The best note-taking apps for Linux in 2026 (and what to do about Notion's missing Linux app)

What is the best note-taking app for Linux?

It depends on how you take notes. The short version:

• Obsidian: best all-rounder, for Markdown notes and plugins.
• Joplin: best open-source app that also syncs to your phone.
• Logseq: best for outlining and daily journals.
• Standard Notes: best for end-to-end encrypted notes everywhere.
• Zettlr: best Markdown editor for long-form writing and research.

1. Obsidian: best all-round note-taking app for Linux

Obsidian keeps your notes as Markdown files in a folder on your disk and links them together, with a very large community plugin and theme library. Its download page offers an AppImage (including one for ARM64), a Snap and a .deb package; the Flatpak is maintained by the community.

The app is free but not open source. Sync between devices is a paid add-on at $4 per user per month billed annually, or you can sync the folder yourself with a tool you already use.

Pick it if you want Markdown files you control and do not mind closed source. Skip it if open source is a requirement.

2. Joplin: best open-source note-taking app with phone apps

Joplin is open source (AGPL-3.0) and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with apps for Android and iOS. Notes are Markdown, organized in notebooks, with a web clipper.

Sync goes through Joplin Cloud, its paid service, or a service you choose, and can be end-to-end encrypted. Setting up sync yourself takes a few minutes of configuration.

Pick it if you want open source on every device, including your phone. Skip it if you want a more polished editor and do not need mobile.

3. Logseq: best for outlines and daily journals

Logseq is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) outliner: every note is a list of blocks you can nest, link and reference, with a daily journal page as the default place to write. Its GitHub releases page has Linux builds alongside Windows and macOS.

Logseq is in a transition: version 2.0, built on a new database, is in beta, while the older file-based version is still available. Check which one you are installing.

Pick it if you think in bullet points and want backlinks everywhere. Skip it if you want long documents rather than outlines.

4. Standard Notes: best for encrypted notes

Standard Notes encrypts every note before it leaves your device, and its free plan includes end-to-end encrypted sync. It is open source (AGPL-3.0) and runs on Linux as an AppImage, as well as on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web.

The free plan is plain text; rich text, Markdown notes and more need a paid plan.

Pick it if encryption on every device matters most. Skip it if you want rich formatting for free.

5. Zettlr: best Markdown editor for Linux

If you searched for a Markdown editor for Linux, Zettlr is worth a look. It is free and open source, aimed at long-form writing and research, with citations and export to many formats. Its download page has .deb and .rpm packages and an AppImage for 64-bit and ARM, a Flatpak on Flathub, and an Arch Linux package.

It works on a folder of Markdown files, so it pairs well with whatever sync you already use. There is no phone app.

Pick it if you write long documents, papers or a thesis in Markdown. Skip it if you want quick notes on your phone.

Is there a Notion app for Linux?

No. Notion's own desktop help page covers Mac and Windows, and its FAQ says: "We don't have a Linux app at the moment." Notion suggests using it in the browser instead.

You will find unofficial Notion apps for Linux on GitHub, the Snap Store and the AUR. They are community projects that wrap the Notion website in a window; they are not made or supported by Notion, so check who maintains one before you sign in through it.

The bigger catch is offline use. Notion's offline mode is available in its desktop and mobile apps, not in the browser, so on Linux Notion needs a connection.

If you want to keep Notion, a browser tab or a pinned web app works fine. If you want your notes offline on a Linux machine, the apps above are a better fit, and most of them import Markdown, which Notion can export.

What about Koru on Linux?

Koru is my app: a free, open-source (MPL-2.0) workspace for notes and documents, written in Rust as a native desktop app. Your notes stay in a local database on your computer, it works fully offline, and there is no account. Computers sync directly with each other, peer to peer over iroh, end-to-end encrypted and free; optional Koru Cloud sync is $9.99/month for 100 GB.

Today Koru runs on Windows and macOS. Linux builds are coming soon, as a tar.gz and an AppImage. We have not set a date. It imports from Notion, Evernote, OneNote, Google Docs, Markdown and TextBundle, so moving in later is straightforward.

If you also use a Windows PC or a Mac, you can download Koru there now. To see how it compares with two of the apps above, read Koru as an Obsidian alternative and Koru as a Joplin alternative.

How do I choose a note-taking app on Linux?

• Check the package format. AppImage runs on most distributions with no install. Flatpak and Snap sandbox the app and update it for you. A .deb or .rpm fits Debian or Fedora based systems.
• Check who maintains the package. Official builds come from the app's own site. Community packages can lag behind or stop being updated.
• Decide where your notes live. A folder of Markdown files, an app database, or someone else's server. That decides how you back up and how you leave.
• Decide how you sync. Built-in paid sync, a service you already use, or nothing at all.
• Check exports before you commit. Markdown export means your notes are never stuck.