Notenik
Free Mac notes app with Markdown, custom fields and outlining
Notenik report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 9, 2026
Best for plain-text notes with your own fields, on a Mac
Notenik is a free Mac notes app for people who want a bit of structure. Every note is a plain text file, but each folder of notes can have its own fields, like a status, a date or a link, so the same app works as a to-do list, an outline or a list of bookmarks. It can even turn a folder into a website. It runs on the Mac and nowhere else.
Who Notenik is for
- Great if you want notes as plain text files that any text editor can open
- Handy when you keep lists with structure, like quotations, bookmarks or tasks with a status
- A treat if you'd like to publish a website or web book straight from a folder of notes
Who Notenik is not for
- Skip it if you want the app on your iPhone, iPad or PC, as it's Mac only
- Not for you if you want sync built in, because that's left to iCloud Drive or Dropbox
- Skip it if you just want to jot things down, since the fields and templates are the point
Why Notenik gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree and open source under the MIT licence. The site says no upfront cost, no in-app purchases, no subscriptions and no advertising. Nothing to compare with the $5.99 a month that's typical here.
- AFree plan and trialThe whole app is free from the Mac App Store, with all features enabled from the first launch. There's no paid tier anywhere.
- AFeaturesEach collection picks its own fields, such as Tags, Link, Date, Status and Seq, and you can sort by any of them. Markdown comes with footnotes, citations, MathJax and wiki links. Merge templates and scripts write notes out as HTML or JSON, enough to build a whole website. Sync is left to iCloud Drive or Dropbox.
- BEase of useWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. Installing is one click from the Mac App Store. Plain notes are simple, but fields, templates and scripts take some reading, and support is one developer on a Discourse forum.
- DPlatforms and integrationsMac only, on macOS 13.5 or later, and only through the Mac App Store. On the Mac it has a URL scheme, Shortcuts actions and Hookmark support. On anything else your notes are just text files to open in another editor.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Notenik's own pages on 9 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/notenik#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/notenik.svg" alt="Notenik: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>What is Notenik?
Notenik is a free, open-source note-taking app for the Mac, written by Herb Bowie. Each note is a plain text file with a Markdown body and a set of fields, such as tags, links, dates and sequence numbers, that every collection of notes defines for itself. The same collections can serve as to-do lists, outlines, bookmark lists or the source for a generated website.
Notenik is free to use. See every plan
Good for
- Mac users who want notes kept as plain text files they control
- Structured collections such as quotations, bookmarks or to-do lists
- Publishing a website or web book from a folder of notes
Worth knowing
- Mac only: the developer says Notenik runs solely on the Mac and is available exclusively through the Mac App Store.
- There is no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version. On other devices the notes are plain text files to open in another editor.
- The app has no sync service of its own. The store listing suggests keeping collections in iCloud Drive or a Dropbox folder.
- Notenik is written and supported by a single developer, with questions and requests handled on a Discourse forum.
Key features
- Plain text notes in collections
- Each note is its own plain text file and a folder of notes is a collection. Collections can be stored anywhere, including iCloud Drive or a Dropbox folder, and open in any text editor.
- Custom fields per collection
- Beyond a Title and a Body, a collection can add fields such as Tags, Link, Date, Status, Seq and Author, each with its own type, and notes can be sorted by any of them.
- Markdown with extras
- The body is formatted in Markdown with footnotes, citations, definition lists and MathJax. Double-bracket wiki links connect notes, and a table of contents can be generated.
- To-do lists, outlines and bookmarks
- Date, Status and Recurs fields turn a collection into a to-do list, Seq and Level fields make it an outline, and a Link field makes it a set of bookmarks.
- Merge templates and scripts
- Merge templates write note fields out as HTML, XML, JSON or other text. Script files select, sort and filter the notes first, which lets Notenik act as a static website generator.
- Hooks for other Mac apps
- A custom URL scheme, custom actions for Apple's Shortcuts app and APIs for Hookmark let other apps link to notes, add notes from text and run script files.
Notenik pricing
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. The site says there is no upfront cost and there are no in-app purchases, subscriptions or advertising.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Notenik | $0 | The full app with all features enabled, downloaded from the Mac App Store. The store listing requires macOS 13.5 or later. |
Read from notenik.app on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Notenik before you buy.
Works with
- iCloud Drive
- Dropbox
- Shortcuts
- Hookmark
- Medium
Notenik alternatives
- Notenik vs The Archive
Free trial · from $19.99 one-time
- Notenik vs FSNotes
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
- Notenik vs Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
- Notenik vs Tinderbox
Free trial · from $289 one-time
- Notenik vs Bike Outliner
Free plan · from $29.99 one-time
Common questions
Is Notenik free?
Yes. Notenik is free to use. The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. The site says there is no upfront cost and there are no in-app purchases, subscriptions or advertising.
How much does Notenik cost?
Notenik lists one plan. Notenik: $0. Prices were read from notenik.app on Oct 9, 2026.
What platforms does Notenik work on?
Notenik is available on macOS.
Does Notenik have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Notenik is listed for macOS.
Does Notenik have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Notenik is listed for macOS.
Is Notenik open source?
Yes. Notenik is open source, according to its own site.
What does Notenik integrate with?
Notenik's listing names iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Shortcuts, Hookmark and Medium. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Notenik?
Notenik is made by Herb Bowie.
What are the alternatives to Notenik?
The closest alternatives to Notenik in our directory are The Archive, FSNotes, Obsidian, Tinderbox and Bike Outliner. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Notenik.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026.