Fossify Notes vs Markor

Fossify Notes

• Android users who want a notes app that never goes online
• Quick notes, shopping lists and checklists on the home screen
• People replacing stock phone apps with open-source ones

Markor

• Android users who keep notes as Markdown or plain-text files
• People who already use the todo.txt format for tasks
• Pairing with Syncthing, Nextcloud or Dropbox to reach the same files elsewhere

Fossify Notes

• Android only: Fossify builds its apps for Android and offers no iOS, desktop or web version.
• Fossify labels the app Beta, meaning it is published while active testing and development are still under way.
• There is no account or cloud service, so notes do not sync between devices; moving them means exporting or a device backup.
• Google Play and F-Droid publish releases on their own schedules, so the version on offer can differ between the two.

Markor

• Android only: the README describes Markor as a text editor for Android and lists no iOS, desktop or web version.
• There is no built-in sync. The README says Markor will stay an offline app and that a separate sync client has to move the files.
• Encryption covers a file's text only, not pictures or attachments, and needs Android Marshmallow or newer.
• Org-Mode support is limited to syntax highlighting and editing buttons; there is no rendered view for it.

Fossify Notes

Text notes and checklists

Write plain notes, shopping lists and checklists as separate, independent notes. Edits are saved automatically, and checked items can be moved to the bottom of a list.

Home-screen widgets

A customizable widget keeps a note or a to-do list visible on the Android home screen and opens it with a tap.

App and note locking

The app as a whole or individual notes can be protected, with fingerprint access used when biometric protection is selected.

Import, export and automatic backups

Notes can be imported from and exported to files, and optional automatic backups create backup files on the device without manual steps.

No Internet permission

The app does not request Android's Internet permission. Notes leave the device only when shared, exported or included in an Android device backup.

Color and font customization

Colors and display settings can be changed to taste, and version 1.7.0 added support for custom fonts.

Markor

Plain-text files in many formats

Markdown, todo.txt, Zim wiki text, AsciiDoc, Org-Mode, CSV and plain text get syntax highlighting and format-specific buttons, and the files open in any other text editor.

Notebook, QuickNote and To-Do

Notebook is the root folder for documents and can sit anywhere on the file system. QuickNote is a single Markdown file for fast capture and To-Do is a todo.txt file.

todo.txt task lists

Each line is a task, with @contexts and +projects for grouping. Finished tasks are marked with an x and can be moved to a separate done file.

Preview and export to HTML or PDF

Documents can be previewed, converted and shared as HTML or PDF. Markdown follows the CommonMark specification, with optional math rendering through KaTeX.

Share Into

Text and links shared from other apps can be appended to QuickNote, To-Do or a recent file, or saved to a new one, with URL tracking parameters removed.

File encryption

Text files can be encrypted with AES256 under a password set in the settings. The companion jpencconverter tool decrypts the same files on a desktop.

Fossify Notes

• Fossify Notes$0

  The full app from Google Play or F-Droid, under the GNU GPL v3.0. Both stores use the same package name and signing key.

Markor

• Markor$0

  The full app from F-Droid, the GitHub releases page or Google Play. The project recommends F-Droid for installing and updating.