Linux

Joplin has multiple sync options. Other than Nextcloud, you can use OneDrive, Dropbox, and they have a subscription service as well.

Obsidian is another to look at, but you need to either pay for sync or bring your own sync (~~though I don't know that you can sync to mobile without using their sync~~ edit: see below comment by @fossisfun@lemmy.ml that explains how to do it).

I think it's probably helpful to know if sync across platforms is important to you, and if so, whether you're willing to pay for it. I'm not sure that there are really many alternatives to an app provided for free with free syncing - that costs money to provide and honestly I'd be a bit dubious about using a service like that.

Emacs + orgmode + org-capture + deft + orgzly + syncthing

Sexy Stallman pose

Logseq good alternative to obsidian Use syncthink or save the files to drive for syncing

Obsidian is a brilliant note app, it's free provided you setup your cloud sync solution (I use syncthing) as it just creates .md files that you can do whatever you want with

I just sync a directory called "Notes" everywhere and use whatever text editor is most comfortable on any given platform to edit Markdown documents. Helix on desktop, Markor (or, increasingly, Simple Text Editor) on Android. For checklists, same thing except I use todo.txt for the file format, and the todo script on the desktop and Simpletask on Android.

I have been looking for a self-hosted, concurrent collaborative web editor, as asking my wife to write Markdown is a bit much, and the syncing becomes more complex, but I haven't settled on something.

Here's a few I've been trying lately,

• Anytype.io
• Standard Notes
• Trillium
• Notesnook
• Logseq

I tried all for an extended period of time and landed with Anytype being the best for my needs. It's quite new on the market but has a super pleasing UI, very secure and is based in Switzerland 🇨🇭

Maybe Notesnook? There's a free version and they also offer a payed plan if you need more options.

For note taking, Joplin is pretty good, in fact I went from Simplenote to Evernote (over kill and not free) to Joplin using Dropbox for the syncing (syncing is done by Joplin, so you don't need a 'syncing' app) between my PCs, all Linux and my Android phone. Simple to set up and free. I do not use it as a Journal as that is extremely poor, but for notes, it's perfect

Just sync .text or .md files using syncthing. Total control!

You don't need your own server to use Joplin. You can select a local directory to store your notes and sync this directory with Syncthing between devices.

I am not sure if this works with iOS though.

Joplin + Syncthing is great, as other people suggested.
I keep it even more simple: I write stuff in markdown, share my .md files with Syncthing and edit them with markdown editors.
The best I've tried so far for Android is Markor, while on Linux I either use Ghostwriter (on KDE) or Marker (on Gnome)

Notesnook and Standard Notes are really good. Both are end-to-end encrypted and FOSS.

Every other app and solution I've tried is kinda janky, e.g. using Dropbox, git, Syntching or some other app to sync across devices. I want an all-in-one, encrypted, cloud-based, FOSS solution.

I've been using Standard Notes for some years now and I'm pretty happy with it.

Agree about Joplin. No need for a full NextCloud instance, I use the WebDAV option which Apache has pretty much out of the box.

Biggest issue with Joplin is that it doesn't store the actual markdown in files that I can see. You're basically screwed if you ever want to move to a different product.

Trilium with trilium web clipper plugin, moememos with its web plugin and linkding with its plug in. Been able to keep up with all notes with this trio

I've been using silverbullet.md but it's self hosted

Been using Joplin for ages, absolutely no dramas with it at all.

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I use Trilium

I've used vim with a smattering of essential plugins for years to do this, and only this year moved to Neovim for the same.

It's not Open Source, but I've also taken a hefty liking to Obsidian's canvas mode. Likewise, I share a small selection of lists with my other half via Google Keep.

If you want it to be truly multiplat and want to control it, you either need a self-hosted web service (simple as a basic wiki or as complex as nextcloud) or just sync plaintext markdown files and use an editor on each platform. Anything else and you'll just eventually end up in the same situation.

@OrkneyKomodo
I use #syncthing as an alternative to cloud services. Share two folders, no matter where they are, on what device etc, provided the device can run a version of syncthing.
And its not only notes: pictures, movies and whatnot.
I transfered 60gb of pictures from the family oc to my phone with that

I use Zim, a local wiki which uses text files with a markdown-like syntax, Syncthing to synchronize the notes, and Markor on Android supports this syntax.

Anyone else tried Acreom? I don't think it's open source though, but a local first markdown editor with some cool features like integration with Jira and has a nice UI.

That said, I still haven't decided if I will stick with it. I use Obsidian for journaling, brain dumps, and documenting projects in working on. Ive tried also using it as a Google Keep replacement, but its not really geared for the To-do/shopping lists that I use Keep for.

Years ago, I was looking for something similar. Used turtl for almost a year before switching to Joplin. Joplin was great, but not quite what I needed, and when Logseq came around, I switched again to it. Again, Logseq was just not exactly what I needed (though it is pretty powerful!) and I was worried what would happen when the devs either made it paid or abandoned the project, like so many before it.

The solution to my woes was Emacs. Now, I won't pretend the learning curve isn't steep, but there just isn't anything that compares to it. Org-mode + Org-roam + notdeft is amazing, and I've never even looked for anything else since becoming accustomed to it. Plus, you can easily modify the existing tools or write your own to adapt it to your personal style.

You will never regret the time you invest in Emacs.