# Foam review (2026): is it any good? > Free linked-notes system built on VS Code and Markdown Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Foam is an extension for Visual Studio Code that turns a folder of Markdown files into a connected set of notes. It adds wikilinks, backlinks, a graph view, daily notes and templates, and the notes can be synced and published through Git. It is free and open source. - **Category:** Note-Taking Apps - **Made by:** Foam - **Website:** https://docs.foam.md - **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a phone app, as there isn't one. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Foam is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Everything is free; the project says it has no subscriptions. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Foam | $0 | Free, open-source VS Code extension. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free. | Read from https://docs.foam.md/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Foam before buying. ## Key features - **Wikilinks and backlinks:** Link notes with double brackets; a Connections panel shows what links to the current note. - **Graph view:** Visualize how your notes connect to one another. - **Daily notes and templates:** Create timestamped daily notes and standard note templates. - **Plain Markdown files:** Notes are ordinary Markdown files you own, with embeds, block anchors, tags and footnotes. - **Git and publishing:** Sync through source control and publish to GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel and other hosts. - **Command line and MCP server:** A CLI includes an MCP server for AI clients; it is read-only unless writes are allowed. ## Good for - Developers who already work in VS Code - People who want notes as plain Markdown files kept in Git - Anyone avoiding subscriptions and vendor lock-in ## Worth knowing - It runs inside VS Code, so you install the editor as well as the extension. - The docs describe mobile capture as a workaround through other apps; there is no Foam mobile app. - It collects anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Foam is a free, open-source VS Code extension that links plain Markdown notes with wikilinks, backlinks and a graph view. There is no Foam app for phones, you must install VS Code to use it, and it is a tool for people comfortable in a code editor. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source with no subscription. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Everything is free, with no plan limits and no paid tier. - **Features: C.** Wikilinks, backlinks, a graph view, daily notes, templates and Git-based sync. It has no mobile app, and the docs offer capture from a phone only as a workaround through other apps. - **Ease of use: D.** No store rating on record. You install VS Code and the extension, and it works as plain files and commands, which suits developers more than most note-takers. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Mac, Windows and Linux desktops only, through VS Code. A command-line tool with an MCP server exists, but nothing for phones or the web. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Foam's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among note-taking apps - Foam's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 51 of the 152 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 24. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 104 of 152) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0). - Foam 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.** Foam is free, so making your own would save you nothing. - You could make: Markdown, linked notes, daily 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, Visual Studio Code, GitHub and GitHub Pages 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 Visual Studio Code, GitHub, GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, GitLab Pages **Tags:** Open source, Markdown, Linked notes, Daily notes, Templates ## Alternatives - [Obsidian](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obsidian): Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/foam-vs-obsidian) - [Logseq](https://toolgpa.com/tools/logseq): Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/foam-vs-logseq) - [Joplin](https://toolgpa.com/tools/joplin): Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/foam-vs-joplin) - [FSNotes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fsnotes): Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/foam-vs-fsnotes) - [Notesnook](https://toolgpa.com/tools/notesnook): Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/foam-vs-notesnook) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://docs.foam.md/ - https://docs.foam.md/getting-started/installation/ - https://docs.foam.md/frequently-asked-questions/ - https://docs.foam.md/features/backlinking/ - https://docs.foam.md/recipes/take-notes-from-mobile-phone/ - https://docs.foam.md/tools/cli/mcp/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/foam Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).