The Zettel Notes Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Zettel Notes 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.
Zettel Notes
The Insider’s Guide
Android Markdown note app built around the Zettelkasten method
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Zettel Notes’s own pages.
Made by dax7 (Rohit Sharma) · checked Oct 9, 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 Zettel Notes’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Zettel Notes’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Zettel Notes is an Android note app for Markdown files and the Zettelkasten method. Notes are kept as separate plain-text files in folders the app calls repositories, link to each other with wiki-style links and backlinks, and can optionally sync over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP. The app itself is free and has no ads; its solo developer funds it through separate plugin apps, most of them paid.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Zettel Notes, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, and there's assembly required.
- 1
Best for linked Markdown notes on an Android phone
It's Android only, and sync is something you set up yourself over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99.
- 3
There is a free plan
The main app is free with no ads and includes Markdown notes, repositories, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four sync methods. The Location and Todo.txt plugins are free too.
- 4
It runs on Android
Android.
- 5
Plain-text repositories
Notes are saved as separate .md, .txt or .org files in one or more folders, called repositories, so an existing folder of notes can be opened by pointing the app at it.
- 6
Wiki links and backlinks
Typing [[ inserts a link to another note, and each note's information dialog lists the notes that link to it. Tags, authors and note IDs taken from file names or YAML are supported.
- 7
Sync over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV and SFTP
Each repository can sync with Dropbox, a Git remote, a WebDAV server such as Nextcloud, or SFTP, either manually or in the background at intervals from 15 minutes to 24 hours.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 50 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Zettel Notes you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes, templates and web clipper. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Zettel Notes at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Android
- Made by
- dax7 (Rohit Sharma)
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for linked Markdown notes on an Android phone
Zettel Notes is a free, ad-free Android app that keeps notes as Markdown files in a folder you choose, linked with [[wiki links]], with encryption and four ways to sync. It's Android only, and sync is something you set up yourself over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP. OCR, scanning, speech to text and AI are separate plugin apps at $0.99 to $5.99 each.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The app itself is $0, where paid note apps here start at $2.99 a month and sit at $6 in the middle. The extras are separate plugin apps bought once on Google Play: $0.99 for the cheapest, $2.99 to $5.99 for most. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The free app has no ads and no caps: Markdown notes, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four ways to sync. The Location and Todo.txt plugins cost nothing either. Most people could stay here for good. |
| Features | C | The notes side covers .md, .txt or .org files, wiki links with backlinks, tags, templates, per-folder encryption, and task, drawing, audio and bookmark notes. The gaps are in its own docs: there's no sync service, only ones you wire up, and OCR, scanning, speech to text and AI are separate apps you pay for. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record, and there's assembly required. Point it at a folder and you can write, but sync means connecting your own Dropbox, Git remote, WebDAV server or SFTP, and each extra feature is another app to install. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | One operating system: Android. The documentation lists no iPhone, desktop or web version. It does hook into Dropbox, Git, Nextcloud, Tasker and Anki, so the files can travel even if the app can't. |
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 Zettel Notes is for
- Fits if you're on Android and already keep a folder of Markdown notes
- Works for Zettelkasten-style links and backlinks on a phone, synced through your own Git or Nextcloud
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you have an iPhone or want the same app on a laptop or the web, as it's Android only
- Not for you if you want sync that just works, because you wire up Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP yourself
- Watch out: OCR, scanning, speech to text, translation and AI are separate plugin apps at $0.99 to $5.99 each
- Tight if you forget passwords: an encrypted folder can't be opened without it, or after you uninstall the app
Good to know
Good for
- Android users who keep notes as Markdown files in their own folders
- People following the Zettelkasten method with linked notes
- Syncing notes through a Git repository, WebDAV server or SFTP
Worth knowing
- The documentation covers an Android app only; it lists no iOS, desktop or web version.
- OCR, document scanning, speech to text, translation and AI features are separate plugin apps, priced from $0.99 to $5.99 each on Google Play.
- Sync runs through Dropbox, Git, WebDAV or SFTP that the user sets up; the developer does not run a sync service.
- With password-based encryption, notes cannot be decrypted if the password is forgotten or the app is uninstalled, which clears the salt.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$0.99 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
Zettel Notes has a free plan. Paid plans start at $0.99 one-time for the cheapest paid plugin; most are $2.99 to $5.99.
The free app has no ads and no caps: Markdown notes, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four ways to sync.
Zettel Notes
$0
The full note app, which the developer says will stay free of charge and ad-free. The Location and Todo.txt plugins also cost nothing.
Latex Plugin
$0.99
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
A searchable list of LaTeX symbols that inserts the code for the chosen symbol into a note.
Publish plugin
$2.49
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
Publishes a Markdown note as a public page on Telegraph and returns a link to share.
$2.99 plugins
$2.99
one-time purchase per plugin (US Google Play)
Alarm, Anki, Speech2Text, SpeedRead, TextUtils and Translate plugins. Each is a separate app bought on its own.
Local AI Actions
$3.19
one-time purchase (US Google Play)
On-device AI actions such as summarize, rewrite and expand on selected text, with no API key or internet connection.
$5.99 plugins
$5.99
one-time purchase per plugin (US Google Play)
AI Chat, Scanner, OCR and Donation plugins, each bought separately. AI Chat also needs an OpenAI API key or a compatible server.
The free plan
The main app is free with no ads and includes Markdown notes, repositories, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four sync methods. The Location and Todo.txt plugins are free too.
