License & Deployment Mix: 17 tools – 7 OSS, 7 SaaS. (OSS and SaaS counts can overlap when an open-source tool also offers a vendor-hosted edition.)
What Is Note-Taking / PKM?
Note-taking and personal knowledge management (PKM) tools are platforms for capturing, organizing, linking, and retrieving personal and team knowledge. They range from simple note apps to full knowledge management systems with bidirectional linking, graph views, and plugin ecosystems.
Unlike traditional document editors, PKM tools treat notes as interconnected units of knowledge rather than standalone files. The emphasis is on building a personal knowledge graph – a web of ideas, references, and insights that grows over time and surfaces connections between concepts.
Modern PKM tools provide:
- Markdown-based editing – plain-text formatting that is portable, version-controllable, and readable without rendering; most tools support extended Markdown with syntax highlighting, math (LaTeX), and callouts
- Bidirectional links / backlinks – linking between notes creates explicit connections; backlinks show all notes that reference the current note, enabling serendipitous discovery
- Graph view – visual representation of the knowledge graph showing notes as nodes and links as edges; reveals clusters, orphan notes, and connection patterns
- Daily notes / journaling – auto-created notes for each day serve as an inbox for thoughts, meeting notes, and tasks; linked to referenced notes automatically
- Templates – reusable note structures for recurring formats (meeting notes, project briefs, book reviews, decision records)
- Tags and metadata – flexible categorization via tags, properties, or front-matter fields; enables filtering, querying, and dynamic views
- Local-first vs cloud-first – local-first tools store data on the user’s device (files on disk) for privacy, speed, and offline access; cloud-first tools store data on remote servers for seamless sync and collaboration
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE) – some tools encrypt notes on-device before syncing, ensuring the service provider cannot read content
- Publish / share – convert notes into public web pages, shared workspaces, or team knowledge bases without separate publishing tools
- Block-level references – reference specific blocks (paragraphs, bullets, headings) within notes, not just entire pages; enables granular transclusion and reuse
- Plugin / extension ecosystems – community plugins extend functionality (task management, spaced repetition, AI integration, database views, custom themes)
The information on these pages was researched by a combination of human review and large language models. To suggest an addition or correction, please contact us. Prepared by Rhodium Systems Inc., author of the ResorsIT platform — a unified IT operations management platform for IT teams and MSPs that integrates a curated suite of open-source, commercial, and SaaS applications into a single system with shared identity, single sign-on, access control, and a common audit trail. Use this catalogue only as a starting point for your own research, and review any tool carefully against your own requirements before relying on it. Catalogue data version 2026.197.
Comparison
SSO / OIDC Comparison
OIDC is the preferred SSO protocol; the notes below assume Authentik as the external identity provider. Most PKM tools are personal/desktop apps without SSO; SSO applies primarily to team/server editions.
| Tool | OIDC | SAML | SCIM | Authentik Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | No | No | No | Desktop app; no SSO; Obsidian Publish supports custom domains but no SSO |
| Logseq | No | No | No | Desktop app; no SSO; no server component |
| Joplin | No | No | No | Joplin Server supports LDAP (beta); no OIDC/SAML |
| SiYuan | No | No | No | Desktop app; self-hosted sync has basic auth only |
| Trilium | No | No | No | Self-hosted; basic auth only; reverse proxy SSO possible |
| Standard Notes | No | No | No | Self-hosted server; basic auth; no SSO integration |
| Anytype | No | No | No | Local-first; peer-to-peer sync; no SSO |
| AFFiNE | Yes* | No | No | AFFiNE Cloud supports OIDC (early); self-hosted auth configurable |
| Notion | No | Yes | Yes | SAML SSO (Enterprise plan); SCIM directory sync; no OIDC |
| OneNote | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Via Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD); OIDC via M365; SCIM via Entra |
| Apple Notes | No | No | No | Apple ID only; no enterprise SSO |
| Evernote | No | Yes | Yes | SAML SSO (Teams/Enterprise); SCIM provisioning; no OIDC |
| Roam Research | No | No | No | Email auth only; no SSO |
| Craft | No | No | No | Apple ID or email; no enterprise SSO |
| Mem | No | No | No | Email/Google auth; no enterprise SSO |
| Capacities | No | No | No | Email auth; no enterprise SSO |
* = requires specific plan or configuration
Best SSO support: OneNote (via M365/Entra), Notion (SAML + SCIM), Evernote (SAML + SCIM)
No SSO: Most PKM tools are personal desktop apps without server-side authentication. SSO is only relevant for team/enterprise editions with server components.
