FSNotes vs The Archive

FSNotes

• Mac and iPhone users who want notes kept as plain Markdown files
• Keyboard-driven note-takers used to Notational Velocity-style apps
• People who want an open-source app with no account or subscription

The Archive

• Writers and researchers practicing the Zettelkasten method
• Mac users who want notes kept as plain text files
• People who liked nvALT and want a similar search-first app

FSNotes

• It runs on Apple platforms only, and the Mac and iPhone apps are separate purchases on the App Store.
• The iOS app syncs through iCloud Drive only; Dropbox, WebDAV and Google Drive sync are not available.
• The iPad build lacks dedicated iPad features such as full keyboard shortcuts and multiple windows; development focuses on macOS and iPhone.
• The free Mac build comes from GitHub releases or Homebrew; the site names the App Store apps as the official stable releases with automatic updates.

The Archive

• It is a Mac app only; the site lists no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version.
• There is no sync service of its own: notes sync only by keeping the folder in a cloud storage service.
• The developers plan a paid version 2 and say version 1 owners will get a discount on it.
• It ignores Finder tags on purpose; a separate converter turns them into #hashtags for notes coming from nvALT or DEVONthink.

FSNotes

Plain Markdown files

Notes are GitHub Flavored Markdown or plain text files in folders you choose, readable in any other editor. Images and attachments can sit in TextBundle containers.

Keyboard-centric and fast

Notational Velocity-inspired controls and shortcuts, instant search and a two-pane view, built to stay smooth with more than 10,000 files.

iCloud Drive sync

The same folders and notes, including pinned notes, stay available on a Mac and an iPhone through iCloud Drive.

Git versioning and backups

Optional Git integration makes scheduled commits, shows note history and can push to or pull from a remote repository.

Encrypted notes and folders

Individual notes or whole folders can be protected with AES-256 encryption and unlocked with Touch ID.

Links, tags and rich Markdown

Cross-note links in double brackets, tags, syntax highlighting for more than 30 programming languages, and Mermaid and MathJax rendering.

The Archive

Plain text file storage

Every note is a plain text file in a folder you pick, so notes stay readable without the app and can sync through iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or similar services.

Search-first navigation

One search field, the Omnibar, finds notes by their text and creates a new note from the search term. Saved searches switch between subsets of your notes.

Wiki-links and note IDs

Double-bracket wiki-links look up the target note by its ID, giving clickable links between notes without file paths or a proprietary format.

Markdown editor

Markdown highlighting, inline image preview, typewriter mode, hashtags, auto-completion of tags and links, and customizable themes.

Plug-ins

Plug-ins, added in version 1.8, automate tasks such as extracting a note from selected text or building a list of links. They cannot delete notes or reach the internet.

URL scheme

Links starting with thearchive:// let other apps such as Alfred and Keyboard Maestro open a matching note, run a search or launch a plug-in.

FSNotes

• GitHub release$0

  A zip of the Mac app posted with each release on GitHub, also installable through Homebrew. The site points to the App Store for automatic updates.

• FSNotes for iOS$4.99

  one-time purchase (US App Store)

  The iPhone and iPad app, with iCloud Drive sync, encrypted notes and folders, tags and Git integration. Requires iOS 18.0 or later.

• FSNotes for Mac$8.99

  one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)

  The Mac app, updated automatically through the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 12.4 or later.

The Archive

• The Archive$19.99

  one-time purchase

  A license for version 1 of the Mac app, with the features announced for version 1 shipped as free updates. The press kit also gives the price as 19.99 EUR.