To get started with Notable:
- Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page.
- Install the application on your system.
- Launch Notable and create a new note by clicking the "New Note" button.
- Start writing your note using Markdown syntax.
- Use the sidebar to organize your notes with tags and folders.
For more detailed instructions and documentation, visit the Notable wiki.
Competitor Comparisons
Think fearlessly with end-to-end encrypted notes and files. For issues, visit https://standardnotes.com/forum or https://standardnotes.com/help.
Pros of Standard Notes
- Cross-platform support (web, desktop, mobile)
- End-to-end encryption for enhanced security
- Extensive plugin system for customization
Cons of Standard Notes
- Less intuitive interface compared to Notable
- Slower performance, especially with large number of notes
- Limited markdown support out of the box
Code Comparison
Standard Notes (TypeScript):
export class Note extends Item {
public title?: string;
public text?: string;
public preview_plain?: string;
public preview_html?: string;
}
Notable (JavaScript):
class Note extends Model {
constructor ( note = {} ) {
super ();
this.metadata = new Metadata ( note.metadata );
this.plainContent = note.plainContent || '';
this.filePath = note.filePath || '';
}
}
Both projects use object-oriented programming for note management. Standard Notes employs TypeScript with optional properties, while Notable uses JavaScript with default values in the constructor. Standard Notes includes HTML preview support, whereas Notable focuses on plain content and file paths.
Joplin - the privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Pros of Joplin
- Cross-platform support (desktop, mobile, terminal)
- End-to-end encryption for secure note-taking
- Extensive plugin system for customization
Cons of Joplin
- Steeper learning curve due to more complex features
- Slower performance with large databases
- Less visually polished interface compared to Notable
Code Comparison
Joplin (JavaScript):
const Note = require('lib/models/Note.js');
async function createNote(title, body) {
const note = await Note.save({ title: title, body: body });
return note;
}
Notable (TypeScript):
import Note from './note';
function createNote(title: string, content: string): Note {
return new Note({ title, content });
}
Both projects use JavaScript/TypeScript for their core functionality. Joplin's codebase is more extensive due to its broader feature set, while Notable's code tends to be more concise and focused on simplicity.
Joplin offers a more comprehensive note-taking solution with advanced features like synchronization and encryption, making it suitable for users with complex requirements. Notable, on the other hand, provides a simpler, more streamlined experience that may be preferable for users seeking a straightforward note-taking application with a clean interface.
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
Pros of Trilium
- More advanced hierarchical note organization with unlimited nesting
- Built-in scripting capabilities for automation and customization
- Supports encrypted synchronization between devices
Cons of Trilium
- Steeper learning curve due to more complex features
- Less polished user interface compared to Notable
- Requires more system resources for larger note collections
Code Comparison
Trilium (JavaScript):
const note = await becca.createNote(parentNote, 'New note', 'This is the content');
await noteService.saveNoteRevisionIfNeeded(note);
Notable (TypeScript):
const note = new Note({ title: 'New note', content: 'This is the content' });
await note.save();
Both projects use JavaScript/TypeScript, but Trilium's API appears more complex, reflecting its advanced features. Notable's code is more straightforward, aligning with its focus on simplicity.
Trilium offers more powerful features for advanced users, while Notable provides a simpler, more user-friendly experience. The choice between them depends on the user's needs for complexity versus ease of use.
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Pros of Logseq
- Open-source and free to use
- Supports bidirectional linking and graph view
- Offers both local storage and cloud sync options
Cons of Logseq
- Steeper learning curve due to its unique structure
- Less polished UI compared to Notable
- Limited customization options for themes and layouts
Code Comparison
Logseq (ClojureScript):
(defn get-block-by-id
[id]
(when id
(db/entity [:block/uuid (uuid id)])))
Notable (TypeScript):
export function getNoteById (noteId: NoteId): Note | undefined {
return NotesStore.get().notes[noteId];
}
Both projects use different programming languages, making direct code comparison challenging. Logseq is primarily written in ClojureScript, while Notable uses TypeScript. The code snippets show similar functionality for retrieving notes or blocks by their IDs, but the implementation details differ due to the language and architecture choices.
Logseq focuses on a graph-based structure with blocks, while Notable uses a more traditional note-based approach. This fundamental difference is reflected in their respective codebases and data models.
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Notable
 
I couldn't find a note-taking app that ticked all the boxes I'm interested in: notes are written and rendered in GitHub Flavored Markdown, no WYSIWYG, no proprietary formats, I can run a search & replace across all notes, notes support attachments, the app isn't bloated, the app has a pretty interface, tags are indefinitely nestable and can import Evernote notes (because that's what I was using before).
So I built my own.
Comparison
Part of this comparison is personal opinion: you may disagree on the UI front, things I consider bloat may be considered features by somebody else etc. but hopefully this comparison did a good job at illustrating the main differences.
Features
Markdown-based
Notes are written in GitHub Flavored Markdown, and you can also write KaTeX expressions, Mermaid diagrams and so much more, check out our full Markdown cheatsheet.
Notable also gives you a very powerful Markdown editor, it's the same one VS Code uses in fact, so features like multi-cursors, a minimap and best-in-class syntax highlighting are built-in.
No Vendor Lock-In
Notes and attachments are simply stored on your disk, this is extremely portable and powerful: you could edit your notes with your favorite editor, have them synchronized via Dropbox, run Git on them, run a regex-based search and replace on them etc.
Dark Theme
A dark theme is also available. In the future support for custom themes will be added as well.
If you'd like to change a color or hide a button you are also free to do that via the Devtools.
Zen Mode
Zen mode provides a minimalistic editing and reading experience, hiding everything that's not necessary.
Notable is also keyboard friendly, has a quick open window, and we'll soon add a command palette too, so you won't have to click any buttons if you don't want to.
Multi-Note Editor
A multi-note editor is available for quickly running an action, like favoriting, pinning, deleting, tagging etc., on multiple notes at once.
If you need to run a more complex action on your notes remember that they are just file stored on your disk so you can do whatever you want with them.
Split Editor
A split-editor is available for quickly checking out how your note will be rendered while you're editing it.
More Features
A lot more features are implemented, some of the most important ones are listed here.
Is a feature you care about currently missing? Make sure to browse the issue tracker and add your ":+1:" reaction to the issues you care most about, as we also use those reactions to prioritize issues.
Contributing
There are multiple ways to contribute to this project, read about them here.
Useful Links
- Chat: we have a public real-time chat, come join us there.
- Cheatsheet: the online version of our built-in Markdown cheatsheet.
- Customizations: collection of community-created customizations and tips.
- Donations: you can financially support the project via this GitHub Sponsorship page.
- Insiders: alpha/beta releases are published here.
- Subreddit: we have a subreddit, where day-to-day discussion happens.
- Tutorial: the online version of our built-in tutorial.
- Twitter: we have a Twitter account, where tips and general updates are posted.
- Website: our official website, this is probably the best link to send to friends and colleagues.
- YouTube: we have a YouTube channel, where all videos are hosted.
License
Only older versions of the app are open-sourced, read more about this here.
Top Related Projects
Think fearlessly with end-to-end encrypted notes and files. For issues, visit https://standardnotes.com/forum or https://standardnotes.com/help.
Joplin - the privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Convert
designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot