nb vs QOwnNotes (2026): which should you pick?

Pick nb if

• Fits if you live in a terminal and want your notes as files under Git
• Works for people who also save bookmarks and todos in the same place

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want a window to click in, as it is command line and a local web view
• Skip it if you are on Windows without WSL, MSYS or Cygwin
• Watch out: some features need Pandoc, Chromium or Chrome installed
• Too light for sharing, as there is no phone app or hosted service

Pick QOwnNotes if

• Fits if you run Nextcloud or ownCloud and want a desktop app for your notes
• Works for people who want plain Markdown files any editor can open and don't mind writing scripts

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you have an iPhone, as the site lists no iOS app and there's no web version
• Not for you if you don't have a Nextcloud or ownCloud server and want sync included, as the app doesn't sync itself
• Tight if you're on Android, where the app is a GitHub APK that only works through a Nextcloud server running Notes
• Watch out: the browser clipper only works while the desktop app is running
• Watch out: current builds need Windows 10 or macOS 13 or later, and older Qt5 builds can't use the built-in updater

nb

• It needs a Unix-like shell; on Windows it runs through WSL, MSYS or Cygwin.
• Some features rely on optional tools such as Pandoc and Chromium or Chrome.
• There is no mobile app or hosted service on its site.

QOwnNotes

• The app does not sync notes or attachments itself; syncing across devices depends on a Nextcloud or ownCloud sync client or another file-sync tool.
• The Android app is installed as an APK from its GitHub release page and needs a Nextcloud server running the Notes app. The site lists no iOS app.
• The browser extension works only while the desktop app is running.
• Current builds need Windows 10 or macOS 13 or later; the older Qt5 builds cannot use the built-in updater.

nb

Plain-text storage

Notes are text files in Markdown, Org, LaTeX, AsciiDoc or any other format, written in the editor you choose.

Git versioning and sync

Notebooks are Git-backed, giving revision history and syncing through a Git remote.

Bookmarks with cached pages

Saved pages are stored as Markdown for local full-text search, with Wayback Machine lookup for broken links.

Encryption

Notes and bookmarks can be password-protected.

Wiki links, tags and todos

Items link with [[wiki-style]] links, take #tags, and can hold todos with tasks.

Local web browsing

A locally served web view lets you read notes and bookmarks in a terminal or GUI browser.

QOwnNotes

Plain Markdown files

Notes are plain-text Markdown files in a folder you pick, so existing text files work without an import and any other editor can open them.

Nextcloud and ownCloud integration

Restores older note versions and trashed notes from the server, shares notes publicly, creates Nextcloud Deck cards and manages server to-do lists.

Tags, subfolders and wiki links

Hierarchical tags and note subfolders, plus optional [[Note]] links with autocomplete, heading anchors, aliases and backlinks.

Web Companion browser extension

A Chrome and Firefox extension clips selected text or a screenshot of a page into a note and manages bookmarks kept in notes.

Scripting and AI support

Scripts install from an in-app repository. Opt-in AI support takes Groq and OpenAI keys, and a built-in MCP server lets outside agents search and fetch notes.

Optional note encryption

AES-256 encryption of individual notes is built in, and scripts add Keybase or PGP as alternative encryption methods.

nb

• nb$0

  Open-source command-line tool installed from a package manager or as a script; no paid tier is listed.

QOwnNotes

• QOwnNotes$0

  The full desktop app for Linux, macOS and Windows, plus the Web Companion extension and the Android app.