# Dendron review (2026): is it any good? > Open-source Markdown notes with hierarchies, built for VS Code Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Note-Taking Apps - **Made by:** Dendron - **Website:** https://www.dendron.so - **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you don't use an editor like VS Code, as there is no standalone app. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Dendron is free to use. - **Pricing model:** 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 https://wiki.dendron.so/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Dendron before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Developers who already work in VS Code and want notes next to their code - Large technical knowledge bases that need consistent structure ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: A.** Open source under Apache-2.0, and the pages we read list no paid plan. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with notes in files you keep yourself. - **Features: C.** Hierarchies, 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. - **Ease of use: D.** No store rating on record. It needs VS Code or VSCodium, plus schemas and git-backed vaults you set up yourself. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Runs wherever VS Code does on Mac, Windows and Linux. No phone or web app, and the pages give no operating system list. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/note-taking ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Dendron is free, so making your own would save you nothing. - You could make: Notes, Markdown, linked notes and templates: an app builder makes these well. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. - You could not: It plugs into other products, VS Code, VSCodium and Git among them. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with VS Code, VSCodium, Git, Mermaid, KaTeX **Tags:** Notes, Markdown, Open source, Local-first, Linked notes, Keyboard-first, Templates ## Alternatives - [Obsidian](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obsidian): Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dendron-vs-obsidian) - [Logseq](https://toolgpa.com/tools/logseq): Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dendron-vs-logseq) - [Joplin](https://toolgpa.com/tools/joplin): Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dendron-vs-joplin) - [Trilium Notes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/trilium-notes): Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dendron-vs-trilium-notes) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.dendron.so/ - https://wiki.dendron.so/ - https://github.com/dendronhq/dendron Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/dendron Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).