# The Archive

> Plain-text note-taking app for Mac built around Zettelkasten

The Archive is a Mac note-taking app from the authors of Zettelkasten.de, designed around the Zettelkasten method of linked notes. Notes are plain text files in a folder you choose, so they can be synced with any cloud storage service and opened in other editors. A single search field finds and creates notes, with Markdown highlighting, hashtags, wiki-style links and saved searches on top. It is a one-time purchase with a 60-day free trial.

- **Category:** Note-Taking Apps
- **Made by:** Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast (since 2018)
- **Website:** https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026

## Pricing

The Archive is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19.99 one-time purchase.

- **Pricing model:** Free trial
- **Free plan:** None.
- **Free trial:** 60-day free trial.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Archive | $19.99 one-time purchase | A license for version 1 of the Mac app, with the features announced for version 1 shipped as free updates. The press kit also gives the price as 19.99 EUR. |

Read from https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/presskit/ on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with The Archive before buying.

## Key features

- **Plain text file storage:** Every note is a plain text file in a folder you pick, so notes stay readable without the app and can sync through iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or similar services.
- **Search-first navigation:** One search field, the Omnibar, finds notes by their text and creates a new note from the search term. Saved searches switch between subsets of your notes.
- **Wiki-links and note IDs:** Double-bracket wiki-links look up the target note by its ID, giving clickable links between notes without file paths or a proprietary format.
- **Markdown editor:** Markdown highlighting, inline image preview, typewriter mode, hashtags, auto-completion of tags and links, and customizable themes.
- **Plug-ins:** Plug-ins, added in version 1.8, automate tasks such as extracting a note from selected text or building a list of links. They cannot delete notes or reach the internet.
- **URL scheme:** Links starting with thearchive:// let other apps such as Alfred and Keyboard Maestro open a matching note, run a search or launch a plug-in.

## Good for

- Writers and researchers practicing the Zettelkasten method
- Mac users who want notes kept as plain text files
- People who liked nvALT and want a similar search-first app

## Worth knowing

- It is a Mac app only; the site lists no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version.
- There is no sync service of its own: notes sync only by keeping the folder in a cloud storage service.
- The developers plan a paid version 2 and say version 1 owners will get a discount on it.
- It ignores Finder tags on purpose; a separate converter turns them into #hashtags for notes coming from nvALT or DEVONthink.

## Works with

Alfred, Keyboard Maestro, iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box

**Tags:** One-time purchase, Local-first, Notes, Markdown, Linked notes

## Alternatives

- [FSNotes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fsnotes): Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fsnotes-vs-the-archive)
- [Obsidian](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obsidian): Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/obsidian-vs-the-archive)
- [Understory](https://toolgpa.com/tools/understory): Mac notes app for outlining and drafting essays, papers and books. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/the-archive-vs-understory)
- [Notenik](https://toolgpa.com/tools/notenik): Free Mac notes app with Markdown, custom fields and outlining. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/notenik-vs-the-archive)
- [Logseq](https://toolgpa.com/tools/logseq): Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/logseq-vs-the-archive)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026:

- https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/presskit/
- https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/
- https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/help/
- https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/plug-ins/
- https://zettelkasten.de/legal/
- https://zettelkasten.onfastspring.com/the-archive

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-archive
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).