Deployment Comparison
| Tool | License | Self-Hosted | Platform | Storage | Sync | Min RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Proprietary (free) | Local app | Electron (Win/Mac/Linux) | Local files (.md) | Obsidian Sync ($4/mo) or third-party | N/A (desktop) |
| Logseq | AGPL-3.0 | Local app | Electron (Win/Mac/Linux) | Local files (.md/.org) | Logseq Sync or Git | N/A (desktop) |
| Joplin | AGPL-3.0 | Yes (server) | Electron + mobile | SQLite (local) | Joplin Server, WebDAV, S3, Nextcloud | 256 MB (server) |
| SiYuan | AGPL-3.0 | Yes (Docker) | Electron (Win/Mac/Linux) | Local files (JSON) | Self-hosted or SiYuan Cloud | 256 MB (server) |
| Trilium | AGPL-3.0 | Yes (Docker) | Node.js (web UI) | SQLite | Built-in sync server | 256 MB |
| Standard Notes | AGPL-3.0 | Yes (Docker) | Web + mobile + desktop | Encrypted (server) | Built-in (E2EE) | 512 MB (server) |
| Anytype | Any-type License | Local app | Electron + mobile | Local (IPFS-based) | Peer-to-peer (anytype network) | N/A (desktop) |
| AFFiNE | MIT | Yes (Docker) | Next.js (web) | PostgreSQL | Built-in cloud or self-hosted | 512 MB |
| Notion | Proprietary | No (SaaS only) | Web + desktop + mobile | Cloud | Built-in | – |
| OneNote | Proprietary | No (M365) | Native apps + web | OneDrive | Built-in (OneDrive) | – |
| Apple Notes | Proprietary | No (iCloud) | Native (Apple only) | iCloud | Built-in (iCloud) | – |
| Evernote | Proprietary | No (SaaS only) | Web + desktop + mobile | Cloud | Built-in | – |
| Roam Research | Proprietary | No (SaaS only) | Web (ClojureScript) | Cloud (Datomic) | Built-in | – |
| Craft | Proprietary | No (SaaS only) | Native (Apple + web) | Cloud | Built-in | – |
| Mem | Proprietary | No (SaaS only) | Web + desktop | Cloud | Built-in | – |
| Capacities | Proprietary | No (SaaS only) | Web + desktop | Cloud | Built-in | – |
Local-first: Obsidian, Logseq, SiYuan, Anytype (data on your device, files you own)
Self-hosted server: Joplin Server, Trilium, Standard Notes, AFFiNE, SiYuan (Docker)
SaaS only: Notion, OneNote, Apple Notes, Evernote, Roam Research, Craft, Mem, Capacities
Core Features Comparison
| Tool | Markdown | Backlinks | Graph View | Daily Notes | Templates | Tags | Search | Publish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Native | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (local) | Obsidian Publish ($8/mo) |
| Logseq | Native | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (local) | Logseq Publish |
| Joplin | Native | Via plugin | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (local + server) | No |
| SiYuan | Native* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (full-text) | No |
| Trilium | Yes | Yes | Yes (map) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (full-text) | Shared notes (read-only) |
| Standard Notes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (encrypted) | Listed (blogging) |
| Anytype | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (local) | No |
| AFFiNE | Native | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Notion | Inline | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (cloud) | Notion Sites |
| OneNote | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (OCR) | No |
| Apple Notes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Evernote | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (OCR) | No |
| Roam Research | Inline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Roam Portal |
| Craft | Inline | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Craft Publish |
| Mem | Inline | Auto (AI) | No | Yes (AI) | Yes | Auto (AI) | AI-powered | No |
| Capacities | Inline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
* SiYuan uses its own block-based format but supports Markdown import/export.
