Work · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to Apple Notes and Ollama
I built a desktop app for conversing with Apple Notes locally on device because the normal Apple Notes Search sucks - and because I live in Apple Notes.
Apple Notes and Ollama is a desktop application that lets users search and converse with their Apple Notes using local, on-device processing. It addresses limitations in Apple's built-in Notes search functionality… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Prices are shown for the 1 we have checked on their own sites, 1 of them free or with a free tier.
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This lets you talk to local LLMs in Apple Notes. I saw Obsidian Ollama (https://github.com/hinterdupfinger/obsidian-ollama) and thought it was handy, but I'm too lazy to migrate away from the Apple ecosystem, so I quickly hacked this together. I tend to use Notes as a scratchpad for prompts, so it's nice to do some quick inference without leaving the app. Notes doesn't really support plugins so I'm using the macOS accessibility API for reading selections and then stream responses using the clipboard (not ideal but it works).
2024 · smallest.app · its alternatives →
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Better Notes▲357Simple notes app that ties notes together with #hashtags
2016 · betternotesapp.com · its alternatives →
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Dictate notes, perform searches, and see recent content.
2014 · evernote.com · its alternatives →
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The popular note-taking app, re-designed for iOS
2017 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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Oatsfree▲249Free, open-source, and on device meeting notetaker
Sep 2026 · ariso.ai · its alternatives →
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Hey there! I just released the first version of a project I’ve been working on solves a very specific problem that perhaps only I have. I welcome any and all feedback, even if you just want to drop in to say that this is a hot piece of garbage!
2023 · github.com · its alternatives →
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2020 · collectednotes.com · its alternatives →
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Notebook for Mac▲341The beautifully simple note-taking app from Zoho. Now on Mac
2017 · zoho.com · its alternatives →
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SideNotes▲311A beautiful note taking app with superpowers. It shows and hides on the side of your monitor to manage your notes distraction-free. Keep your notes organised, personalised and always at your fingertips. Markdown, tasks, pictures, colors, folders included.
2025 · apptorium.com · its alternatives →
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NotePlan 3▲264Native (Mac & iOS) note-taking based on local Markdown files
2020 · noteplan.co · its alternatives →
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OpenNotas▲379The best personal note-taking app, fast, secure & free
2024 · opennotas.io · its alternatives →
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Alternote ▲263Gorgeous OS X note-taking app with Evernote integration.
2015 · alternoteapp.com · its alternatives →
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Thank you for your comments, just some context: - The app is available for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and the Web. - The Web version is implemented as a Progressive Web Application that is very responsive, local first, offline first, can be installed, and is entirely free to use. - Native (hybrid) versions do not require subscription fees and have small one-time payment. - You can store your notes in Git using any Git provider such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. However, it has the best built-in integration with GitHub. Self-hosted scenarios like Gitea are also…
2024 · about.noteshub.app · its alternatives →
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Notebag▲298A keyboard-focused note-taking app that gets out of your way
2020 · notebag.app · its alternatives →
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UpNote▲161The most pleasant app for writing and organizing notes
2020 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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Noteship is a note taking app for Mac that combines notes, todos, and reminders and is based on simple files and folders.
2021 · noteship.com · its alternatives →
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Evernote for iOS▲142The most popular note-taking app, reengineered.
2020 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →