Alternatives · Note-Taking

Foam alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Foam alternative for most people is Obsidian (3.6 GPA), second in our ranking of note-taking apps. It's also the best free one.

Foam compared with 5 alternatives: Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, FSNotes and Notesnook.

Foam is free to use. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.

Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

Tool	Price	Free plan	Runs on
FoamThis tool	Free	Free	macOS, Windows, Linux
Obsidian	Free plan · from $4/mo	Yes	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
Logseq	Free plan · from $5/mo	Yes	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Joplin	Free plan · from €2.40/mo	Yes	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
FSNotes	Free plan · from $4.99 one-time	Yes	macOS, iOS
Notesnook	Free plan · from $1.99/mo	Yes	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension

Price against what you get

Foam has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.

Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin and Notesnook score higher without starting lower.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

The best score at each price
Has a free plan
No free plan

The full chart of note-taking apps, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Foam

Obsidian
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device
- Obsidian starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on).
- Obsidian also lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Obsidian also covers notes and whiteboard.
- Obsidian does not cover daily notes and templates, which Foam does.
Suits: People who want their notes as plain Markdown files they control
Obsidian vs Foam Obsidian pricing and details
Logseq
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files
- Logseq starts at $5 per month for Open Collective backers, which unlocks Logseq Sync.
- Logseq also lists a web app and iOS and Android apps.
- Logseq also covers notes and whiteboard.
- Logseq does not cover templates, which Foam does.
Suits: People who think in outlines and want their notes as plain-text files
Logseq vs Foam Logseq pricing and details
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
- Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic).
- Joplin also lists a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension.
- Joplin is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Joplin also covers notes and web clipper.
- Joplin does not cover linked notes, daily notes and templates, which Foam does.
Suits: People who want open source notes synced through their own storage
Joplin vs Foam Joplin pricing and details
FSNotes
Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone
- FSNotes starts at $4.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $8.99 one-time for Mac.
- FSNotes also lists an iOS app.
- FSNotes lists no Windows and Linux apps, which Foam has.
- FSNotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- FSNotes also covers notes.
Suits: Mac and iPhone users who want notes kept as plain Markdown files
FSNotes vs Foam FSNotes pricing and details
Notesnook
Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform
- Notesnook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential).
- Notesnook also lists a web app, Android and iOS apps and a browser extension.
- Notesnook is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Notesnook also covers notes and web clipper.
- Notesnook does not cover daily notes and templates, which Foam does.
Suits: People who want notes the provider cannot read
Notesnook vs Foam Notesnook pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Foam

It runs inside VS Code, so you install the editor as well as the extension.
The docs describe mobile capture as a workaround through other apps; there is no Foam mobile app.
It collects anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting.

Foam pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Foam?

The alternatives to Foam in this directory are Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, FSNotes and Notesnook. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Foam.

Is there a free alternative to Foam?

Yes. Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, FSNotes and Notesnook have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which Foam alternatives work on Android?

The Foam listing does not include an Android app. Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin and Notesnook list one.

Which Foam alternatives work on iOS?

The Foam listing does not include an iOS app. Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, FSNotes and Notesnook list one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

How this page was made

Where any alternative here is in our top three note-taking apps, the best for most people is the highest placed of them: the top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades. Otherwise the page names the highest-graded alternative in the same category as Foam, the one its listing names first winning a tie. The best free one is the highest-graded alternative that is free or has a free plan (a free trial does not count), with its catch quoted from its listing where the listing states a short one. The GPA is the average of our five grades for each tool.
The alternatives are the tools Foam’s listing names as its closest substitutes, and the tools whose listings name Foam.
Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing, which names the pages they were read from.
The differences are worked out from those listings.
The chart sets each tool’s starting price against our own grades for features, ease of use and platforms.

Read the method All note-taking apps

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