TITLE: Comparison of F-droid notetaking apps on Android DATE: 2020-04-05 AUTHOR: John L. Godlee ==================================================================== I've been looking for a better notetaking app on my Android phone. There are lots of notetaking apps on the Google Play Store and they vary massively in features, speed, reliability, privacy, and app size. F-droid also has a lot of notetaking apps and these vary in quality even more, with many being abandoned hobby projects, and some with very niche features. I think that it's important to support free and open source software, so I limited myself to searching for a new notetaking app on F-droid. [F-droid]: https://f-droid.org/ I decided to do a comparison of all the notetaking apps currently available on F-droid to find my favourite. I kept in mind things like: - Date of last update and compatibility with new versions of Android - Permissions required - App size I had a few features that I needed in my chosen app: - Plain text storage of notes on device - Homescreen widget where I can preview notes and quickly jot things down - Export notes to plain text files, ideally with .md extension I also had a few desirable features, but which weren't an absolute necessity: - Automated cloud backup - Responsive Markdown styling in the note, to add structural aspects like headings with Markdown syntax I searched F-droid and extracted relevant apps by searching for these key terms: - note - todo - list - text editor - writing In total I found 44 notetaking apps on F-droid. I excluded apps that only provided todo-list features, because I often want to take longer notes, write letters and blog posts and stuff. Below is a table comparing these apps and their features, as tested on an Android 7.1.1 running on Bluestacks on my Macbook Pro. I just didn't have the patience to install and uninstall each app on my ailing Android phone, but hopefully Bluestacks is an appropriate replacement. While I was going through the apps I found extra features which I have included in the table, despite them not being features I particularly need. When recording whether an app had a widget or not, I recorded it as FALSE if the widget was just an icon which opened the main app. [Bluestacks]: https://www.bluestacks.com/ I tested each app by creating a folder,if possible, and adding a note with the contents: # This is a note ``` x <- 123 ``` It has multiple lines and [a link](https://www.duckduckgo.com) then I added two tags to the note, if possible. Then I tried to export the note to the local file storage and finally tried to set up cloud storage. Below is the table of comparisons: App name Tagline License APK size (MB) Last updated Archived? Permissions Checklist Tags Folders Widget Plain export Cloud backup Markdown preview Password protection Org Mode Search Autosave Notification area Notes 920 Editor Text editorGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 0.9 05/12/2012 FALSE NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Crashes Carnet Powerful note taking app with sync and online editorGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 6.5 26/02/2020 FALSE Camera, Microphone, Storage TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE Clear List Add todo items and alarmsGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 1.7 27/02/2016 FALSE NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Crashes CrocodileNote Take notes and encrypt themGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 0.068 13/03/2015 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Editor Simple generic text editorGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 0.167 01/02/2020 TRUE Storage FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE Markdown rendering in web browser Just Notes Take notes with import and export featuresApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 1.8 14/09/2018 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Kolab Notes Write notes and sync them with KolabLGPL-3.0-only LGPL-3.0-only 5 22/10/2019 FALSE Contacts, Storage TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE .xml export LaaNo Bind notes to links and sync them with NextcloudGPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 2.3 10/12/2019 FALSE Contacts, Storage FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE NextCloud cloud backup Markor Text editor - Notes & ToDo. Lightweight. Markdown and todo.txt support.Apache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 6.9 12/02/2020 FALSE Storage TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE Memento Take notesMIT MIT 1.2 30/12/2016 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE miniNoteViewer Note taker with encryptionGPL-2.0-or-later GPL-2.0-or-later 0.163 30/11/2012 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Text editor only MobileOrg TODO list/task managementGPL-2.0-only GPL-2.0-only 1.4 15/08/2013 FALSE Calendar, Storage FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE My Notes - Take notes anywhere Very simple note-takingGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 1.4 29/10/2019 FALSE NA FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Note Crypt Pro Keep your notes safe and secureGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 1.4 12/11/2018 FALSE Storage FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE NoteBuddy Store encrypted notesGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 1 19/07/2017 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE NoteCipher Notepad with lockApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 7.1 15/12/2013 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Notepad Basic note takingApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 0.046 07/09/2012 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE Notepad Take notesGPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 1 15/10/2016 TRUE NA FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Notepad A simple, bare-bones, no-frills note taking appApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 1.3 13/04/2019 FALSE NA FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE Notey Location-aware notesBSD-3-Clause BSD-3-clause New or Revised 1.4 26/11/2014 FALSE Location, Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE .html export Notification Notes Add notes and show them as notificationsMIT MIT 1.7 01/01/2019 FALSE NA FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE Notify Manage notes and TODO listsGPL-2.0-or-later GPL-2.0-or-later 1.2 11/02/2015 FALSE NA FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE OI Notepad Take notesApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 1 18/02/2017 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE Omni Notes Note taking open-source application aimed to have both a simple interface but keGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 4.6 17/09/2018 FALSE Storage, Location, Microphone TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE Orgzly Outliner for notes and tasks in plain-textGPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 5 14/11/2019 FALSE Storage FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE p!n Pin notes to the notification area.GPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 1.9 31/10/2019 FALSE NA FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE Post Writer A writing app for the true minimalistApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 1.7 14/06/2019 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Retro Text Editor Edit text filesBSD-2-Clause-FreeBSD BSD-2-Clause-FreeBSD 1.3 02/10/2019 TRUE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE Text editor only Scarlet Notes FD Quick and beautiful note-takingGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 7.3 09/10/2019 FALSE Storage TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE SealNote Simple, safe and easy to use notepadMIT MIT 11 15/03/2017 TRUE Storage FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Simple Notes A beautiful quick note taking app without ads or weird permissions.Apache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 4.8 04/02/2020 FALSE Storage TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE Simpletask Cloudless Todo list managerGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 3.8 01/02/2020 FALSE Storage TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE SNotepad Take notesGPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 1.9 04/04/2017 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE Swiftnotes Take notesApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 1 30/04/2017 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE SyncOrg Take and organize notesGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 2.8 25/01/2017 FALSE Storage, Calendar FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE SSH backup TAG Notepad Tag-based notebookApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 0.7 15/12/2013 FALSE Storage FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE Ted Lightweight text editorMIT MIT 0.248 13/11/2012 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE Text editor only TEdit A simple text editor0BSD 0BSD 4.5 02/11/2019 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE Text editor only TextWarrior Text editorApache-2.0 Apache License 2.0 0.335 17/04/2013 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Text editor only Tomdroid Note takerGPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 1 16/01/2014 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE .xml export Turbo Editor Simple text editorGPL-3.0-or-later GPL-3.0-or-later 1.9 29/03/2015 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE Text editor only uNote Lightweight and minimalist notepadGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 0.071 29/11/2018 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE VIMTouch Text editorGPL-3.0-only GPL-3.0-only 3.4 30/03/2013 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE Text editor only Writeily Pro Edit markdown filesMIT MIT 1.7 20/05/2015 FALSE Storage FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE The apps which stood out to me as the most polished and feature rich were Writely Pro, Scarlet Notes, Simple Notes, and Omni Notes. Orgzly is good but I don't see myself learning its idiosyncratic ways. Markor almost made its way to being on of my favourites, but it ran quite clunky on my setup. After much deliberation, I'm going to live with Scarlet Notes for a while and see how it goes. [Scarlet Notes]: https://github.com/BijoySingh/Scarlet-Notes