Astro is a content-driven web framework open sourced in 2021, known for zero-JavaScript-by-default output and Islands Architecture, embedding React/Vue/Svelte components on demand for content-intensive websites.
Obsidian is a local-first Markdown note-taking app developed by a Canadian team. The core app is free and it is known for bidirectional links and the knowledge graph. With 1000+ community plugins and paid Sync/Publish add-ons, it is a popular choice for personal knowledge management and a second brain.
Trilium Notes was created in 2018 by Czech developer Adam P., an AGPLv3 open-source, self-hosted hierarchical note app. Unlimited hierarchical trees, relation maps, script extensions, and end-to-end encrypted sync suit personal knowledge management users with high privacy requirements.
Simplenote is a minimal notes app from Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, born in 2008. It is completely free with no ads, syncs across iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and Web in real time, and offers version history and collaborative notes.
Reflect is an AI-powered, end-to-end encrypted notes app combining Daily Notes, bidirectional links, and built-in AI summaries and Q&A at about $10/month, an Obsidian-style choice for privacy-conscious users.
Joplin is an open-source note and to-do app initiated in 2016 by French developer Laurent Cozic, supporting Markdown, end-to-end encryption and multi-platform sync with data servers in Paris, France (GDPR), 45,000+ GitHub stars, and optional Joplin Cloud from EUR 2.99/month.
Foam is a free, open-source personal knowledge management tool built on VS Code, using local Markdown files and bidirectional links to build a knowledge graph, completely free under the MIT license, suited to technical users familiar with VS Code and Git.
Dendron is an open-source hierarchical note-taking tool built on VS Code, with local-first Markdown storage and 100+ commands for managing knowledge bases of tens of thousands of notes. Free and suited to developers and heavy knowledge users.
Craft is a modern document and knowledge base tool by Luki Labs, native on macOS, iOS and iPadOS with a web version. It is usable on the free plan with Pro from $4.99/user/mo, combining card-based editing, Markdown and Craft AI for personal and team knowledge management.
Amplenote is an all-in-one notes, tasks, and calendar productivity tool known for nested tags and bullet journal style, with a free tier and paid plans around $8/month, ideal for time-focused knowledge workers.
Gatsby is an open-source React-based static site generator that integrates various data sources through a GraphQL data layer to generate optimized, high-performance static sites, and offers Gatsby Cloud hosting.
Statamic is an open-source flat-file CMS built on Laravel, originating in 2012, known for database-free, Git-friendly content management, with free Core and one-time $349 per-site Pro licensing.
Pico CMS is a lightweight open-source flat-file CMS first released in 2013, storing content as Markdown files and rendering pages with Twig templates on any PHP host with millisecond-level page loads, ideal for personal blogs, portfolios and lightweight documentation sites.
Grav is an open-source flat-file CMS developed by the RocketTheme team, with no database, Markdown file storage, a free MIT license, lightweight deployment, and multilingual support for documentation and light content sites.
Logseq is an open-source local-first note-taking app launched in 2021 by a US team, built around outlining and bidirectional links; notes are stored as Markdown files locally with PDF annotation and whiteboard support, a popular choice for building personal knowledge bases.
Bear is an Apple-ecosystem Markdown notes app from Italian developer Shiny Frog, winner of the 2017 Apple Design Award, known for minimalist design and nested tags, with Pro at about $29.99/year.
Buttondown is a US-based independent, self-funded minimalist newsletter platform founded in 2017, free for your first 100 subscribers, with Markdown editing, paid subscriptions, and an API, billed per active subscriber and loved by technical creators.