QOwnNotes

QOwnNotes Free Open Source Markdown Note Taking App

QOwnNotes is a free, open-source note-taking app that uses Markdown text files, giving users simple, flexible, and full control over creating, organizing, and managing notes across different systems.

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Cloud Sync

ownCloud & Nextcloud

QOwnNotes

Markdown Support

Full syntax highlighting

Powerful Features

Everything You Need to Organize Your Thoughts

QOwnNotes combines simplicity with power, giving you all the tools to capture ideas, organize knowledge, and boost productivity.

Markdown Native

Write in beautiful markdown with live preview, syntax highlighting, and seamless formatting.

Cloud Integration

Sync your notes with ownCloud or Nextcloud for secure access across all your devices.

End-to-End Encryption

Keep your notes private with built-in encryption. Your data stays yours, always.

Scripting Engine

Extend functionality with custom scripts. Automate tasks and personalize your workflow.

Hierarchical Tags

Organize notes with nested tags and smart folders for lightning-fast navigation.

Cross-Platform

Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Your notes follow you everywhere.

About QOwnNotes

The Note Taking App You Deserve

QOwnNotes is a free, open-source markdown note-taking application designed for privacy-conscious users. Unlike cloud-dependent alternatives, your notes are stored as plain text files on your computer, giving you complete control.

  • Plain-text files you actually own
  • No vendor lock-in, export anytime
  • Works offline, sync when ready
  • Customizable themes and layouts
  • Fast search across all notes
  • Version history support
QOwnNotes

10+ Years

Active Development

10+

Years Active

50K+

Downloads

15+

Languages

100+

Contributors

Smart & Simple

Why QOwnNotes Fits Your Workflow

QOwnNotes combines simplicity, control, and efficiency to help you create, organize, and manage Markdown notes effortlessly—without relying on the cloud.

Why Choose QOwnNotes?

QOwnNotes is built for users who want a powerful yet distraction-free note-taking experience. It focuses on simplicity, privacy, and long-term reliability, making it a trusted choice for both personal and professional use.
 

Complete Data Ownership

Your notes are stored as plain text Markdown files on your own device. This means you are never locked into a proprietary system and always remain in full control of your data.
 

Offline-First by Design

QOwnNotes works perfectly without an internet connection. You can create, edit, and search notes anytime, making it ideal for uninterrupted productivity.
 

Clean Markdown Experience

With full Markdown support, QOwnNotes allows you to write structured, readable notes that remain future-proof and easy to export or share.
 

Seamless Organization

Notes are organized using folders, tags, and powerful full-text search. This makes managing large note libraries simple and efficient.
 

Lightweight and Fast

QOwnNotes is optimized for performance. It launches quickly, runs smoothly, and avoids unnecessary features that slow you down.
 

Optional Cloud Sync with Nextcloud

For users who need multi-device access, QOwnNotes integrates with Nextcloud, offering secure synchronization without sacrificing privacy.
 

Open-Source and Transparent

As an open-source application, QOwnNotes is continuously improved by the community and remains free from ads, tracking, and hidden limitations.
 

Ideal for Multiple Use Cases

Whether you are a student, developer, writer, or privacy-focused professional, QOwnNotes adapts easily to your workflow.

How QOwnNotes Works

QOwnNotes follows a simple, transparent, and efficient workflow that gives users full control over their notes. It focuses on local storage, Markdown formatting, and optional synchronization—making it reliable, fast, and privacy-friendly.
 

Notes Are Created in Markdown

QOwnNotes uses Markdown as its core writing format. This allows you to create clean, structured, and readable notes using plain text. Headings, lists, links, code blocks, and checklists can be written easily without complex formatting tools.
 

Notes Are Saved as Local Text Files

Every note is stored as a normal text file on your device. There is no proprietary database or hidden storage. This ensures full data ownership, easy backups, and long-term accessibility.
 

Folder-Based Organization

QOwnNotes reads your note folders and displays them in an organized interface. You can structure your notes using folders and subfolders, making it easy to manage large note libraries.
 

Instant Search and Tagging

The built-in search scans all notes instantly, helping you find content quickly. Tags can be added to notes to enhance organization and make related information more easily accessible.
 

Offline-First by Design

QOwnNotes works completely offline. You can write, edit, and search notes without an internet connection, ensuring uninterrupted productivity at all times.
 

Optional Nextcloud Synchronization

For users who need multi-device access, QOwnNotes integrates with Nextcloud. Notes can be synced securely across devices while remaining under your control.
 

Continuous Editing and Version Safety

Because notes are plain text files, they work well with backup tools and version control systems like Git. This makes it easy to track changes and restore previous versions when needed.
 

Lightweight and Efficient Performance

QOwnNotes is optimized for speed and simplicity. It launches quickly, handles large note collections smoothly, and avoids unnecessary background processes.
Markdown Editor

Beautiful Markdown

Write in clean, distraction-free markdown with live preview, syntax highlighting, and all the formatting options you need.

Headings

Bold

Italic

Links

Lists

Code

Images

Quotes

Tags

Tables

notes.md

# Welcome to QOwnNotes

Your privacy-focused markdown editor.

## Features

  • Full markdown support
  • Bold and italic text
  • Links and images
  • Code blocks
> Quote: "Your notes, your way"
Cross-Platform

Works on Every Platform

Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, or Linux, QOwnNotes provides a consistent experience. Your workflow stays the same, no matter which device you’re using.

