QOwnNotes
DeveloperPatrizio Bekerle
Stable release26.10.1[1] Edit this on Wikidata (3 October 2026) [±]
Written inC++ (Qt)
Operating systemCross-platform
TypeProductivity software
LicenseGPL-2.0-only[2]
Websitewww.qownnotes.org Edit this on Wikidata
Repository

QOwnNotes is a free open source (GPL) plain-text notepad. The program has support for markdown, and includes a to-do list manager that works on FreeBSD, Linux, MacOS and Windows. It can optionally work together with the notes application of ownCloud or Nextcloud.

History

In a 2017 interview, Bekerle traced the project's origins to late 2014, when he wanted a cross-platform application that could create notes with a keyboard shortcut and store them as text files in a directory for synchronization.[3] Version 1.0 was announced in February 2016.[4]

Features

The editor provides Markdown syntax highlighting and a preview of the formatted document. Notes can be organized into subfolders and assigned hierarchical tags. The interface has panels that can be moved, docked or stacked, and the application supports optional AES-256 encryption of notes.[5] Notes can also be exported as PDF or HTML documents.[6]

The application can be extended with JavaScript scripts contained in QML files. Scripts can modify the interface and note preview or provide alternative encryption methods.[7]

QOwnNotes stores notes on the local filesystem, where they can also be edited with other text editors. Synchronization of notes and attachments is handled by a separate client, such as the Nextcloud or ownCloud desktop client. Its server integration supports sharing notes and accessing task lists. The QOwnNotesAPI server application provides access to earlier note versions and deleted notes.[8]

Reviews

Linux Magazine,[9] Linux Format,[10] Linux Voice[11] and Web Upd8 [12] reviewed QOwnNotes. There is a more elaborate list of reviews and articles[13] about QOwnNotes.

Reviewing version 16.05 in the August 2016 issue of Linux Format, Alexander Tolstoy praised the application's ease of use and highlighted its Markdown examples, document preview and automatically generated heading index.[14]

In a February 2025 review for The PCLinuxOS Magazine, David Pardue praised its configurable interface, low resource use and local plain-text storage. He tested version 25.1.3, but reported that he could not get the QOwnNotes Web Companion browser extension to work, including after trying an older packaged version of the application.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Release 26.10.1". 3 October 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  2. ^ "License: GPLv2 vs. GPLv2+ (or later) #2213". GitHub.
  3. ^ "QOwnNotes – App of the Week". ownCloud. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  4. ^ "QOwnNotes 1.0 out now in 6 languages and with Freedesktop theme icons support". QOwnNotes. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  5. ^ "Overview". QOwnNotes. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  6. ^ Vollbracht, Uwe (September 2016). "Werkzeuge im Kurztest". Linux-Magazin (in German). Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  7. ^ "QOwnNotes – App of the Week". ownCloud. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  8. ^ "Concept". QOwnNotes. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  9. ^ ""Werkzeuge im Kurztest"". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
  10. ^ ""QOwnNotes review in British magazine Linux Format"". Archived from the original on 2021-08-08. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  11. ^ ""QOwnNotes got featured in Linux Voice 25"". Archived from the original on 2021-08-08. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  12. ^ "QOwnNotes Is A Note Taking And Todo List App That Integrates With ownCloud"
  13. ^ "QOwnNotes reviews"
  14. ^ Tolstoy, Alexander (August 2016). "QOwnNotes" (PDF). Linux Format. No. 213. p. 52. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  15. ^ Pardue, David (February 2025). "Repo Review: QOwnNotes". The PCLinuxOS Magazine. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
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