Dendron review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source Markdown notes with hierarchies, built for VS Code
Dendron report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for Markdown notes in VS Code for developers
Dendron keeps notes as Markdown files in dotted hierarchies inside VS Code, with schemas and backlinks, and it is open source. It lives inside an editor, so there is no phone or web app, and getting going takes some setup.
Who Dendron is for
- Fits if you already live in VS Code and want your notes there
- Works for people who like notes as plain files in git
Who Dendron is not for
- Skip it if you don't use an editor like VS Code, as there is no standalone app
- Not for you if you want notes on your phone or in a browser
- Too light for publishing: the homepage lists Dendron Publishing as a waitlist
- Tight if you dislike setup, because the dotted names and schemas take learning
Why Dendron gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyOpen source under Apache-2.0, and the pages we read list no paid plan.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with notes in files you keep yourself.
- CFeaturesHierarchies, schemas, templates, backlinks, graph view and vaults. The listing's gaps: it works inside an editor only and Dendron Publishing is a waitlist, not a product.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. It needs VS Code or VSCodium, plus schemas and git-backed vaults you set up yourself.
- CPlatforms and integrationsRuns wherever VS Code does on Mac, Windows and Linux. No phone or web app, and the pages give no operating system list.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Dendron's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Dendron? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/dendron#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/dendron.svg" alt="Dendron: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Dendron stands among note-taking apps
Dendron's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 61 of the 169 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 26.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 114 of 169) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Dendron has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 170 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Dendron’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 72 of 169, level with 97
- AFree plan and trialAbove 114 of 169, level with 55
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 169, level with 116
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 169, level with 9
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 34 of 169, level with 64
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 118 note-taking apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Dendron, or make your own?
Keep it
Dendron is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown, linked notes and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, VS Code, VSCodium and Git among them.
What this rests on. Dendron’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Dendron?
Dendron is an open-source, local-first note-taking tool for developers that runs inside editors such as VS Code and VSCodium. Notes are plain Markdown files organized into dotted hierarchies, with schemas that suggest structure and templates. Collections of notes, called vaults, are folders backed by git.
Worth knowing
- It works inside editors such as VS Code or VSCodium, so there is no standalone mobile or web app.
- The pages we read give no operating-system list; the platforms shown follow from VS Code support.
- Its homepage lists Dendron Publishing as a waitlist sign-up, not a product you can buy.
Key features
- Plain-text notes
- Notes are Markdown files that can be managed with git or edited in any text editor such as Vim.
- Hierarchies and lookup
- A single lookup command finds or creates notes and walks a dotted hierarchy, and refactors keep links intact when notes move.
- Schemas and templates
- Schemas describe the structure of a hierarchy, give autocomplete hints and apply templates to new notes.
- Backlinks and graph view
- Navigate through backlinks, headers and blocks, and view the knowledge base as a graph.
- Vaults and publishing
- Vaults are git-backed folders that can be shared, and a knowledge base can be exported as a static Next.js site.
Dendron pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dendron is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Open-source software under the Apache-2.0 license; the pages we read list no paid plans.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Free to use, with the source on GitHub under Apache-2.0; notes stay as files you host yourself. |
Read from wiki.dendron.so on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Dendron before you buy.
Works with
Dendron alternatives
- Dendron vs Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
- Dendron vs Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Dendron vs Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Common questions
Does Dendron have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Dendron is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Dendron have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Dendron is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Dendron open source?
Yes. Dendron is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.