Best for Zettelkasten: Obsidian, Logseq, Roam Research (native backlinks + graph view + daily notes)
Best for teams: Notion (databases + sharing), AFFiNE (real-time collab), Craft (team spaces)
Collaboration Comparison
| Tool | Real-Time Collab | Sharing | Permissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | No | Obsidian Publish (read-only) | No (local files) | No |
| Logseq | No | No | No (local files) | No |
| Joplin | No | Share notebooks (server) | Basic (read/write) | No |
| SiYuan | No | No | No | No |
| Trilium | No | Shared notes (read-only) | Basic (user/shared) | No |
| Standard Notes | No | No | No | No |
| Anytype | Yes (spaces) | Shared spaces | Space-level | No |
| AFFiNE | Yes | Workspace sharing | Role-based | Yes |
| Notion | Yes | Full sharing (page/workspace) | Granular (page-level) | Yes (inline + page) |
| OneNote | Yes | Notebook sharing | Section-level | No |
| Apple Notes | Yes | Note/folder sharing | Edit/view | No |
| Evernote | Yes | Notebook sharing | Read/edit | No |
| Roam Research | Yes (multiplayer) | Graph sharing | Graph-level | No |
| Craft | Yes | Document/space sharing | Role-based | Yes |
| Mem | No | No | No | No |
| Capacities | No | No | No | No |
Best collaboration: Notion (granular permissions, inline comments, real-time), AFFiNE (open-source alternative), Craft (Apple-native teams)
Solo-focused: Obsidian, Logseq, Mem, Capacities, Standard Notes (designed for individual use)
Data & Sync Comparison
| Tool | Local-First | E2EE | Sync Method | Export Formats | API |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Yes | Yes (Sync) | Obsidian Sync, iCloud, Git, Syncthing | Markdown (native) | None (plugin: REST) |
| Logseq | Yes | No | Logseq Sync, Git, iCloud | Markdown, Org-mode, JSON | None |
| Joplin | Yes | Yes | Joplin Server, WebDAV, S3, Nextcloud, Dropbox | Markdown, JEX, HTML, PDF | REST (server) |
| SiYuan | Yes | No | SiYuan Cloud, S3, WebDAV | Markdown, PDF, HTML | HTTP API |
| Trilium | Yes (SQLite) | No | Built-in sync server | Markdown, HTML, OPML | ETAPI (REST) |
| Standard Notes | No (server) | Yes | Built-in (E2EE sync) | Plaintext, JSON | No |
| Anytype | Yes | Yes | Anytype network (P2P) | Markdown, Protobuf | No |
| AFFiNE | Yes | No | AFFiNE Cloud or self-hosted | Markdown, HTML, PDF | REST |
| Notion | No | No | Built-in (cloud) | Markdown, CSV, PDF, HTML | REST (official) |
| OneNote | No | No | OneDrive | PDF (limited) | Microsoft Graph API |
| Apple Notes | No | No | iCloud | PDF (limited) | No |
| Evernote | No | No | Built-in (cloud) | ENEX, HTML, PDF | REST |
| Roam Research | No | No | Built-in (cloud) | Markdown, JSON, EDN | No |
| Craft | Partial | No | Built-in (cloud) | Markdown, PDF, TextBundle | No |
| Mem | No | No | Built-in (cloud) | Markdown | No |
| Capacities | No | No | Built-in (cloud) | Markdown, JSON | No |
Best data ownership: Obsidian (plain .md files on disk), Logseq (plain .md files), Joplin (E2EE + multiple sync backends)
Best E2EE: Standard Notes (E2EE by design), Obsidian Sync (optional E2EE), Joplin (E2EE sync), Anytype (E2EE P2P)
Best API: Notion (comprehensive REST API), Trilium (ETAPI), Joplin (REST), SiYuan (HTTP)
Plugin / Extension Ecosystem
| Tool | Plugin System | Community Size | Notable Plugins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Yes (massive) | 1800+ plugins | Dataview, Kanban, Calendar, Excalidraw, Templater, Tasks |
| Logseq | Yes (growing) | 200+ plugins | Tabs, TOC, Banners, Git, Full-text search |
| Joplin | Yes | 100+ plugins | Backlinks, Note tabs, Templates, Rich Markdown |
| SiYuan | Yes (bazaar) | 100+ plugins | Theme marketplace, widgets, templates |
| Trilium | Scripting | Small | Custom scripts, widgets (JS-based) |
| Standard Notes | Yes (editors) | 20+ extensions | Rich Markdown, Code editor, Spreadsheets, Tasks |
| Anytype | No | – | Built-in types and relations only |
| AFFiNE | Early | Small | Block types, slash commands |
| Notion | No (native) | – | Built-in integrations, connections (Slack, GitHub, etc.) |
| OneNote | Limited | Small | COM add-ins (Windows only); Onetastic |
| Apple Notes | No | – | No extension system |
| Evernote | No | – | Built-in integrations only |
| Roam Research | Yes | 100+ plugins | CSS themes, SmartBlocks, Roam42 |
| Craft | No | – | Built-in integrations only |
| Mem | No | – | AI features built-in |
| Capacities | No | – | Built-in object types only |
Most extensible: Obsidian (1800+ community plugins, most active ecosystem in PKM space)
Scripting: Trilium (custom JS scripts), Obsidian (Templater, Dataview with JS), Logseq (plugins with JS)
Monitoring Integration
Most PKM tools are desktop/SaaS applications with no server-side monitoring. Monitoring applies only to self-hosted server components.
| Tool | Component to Monitor | Telegraf | Fluent Bit | Grafana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin Server | Node.js + PostgreSQL | HTTP check, PostgreSQL plugin | Docker logs | App health, DB metrics |
| Trilium | Node.js + SQLite | HTTP check | Docker logs | App health |
| Standard Notes | Ruby + PostgreSQL + Redis | HTTP check, PostgreSQL, Redis plugins | Docker logs | App health, DB, cache |
| SiYuan | Go (Docker) | HTTP check | Docker logs | App health |
| AFFiNE | Next.js + PostgreSQL | HTTP check, PostgreSQL plugin | Docker logs | App health, DB metrics |
Desktop-only tools (Obsidian, Logseq, Apple Notes, etc.) have no server components to monitor.