Read from play.google.com on Oct 9, 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: Android
Android Markdown note app built around the Zettelkasten method. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, local-first, notes, Markdown, linked notes, web clipper, templates.
The documentation lists no iPhone, desktop or web version.
- Plain-text repositories
- Notes are saved as separate .md, .txt or .org files in one or more folders, called repositories, so an existing folder of notes can be opened by pointing the app at it.
- Wiki links and backlinks
- Typing [[ inserts a link to another note, and each note's information dialog lists the notes that link to it. Tags, authors and note IDs taken from file names or YAML are supported.
- Sync over Dropbox, Git, WebDAV and SFTP
- Each repository can sync with Dropbox, a Git remote, a WebDAV server such as Nextcloud, or SFTP, either manually or in the background at intervals from 15 minutes to 24 hours.
- Per-repository encryption
- A repository can be encrypted with a password, an in-app PGP key, or a key held in an external OpenPGP app. The feature list also includes an app lock.
- Note types and web capture
- Task, drawing, audio, bookmark and log notes are plain-text files with their own view. Sharing a web page from a browser converts it to Markdown and saves it as a note.
- Plugin apps
- Separate plugin apps add OCR, document scanning, speech to text, translation, Anki cards, alarms, AI chat and on-device AI actions. Most are paid; two are free.
Where it runs
- Android
What it works with
- Dropbox
- Git
- WebDAV
- SFTP
- Nextcloud
- Tasker
- Anki
- OpenKeychain
Zettel Notes is made by dax7 (Rohit Sharma).
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
50/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Zettel Notes's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 100 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. Zettel Notes’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- CEase of useAbove 5 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.
Keep it
The plain part of Zettel Notes you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes, templates and web clipper. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $0.99, paid once.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown, linked notes, templates and web clipper: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Dropbox, Git and WebDAV among them.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Zettel Notes’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
Obsidian, Markor, GitJournal, Joplin and Logseq
The 5 tools Zettel Notes is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Only Obsidian lists macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Markor
Free
Offline Android text editor for Markdown notes and todo.txt.
- Markor is open source, according to its own site.
- Zettel Notes also covers linked notes, web clipper and templates.
- Markor also covers tasks.
- 2.4GPA
GitJournal
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Mobile Markdown notes app that syncs through any Git repository.
- Only GitJournal lists an iOS app.
- GitJournal is open source, according to its own site.
- GitJournal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.6GPA
Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose.
- Only Joplin lists a web app.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS apps.
- Only Joplin lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Only Logseq lists a web app.
- Only Logseq lists macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS apps.
- Logseq is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Zettel Notes free?
Zettel Notes has a free plan. The main app is free with no ads and includes Markdown notes, repositories, backlinks, encryption, templates and all four sync methods.
How much does Zettel Notes cost?
Zettel Notes lists 6 plans. Zettel Notes: $0.
What platforms does Zettel Notes work on?
Zettel Notes is available on Android.
Does Zettel Notes have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Zettel Notes is listed for Android.
Does Zettel Notes have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Zettel Notes is listed for Android.
Is Zettel Notes open source?
Zettel Notes is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does Zettel Notes work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Zettel Notes integrate with?
Zettel Notes's listing names Dropbox, Git, WebDAV, SFTP, Nextcloud, Tasker, Anki and OpenKeychain.
Who makes Zettel Notes?
Zettel Notes is made by dax7 (Rohit Sharma).
What are the alternatives to Zettel Notes?
The closest alternatives to Zettel Notes in our directory are Obsidian, Markor, GitJournal, Joplin and Logseq.
How does Zettel Notes compare with other note-taking apps?
Zettel Notes's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
Could I make my own version of Zettel Notes?
The plain part of Zettel Notes you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes, templates and web clipper.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Zettel Notes’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Zettel Notes' own pages and its Google Play listings on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-04.
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 dax7 (Rohit Sharma). Prices change, so check zettelnotes.com before you buy.
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes&hl=en_US&gl=US
- zettelnotes.com/
- zettelnotes.com/download/
- zettelnotes.com/plugins/
- zettelnotes.com/plugins/donation-plugin/
- zettelnotes.com/plugins/ai-actions-plugin/
- zettelnotes.com/plugins/chat-ai-plugin/
- zettelnotes.com/plugins/latex-plugin/
- zettelnotes.com/plugins/telegraph/
- zettelnotes.com/repository/
- zettelnotes.com/repository/synchronization/
- zettelnotes.com/repository/encryption/
- zettelnotes.com/note/editor/zettelkasten/
- zettelnotes.com/note/note-types/
- zettelnotes.com/web-clipper/
- zettelnotes.com/templates/
- zettelnotes.com/tasker/
- zettelnotes.com/frequently-asked-questions/
- thedoc.eu.org/zettel-notes/privacy/
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.latex&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.telegraph&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.plugins.alarm&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.anki&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.speech2text&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.speedread&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.textutils&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.translate&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.llm&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.chat&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.scanner&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.ocr&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.dummy&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.location&hl=en_US&gl=US
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.eu.thedoc.zettelnotes.buttons.todotxt&hl=en_US&gl=US
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
- Zettel Notes, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/zettel-notes
- 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, "Zettel Notes: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/zettel-notes
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/zettel-notes/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Zettel Notes, 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 Zettel Notes’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. Zettel Notes is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by dax7 (Rohit Sharma). Prices and plans change: check zettelnotes.com before you buy.