The The Archive Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about The Archive in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
The Archive
The Insider’s Guide
Plain-text note-taking app for Mac built around Zettelkasten
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from The Archive’s own pages.
Made by Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from The Archive’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on The Archive’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about The Archive, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: point it at a folder and the one search field does both the finding and the creating.
- 1
Best for a plain-text Zettelkasten on a Mac
If you write on a phone, look elsewhere.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $19.99 one-time purchase.
- 3
You can try it first
60-day free trial
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 22 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box.
The Archive at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $19.99 one-time purchase
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 60-day free trial
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast, since 2018
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a plain-text Zettelkasten on a Mac
The Archive is a Mac app for a plain-text Zettelkasten, where one search field both finds notes and creates them, for $19.99 once after a 60-day trial. It's Mac only with no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version, there's no sync of its own or web clipper, it ignores Finder tags on purpose, and version 2 will be a paid upgrade. If you write on a phone, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $19.99, once. Note apps here typically want $6 a month, so this pays for itself inside four months and then stops asking. That buys version 1 and its announced features as free updates; version 2 will be a paid upgrade, with a discount for version 1 owners. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Nothing free to keep, but the trial is a download you can use for 60 days without handing over a card. Two months is long enough to find out whether the method sticks. |
| Features | C | It does one job, linked plain-text notes, and all of it: the Omnibar searches every note and creates one from what you typed, wiki-links find notes by ID, plus Markdown highlighting, hashtags, saved searches and plug-ins. That's a narrower job than most note apps take on, with no sync and no web clipper. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: point it at a folder and the one search field does both the finding and the creating. If you liked nvALT, this is the same idea. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | One operating system. It's a Mac app, and the site lists no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version. Notes only sync if you keep the folder in iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive or Box, though Alfred and Keyboard Maestro can drive it through its URL scheme. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who The Archive is for
- Fits if you keep a Zettelkasten and write on a Mac
- Works for people who want notes as plain text files that open without the app
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want your notes on an iPhone, iPad or Windows PC, as only a Mac version is listed
- Not for you if you want sync built in, because that's left to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive or Box
- Tight if you file with Finder tags, since the app ignores them on purpose
- Watch out: $19.99 buys version 1, and the developers plan a paid version 2 with only a discount for owners
- Too light for clipping the web, as there's no web clipper on record
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$19.99 one-time
To start
The Archive is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19.99 one-time purchase.
Two months is long enough to find out whether the method sticks.
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.
Trying it first
60-day free trial
Read from zettelkasten.de on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Plain-text note-taking app for Mac built around Zettelkasten. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, one-time purchase, notes, Markdown, linked notes.
That's a narrower job than most note apps take on, with no sync and no web clipper.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Alfred
- Keyboard Maestro
- iCloud
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Box
The Archive is made by Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast, and has been around since 2018.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
The Archive's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 62 of 147) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. The Archive’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 147
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box.
You could make the core of The Archive for yourself: notes, Markdown and linked notes. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $19.99, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown and linked notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Alfred, Keyboard Maestro and iCloud among them.
What this rests on. The Archive’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
FSNotes, Obsidian, Understory, Notenik and Logseq
The 5 tools The Archive is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
FSNotes
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone.
- FSNotes has a free plan. The Archive does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FSNotes lists an iOS app.
- FSNotes is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Obsidian has a free plan. The Archive does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Obsidian lists Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
Understory
Free plan · from $24.99 one-time
Mac notes app for outlining and drafting essays, papers and books.
- Understory has a free plan. The Archive does not, though it has a free trial.
- Understory also covers long-form writing.
- 2.6GPA
Notenik
Free
Free Mac notes app with Markdown, custom fields and outlining.
- Notenik has a free plan. The Archive does not, though it has a free trial.
- The Archive can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Notenik is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Logseq has a free plan. The Archive does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Logseq lists a web app.
- Only Logseq lists Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is The Archive free?
No, The Archive is a paid product, but you can try it first. 60-day free trial.
How much does The Archive cost?
The Archive lists one plan. The Archive: $19.99 one-time purchase.
What platforms does The Archive work on?
The Archive is available on macOS.
Does The Archive have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. The Archive is listed for macOS.
Does The Archive have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. The Archive is listed for macOS.
Is The Archive open source?
The Archive is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does The Archive integrate with?
The Archive's listing names Alfred, Keyboard Maestro, iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box.
Who makes The Archive?
The Archive is made by Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast. It dates from 2018.
What are the alternatives to The Archive?
The closest alternatives to The Archive in our directory are FSNotes, Obsidian, Understory, Notenik and Logseq.
How does The Archive compare with other note-taking apps?
The Archive's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
Could I make my own version of The Archive?
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box. You could make the core of The Archive for yourself: notes, Markdown and linked notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from The Archive’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The Archive's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-17.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast. Prices change, so check zettelkasten.de before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- The Archive, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/the-archive
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "The Archive: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-archive
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/the-archive/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after The Archive, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what The Archive’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. The Archive is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Christian Tietze and Sascha Fast. Prices and plans change: check zettelkasten.de before you buy.