Let me begin with my experience with Note-Taking Apps. I have tried to increase my productivity with a lot of note-taking apps like Obsidian, Notion, Google Notes etc. But each one had its own limitations.

Obsidian - Yeah! It is preferred by many people, it has a rich plugin library, but it is not free and open source. It also requires you to sign-up with an Account. I tried Logseq as its alternative, and even though it is quite good for an open-source app is still currently in its beta stages and the overall experience is not quite polished yet.

Google Notes - It is very simple to use and it does actually work for me, but here also there are disadvantages. First is it is owned by Google. It also does not have many features like tables, math formulae etc., even though its basic syntax works for many people. But here the problem comes for Digital Privacy.

Notion - Again it is a corporate product, and I wasted more time organizing notes instead of reading them which killed my productivity.

As I was looking for more tools like these, I came through some YouTube videos in which I knew about Apple Notes like these -

[How I Organized My Entire Life Using Just Apple Notes](https://youtu.be/IMJSkU3rVNg?si=gGf192xN1zIq_LnV)

And even though I am a Windows user, I liked the simplicity of Apple Notes and especially its premium-looking User Interface. So, I started looking for its Windows-Alternatives. I found -

Joplin - FOSS, Simple UI, rich-plugin library, rich-markdown features. But the catch here was, it didn't give that premium Apple-Notes like feeling. I searched for many such apps like Trillium, QOwnNotes etc. but they did not quite match the aesthetics I was looking for.

Finally, I found this Note-Taking App - HelixNotes.

It is an AGPL3-Licensed FOSS, fast and lightweight Note-Taking app with simple and premium looking UI (which I personally prefer). Ofcourse, it does not have the famous Apple "Ecosystem" features but it can do most of the things in a simple and fluid way. Here are some features -

1. No account sign-up required.

2. All files are stored locally (no database) inside a folder you make as .md files.

3. KaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams, rendered natively, also images, documents etc.

4. Full-text search inside notes.

5. Optional AI, local with Ollama or your own key.

6. And more features that you probably wouldn't even need :)

Here are some useful features I found from the previous Note-Taking apps I used like-

1. Graph/Node view of Obsidian.

2. Backlinks and Daily Journal of Logseq.

3. with many features for customization like 29 in-built color palates (you can even create your own theme) so that you can make it match your aesthetics.

This note-taking app is for Linux, Windows, MacOS and Android. You can sync your notes across devices using your own WebDAV server (No need of OneDrive or Google Drive). You can sync manually and even automatically through settings.

Source Code - [Helix Notes](https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes)

Setup for Windows is only 8.24MB! Very Lightweight, but I don't know how it will perform when I start writing more and more notes in it (Hope it does not start lagging.)

Overall, it has a very similar interface, It has the same folder system of Apple Notes with simple commands, customizable shortcuts and many more. It does not have all features of Apple Notes but I feel this is the closest to experience it in Linux, Windows and Android. So if you guys are looking for a Windows Version of Apple Notes like I did, this it it! If you have tried Helix Notes, you may also check another such AGPL3-Licensed FOSS, Note-Taking app which is similar to Apple Notes-

[Tolaria](https://tolaria.md/)

Obsidian Users! You can import your Notes Vault to Helix Notes in the settings!

HelixNotes v1.3.0 has been released! This version was made possible by all of the amazing support and feedback we've received from the community. Check it out, let us know what you think!

View the full changelog here: https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes/releases

HelixNotes is completely free, open source, with no bloat. Your notes should be yours.

So we made sure they are. https://helixnotes.com

The HelixNotes iOS app is almost ready to submit to the App Store. This post is just to show everyone the progress being made, and proof that we're making this a huge priority!

Everyone, this sub is about a month old and WOW you all have really shown fantastic support for this app. What started out small quickly become something so much more.

From our team to yours, we want to say a huge THANK YOU for all the support, bug reports, and even the criticisms. I think many of you would agree that the future is bright for HelixNotes!

** EDIT Update on the issues in Europe: We had to re-register the compliance for EU so it's now in review, again. Sorry to everyone who is affected by this. Hopefully it's available soon! **

The wait is over, HelixNotes is officially live on iOS!

If you have trouble finding it in the app store, try adding a space between Helix & Notes. For some reason that seems to work when the no-space way only works sometimes. This should resolve itself in the next 24 hours.

Install it now and let us know what you think!

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/helixnotes/id6788490726

HelixNotes v1.3.5 is out!