SaaS tools (Notion, Evernote, Roam Research, etc.) can be monitored via synthetic HTTP checks only.
Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Plans | Self-Host Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Free (personal) | Sync $4/mo; Publish $8/mo; Commercial $50/user/yr | N/A (local app) |
| Logseq | Free (open source) | Logseq Sync (beta) | N/A (local app) |
| Joplin | Free (open source) | Joplin Cloud from $2.99/mo | Free (self-host server) |
| SiYuan | Free (open source) | SiYuan Cloud from $1.49/mo | Free (self-host) |
| Trilium | Free (open source) | – | Free (self-host) |
| Standard Notes | Free (basic) | $90/yr (Professional) | Free (self-host) |
| Anytype | Free | – | N/A (P2P) |
| AFFiNE | Free (open source) | AFFiNE Cloud (pricing TBD) | Free (self-host) |
| Notion | Free (personal) | Plus $8/user/mo; Business $15/user/mo; Enterprise custom | N/A (SaaS only) |
| OneNote | Free (with Microsoft account) | Included in M365 ($6-22/user/mo) | N/A (M365) |
| Apple Notes | Free (with Apple ID) | iCloud+ from $0.99/mo | N/A |
| Evernote | Free (limited) | Personal $14.99/mo; Professional $17.99/mo | N/A (SaaS only) |
| Roam Research | No free tier | Pro $15/mo; Believer $500/5yr | N/A (SaaS only) |
| Craft | Free (personal) | Pro $5/mo; Business $10/user/mo | N/A (SaaS only) |
| Mem | Free (limited) | Mem Plus $14.99/mo; Teams $19.99/user/mo | N/A (SaaS only) |
| Capacities | Free (personal) | Pro $9.99/mo | N/A (SaaS only) |
Best free options: Obsidian (free for personal), Logseq (fully open source), Trilium (fully open source), Joplin (open source + free server)
Tools
17 tools.
AFFiNE
AFFiNE positions itself as an open-source alternative to Notion and Miro combined – a workspace that merges documents, whiteboards, and databases into a single application.
License: MIT (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: native, docker · SSO: none
Anytype
Anytype is a local-first, privacy-focused knowledge management tool that uses an object-based data model instead of traditional notes and pages.
License: LicenseRef-AnytypeAUL (source-available) · Kind: web · Deploy: docker, native · SSO: none
Apple Notes
Apple Notes is the built-in note-taking app on Apple devices. It has evolved from a simple plain-text notepad into a capable note-taking tool with rich text, drawing, scanning, tables, tags, smart folders, and real-time collaboration.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas, docker, native · SSO: none
Capacities
Capacities is an object-based note-taking and knowledge management tool that organizes information as typed objects rather than pages in folders.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Craft
Craft is a proprietary, Apple-native document and note-taking app focused on design quality, with a block editor, bidirectional links, daily notes, team spaces, and polished web publishing.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Evernote
Evernote was the pioneering note-taking application that defined the category in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: SAML
Joplin
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do application designed as a privacy-focused alternative to Evernote.
License: AGPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: native · SSO: none
Logseq
Logseq is an open-source, local-first outliner and knowledge management tool that combines the bidirectional linking of Roam Research with the privacy and data ownership of local Markdown files.
License: AGPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas, docker · SSO: none
Mem
Mem is an AI-first note-taking application that uses artificial intelligence to automatically organize, surface, and connect notes.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a freeform digital notebook that has been part of the Microsoft Office suite since 2003.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: OIDC, SAML
NotesMe
NotesMe is a lightweight self-hosted note-taking app with optional AES encryption, version history, and a WYSIWYG editor, deployable in one command.
License: MIT (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: docker · SSO: none
Notion
Notion is the dominant team workspace platform, combining notes, documents, databases, wikis, and project management into a single application.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: SAML
Obsidian
Obsidian is a local-first Markdown knowledge base application that has become the dominant tool in the PKM space.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas, docker · SSO: none
Roam Research
Roam Research pioneered the modern backlinks and graph-based note-taking paradigm that inspired Obsidian, Logseq, and many other tools.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
SiYuan
SiYuan (meaning “thought origin” in Chinese) is an open-source, local-first, block-level knowledge management tool.
License: AGPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas, docker, native · SSO: none
Standard Notes
Standard Notes is a privacy-focused note-taking application built around end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Every note is encrypted on-device before being sent to the sync server, and the server operator cannot read note content.
License: AGPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: native, docker · SSO: none
Trilium
Trilium (now maintained as TriliumNext) is a self-hosted, hierarchical note-taking application designed for building large personal knowledge bases.
License: AGPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: native, docker · SSO: none
