A while back I wrote about digital slip boxes. My argument was simple: save notes as simply as possible to keep them future-proof. Plain text documents in readable Markdown. Ideally stored on your own server or cloud, accessible from any device.
Joplin is my new open-source favourite. The search is over.
Joplin ticks (almost) every box:
- Markdown input, saves as text files
- Cloud storage options — I use my own Nextcloud server
- Good organisation through folders, categories and tags
- Simple but fast, solid search
- Document attachments work
- Proper backup and export (Joplin excels here!)
- End-to-end encryption and rock solid stability
- Sensible user interface
- Plugin ecosystem if you want it
- Bonus: excellent web clipper
Available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Linux. Haven’t got it running on my Raspberry Pi yet, but that’s not urgent. I use the Pi for individual text work through GIT anyway. Joplin is more of a collection pool for me.
When I’m actually writing something specific, I switch to version control. Joplin doesn’t have that. Doesn’t matter — wrong use case.
Another plus: the developer community is incredibly active. Can’t recommend this app enough.
From reinergaertner.de, est. 1997. Translated with the help of an AI that speaks better English than I do. Which isn’t saying much, after 25 years of Denglish.