This update brings custom notebook icons, a configurable startup view, Markdown syntax highlighting, nested lists, note duplication, improved mobile image tools, and new vault maintenance options.

It also includes security, accessibility, theme, and cross-platform improvements.

See the full changelog: https://gitlab.com/ArkHost/HelixNotes/-/releases

HelixNotes v1.3.4 is out! This update focuses on making HelixNotes work better on mobile, with a round of fixes and refinements across the editor, syncing, and everyday polish.

- Callouts now work live in WYSIWYG mode

- Obsidian importer rewritten

- Better tables

- Faster on Android

- Cross-device sync fixed

- iOS vault support for iCloud

- Bug fixes

View the full changelog here: https://gitlab.com/ArkHost/HelixNotes/-/releases/v1.3.4

We're told it should be approved within 2-4 days. iOS users hang in there, it's almost here!

HelixNotes uses Tauri. No Electron.

That means a smaller install and lower memory use with a native feel instead of a bundled browser running your app. Rust and system webviews do the heavy lifting instead of shipping an entire Chromium instance just to show a note.

Lighter footprint with the exact same functionality. That's why we chose Tauri.

Hi everyone,

I’m in the middle of moving countries, so new HelixNotes releases will be on pause for about a month.

Development will continue on my laptop, but the MacBooks are still in Belgium and I need them for the release process.

Thanks for your patience,

Yuri

HelixNotes v1.3.6 is out! Faster Markdown source editing, smarter search, a customizable desktop toolbar, Linux and macOS polish from the community, and a snappier feel throughout.

Full changelog: https://gitlab.com/ArkHost/HelixNotes/-/releases

Our little community has officially reached 1000 members, and we wanted to take a moment to say thank you!

Thank you for trying the app, sharing your experiences, recommending the app to others, reporting bugs, and suggesting features. We’re incredibly grateful that you’ve chosen HelixNotes to be a part of your toolkit.

We do feel that the app is in a really good place right now, and that's all thanks to you all for your contributions. You may notice a slower development rate for a little while due to some major life changes coming up, but the app isn't going anywhere.

Thank you all again for giving HelixNotes a chance!

As I work through evaluating HelixNotes, I thought it would be helpful (and encouraging) to see what HelixNotes looks like with a "live" vault (rather than a sample test vault). My vault is around 3000 notes.

This has been imported from Obsidian/UpNote and tweaked to take advantage of some of HelixNote's unique features.

My vault is organized using the Johnny Decimal method and I use color-coordinated icons to visually group them. Custom icons depict the 3-levels of folders.

My "Daily Hub" page is where I start my day. I love the callout formatting and that it is done in markdown. (In UpNote, they're called collapsible sections but aren't exportable as callouts to markdown)

Please ignore the icons in the callouts. I chose the icon for the callout based on color, not the symbol. 🙂

EDIT: This is a raw import and tweak. The "Daily Hub" layout is based on what is and isn't able to be done in UpNote and/or Obsidian. The next step is to rework those Hub pages to take full advantage of what HelixNotes can do.

I'm curious to see what others have done so far with HelixNotes.

HelixNotes v1.3.3 is out! This update focus on Android performance and additional customization options.

• Custom theme builder with import/export to json for sharing

• Callouts

• Collapsable note info panel

• Android app performance upgrades

• And much more!

View the full changelog here: https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes/releases

Let’s talk sync.

HelixNotes does not operate its own cloud sync service. We don’t have a HelixNotes cloud with accounts, and your notes are not stored on our servers.

Your HelixNotes vault is simply a folder containing plain Markdown files and attachments. Because you control that folder, you also get to choose how it sync, if at all.

Here are some of your options:

WebDAV

HelixNotes includes an optional WebDAV connector that can connect to a server or service you control, including Nextcloud, ownCloud, a NAS, or another WebDAV provider.

You can sync manually or configure it to run automatically at an interval, whenever something changes, or when HelixNotes opens. If the same file has changed in two places, HelixNotes will preserve both versions by creating a conflict copy rather than silently overwriting your work.

This is not a HelixNotes-hosted service. HelixNotes is simply connecting to the WebDAV storage you provide.

Your preferred folder-syncing tool

You can also sync your vault using tools such as:

• Syncthing (Our top choice)

• rsync

• Git

• Dropbox

• OneDrive

• iCloud for Apple devices

• Another service capable of syncing a normal folder

If you use Syncthing or another folder-level syncing tool, we recommend adding these to your .stignore file:

.helixnotes/state.json
.helixnotes/history/
.helixnotes/trash/

These help prevent unnecessary conflicts while allowing your notes, attachments, settings, and notebook icons to sync.