Windows

Windows 10, 11

macOS

macOS 10.15+

Linux

All major distros

QOwnNotes
Real World Usage

QOwnNotes Use Cases

QOwnNotes is a flexible note-taking solution designed to support a wide range of personal and professional workflows. Its Markdown-based, offline-first approach makes it suitable for users who value simplicity, privacy, and long-term data ownership.

Personal Knowledge Management

QOwnNotes is ideal for organizing daily notes, ideas, and personal knowledge. Users can create structured note systems using folders and tags, making information easy to store and retrieve over time.

Developers & Technical Documentation

Developers benefit from Markdown support, syntax highlighting, and plain-text storage. QOwnNotes works well for writing documentation, storing code snippets, maintaining changelogs.

Students & Academic Notes

Students can use QOwnNotes to manage lecture notes, assignments, research material, and exam preparation. Markdown formatting helps keep notes clean and readable, while offline access ensures uninterrupted study.

Writers & Content Creators

Writers can draft articles, outlines, and content plans without distractions. Notes remain portable and editable in any text editor, making QOwnNotes a reliable tool for long-form writing and content organization.

Task & To-Do Management

With built-in checklist support, QOwnNotes can be used to manage tasks, daily to-do lists, and project planning. Tasks stay organized alongside notes in a single workspace.

Research & Documentation

Researchers can store references, structured notes, and project documentation in one place. The search and tagging features make it easy to navigate large collections of information.

Task & To-Do Management

With built-in checklist support, QOwnNotes can be used to manage tasks, daily to-do lists, and project planning. Tasks stay organized alongside notes in a single workspace.

Research & Documentation

Researchers can store references, structured notes, and project documentation in one place. The search and tagging features make it easy to navigate large collections of information.

Comparison

How QOwnNotes Stacks Up

See why QOwnNotes is the better choice for privacy-focused note-taking

Feature QOwnNotes Evernote OneNote Notion
100% Free ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕
Open Source ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
Local Storage ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
Markdown Native ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓
Self-Hosted Sync ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
End-to-End Encryption ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕
Scripting Support ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
Cross-Platform ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Cloud Integration

Seamless Cloud Sync

Connect QOwnNotes to your ownCloud or Nextcloud server for automatic synchronization. Access your notes from any device while keeping your data under your control.

  • Sync with ownCloud
  • Sync with Nextcloud
  • Encrypted transfers
  • Mobile companion apps
QOwnNotes
Security First

Your Privacy is Non Negotiable

QOwnNotes is built with security at its core. Your notes are encrypted and stored locally, ensuring complete privacy and data ownership.

AES-256 Encryption

Military-grade encryption for your notes

Local Keys

Encryption keys stay on your device

Zero Knowledge

We can't read your encrypted data

Self-Hosted

Full control with your own server

Integrity Checks

Verify files haven't been tampered

Open Source

Auditable security you can trust

QOwnNotes

Ready to Take Control of Your Notes?

Join thousands of users who’ve switched to QOwnNotes for a private, powerful, and completely free note-taking experience.

Download Free
  • 100% Free Forever
  • Open Source
  • No Account Required
Testimonials

Loved by Thousands

See what our community has to say about QOwnNotes

★★★★★
“
"QOwnNotes has become my go-to for all my coding notes. The markdown support is excellent and the ownCloud sync keeps everything in perfect order."
S
Sarah Chen
Software Developer
★★★★★
“
"Finally, a note-taking app that respects my privacy! The encryption features and local storage give me peace of mind for sensitive research notes."
M
Marcus Weber
Research Scientist
★★★★★
“
"The scripting engine is a game-changer. I've automated so many of my content workflows. This app just gets out of the way and lets me write."
E
Emily Rodriguez
Content Creator
★★★★★
“
"Cross-platform support means I can switch between my Linux desktop and MacBook without missing a beat. Perfect for students!"
D
David Kim
Student
FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? We’ve got answers.

What is QOwnNotes?

QOwnNotes is a free and open-source note-taking application that uses Markdown and stores notes as local text files.

Yes, QOwnNotes is completely free and open-source with no hidden costs or subscriptions.

QOwnNotes is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Yes, QOwnNotes is designed as an offline-first application and works fully without an internet connection.

QOwnNotes saves notes as plain-text Markdown (.md) files.

Yes, its simple interface makes it easy for beginners while still being powerful for advanced users.

No account or sign-up is required to use QOwnNotes.

Yes, since notes are stored locally, users have full control over their data.

Yes, it is optimized to manage and search through large numbers of notes efficiently.

Yes, QOwnNotes is actively developed and supported by an open-source community.

Does QOwnNotes support Markdown formatting?

Yes, full Markdown support is one of its core features.

Yes, QOwnNotes uses a folder-based structure for easy organization.

Yes, notes can be tagged to improve categorization and searchability.

Yes, QOwnNotes includes fast and powerful full-text search.

Yes, it supports checklists and task management within notes.

Yes, syntax highlighting is available for code blocks.

Yes, QOwnNotes integrates with Nextcloud for optional synchronization.

Yes, themes, shortcuts, and layout options can be customized.

Yes, since notes are plain text files, they work well with Git and version control systems.

Yes, notes can be easily shared or exported because they are standard Markdown files.

QOwnNotes – Free Open-Source Markdown Notes App

QOwnNotes is a lightweight open-source note-taking app using Markdown, ideal for private note management with Nextcloud and local storage support.

Price: Free

Price Currency: $

Operating System: Windows, macOs, Linux

Application Category: Tool

Editor's Rating:
4.8