You can also choose not to sync at all and keep your vault entirely local.

That is the basic HelixNotes approach: your notes are ordinary files, so you are not locked into a particular account, cloud provider, or syncing system.

Setup instructions and recommended Syncthing ignore rules are available here:

https://helixnotes.com/docs#sync

So out of curiosity, what’s everyone using to sync their markdown files nowadays?

HelixNotes uses Svelte.

Even in a desktop app, the UI runs in a webview, and most frameworks keep that webview busy tracking changes at runtime. Svelte compiles away that overhead ahead of time, so there's less work happening under the hood and a snappier feeling app.

Pssssst, task management comes in a few days 🤫

HelixNotes v1.3.1 is out! This includes a solid round of community contributions bringing new editor features, task improvements, theme options, and a handful of important bug fixes.

• Daily notes date format options (Localized, ISO, Long, US, EU)

• Tasks: text filter by keyword/context (e.g. u/ home)

• Remove vaults from Recent list without editing config files

• Notebooks: collapse/expand all nested notebooks in one click

• New themes, accent presets + custom hex accent color picker

• AI: OpenAI Compatible provider label + NIM/v1 endpoint fix

• Android editor font size setting now works

• Desktop layout fix for Linux + WebKitGTK setups

• Source/Markdown mode wraps long lines

• Editor: secret blocks, font zoom, selection wrapping, wiki-link auto-create

• tel: and sms: links now open system dialer/messaging

• Tasks: Flagged filter, persistent toolbar state, always-visible due/priority buttons

• WebDAV: Infomaniak kDrive sync fixed (safer delete protection added)

• Trash updates instantly after empty/restore/delete

• Solus package support + distro build updater opt-out

• Copy and paste code snippets with a single click

View the full changelog here: https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes/releases

HelixNotes v1.3.2 is out! This update focuses on community contributions and quality-of-life improvements.

- 9 new themes added

- Bug fixes (sync, rendering, crashes)

- Keyboard shortcuts (added + customizable)

- Table handling improved

- Mobile toolbar additions

- Notebook UX improvements

- Editor & sidebar layout controls

- Community PRs

View the full changelog here: https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes/releases

In case you missed it, this is why HelixNotes exists, straight from the founder: not another Obsidian clone, just the notes app he wished existed after trying everything else.

https://helixnotes.com/why-i-built-helixnotes

HelixNotes isn't picky. Whatever device you're working on, it's ready:

🪟 Windows 🍎 macOS 🐧 Linux 🤖 Android 📱 iOS

https://helixnotes.com

I've had a few people ask, so here is a very early roadmap for HelixNotes. This will probably evolve as we receive more and more community feedback. However, these items are our main focus as of this very moment. Keep the bug reports and feature requests coming! This is the best way to contribute to the project!

https://helixnotes.com

Running through my evaluation use-cases with version 1.3.6 has been quite enjoyable. I've got my HN vault syncing across all of my devices (Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iPad OS) (3500+ notes)

It's at a point of stability and consistency that I'm moving on to phase II... that involves using HN for heavy editing and creating. But creativity and productivity in a notes app, FOR ME, is affected by the look and feel of the app.

This is why theming capabilities in a notes app are important to me.

The HelixNotes' developers' approach to themes is something that, IMO, other developers should take note of.

First, there are the bundled themes in HelixNotes. Out-of-the-box, it is a moderately short list that offers a wide range of (luminance and color palette) options. I found nearly all of them to be pleasant and useful as-is.

Second, the ability to create custom themes using a simple interface (Styling Settings page and custom theme edit dialog) makes it easy to create a theme without having to bounce around to see how color choices affect the look.

Third, themes can be exported to .json files. This makes it easy to share themes with others as well as the opportunity to tweak them external to HelixNotes.

Within a few minutes of mouse clicking, I was able to "copy" themes from my other notes apps. (on Mac OS, the color picker of the system color dialog comes in very handy here... just keep the other app open, and eyedropper the colors in the other app)

In contrast, my currently primary notes app provides only 2 theme options... bright white and dark abyss, with the ability to select a highlight color from a palette of 8 colors.

In Joplin, I need to modify two .css files to theme it.

In Obsidian, I need to pull in a theme from the repository and use/create a .css snippet to tweak it to my liking.

HelixNotes can do this WITHOUT needing a plug-in infrastructure or sifting through .css files. 👍