Work · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Scout: Zettelkasten Notes

The minimalist thinking OS with zero viscosity.

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.

1. 1
   Scrintal▲784

   Go from ideas to insights, one block at a time

   2024 · scrintal.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Minimal▲166

   A meditation inspired writing app for effective notes

   2021 · minimal.app · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Just Open & Type (JOT)▲345

   A fast journal app for those spontaneous thoughts and ideas

   2017 · jot.webflow.io · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Canvas▲324

   Notes for teams of nerds

   2016 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Bear▲600

   A beautiful, flexible writing app for notes and prose

   2016 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Journal App▲325

   A beautiful journal app for macOS

   2023 · journal.do · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Luhmann's Zettelkasten for Notion▲89

   The best second brain system for knowledge workers

   2022 · philipp-stelzel.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Mini Diary▲144

   Simple and secure journal app

   2019 · minidiary.app · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Once▲179

   Keep a journal like a real life book.

   2018 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Zettelkast▲4

    Capture, organize and evolve your ideas.

    2024 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Card Diary▲95

    An minimalistic journalling, diary app

    2019 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Smarkup Notes▲191

    Extremely simple, productivity-focused, collaboration notes

    2022 · smarkup.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Flomo – a minimal note-taking tool based on zettelkasten method▲49

    像发微博一样记笔记，记录你想法的川流。全平台覆盖，还支持微信服务号输入。

    2022 · flomoapp.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Box Notes▲196

    A note-taking app built for teams

    2017 · box.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    DraftOnn▲99

    The next-gen minimalist note-taking app for students

    2023 · opencollective.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Standard Notes▲164

    A simple and private notes app.

    2017 · standardnotes.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    PeekNote▲176

    Lightweight always-on-top notes for devs & multitaskers

    2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Zero AM▲76

    Free private journal app ✍️

    2018 · roastedbytes.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Bosslog▲88

    The note app for managers

    2018 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Minimalist offline journal app with a chat interface▲126

    ZenJournal is a minimalist private journaling app for quick logging, search, and discreet writing. Open, type, done. No prompts, titles, or reminders.

    2021 · thezenjournal.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    MinkNote▲157

    Private macOS notes app built on plain Markdown files. No databases, no lock-in. Native, keyboard-first, and designed for knowledge organization.

    Jul 2026 · muse23.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    ScatterNote▲63

    A note-taking app for networked thought

    2020 · scatternote.flycricket.io · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Draftonn Desktop▲93

    The minimalistic note taking app of the future

    2023 · rangerdevv.gumroad.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Timber Note▲66

    Easy to use, beautifully crafted notes app

    2020 · play.google.com · its alternatives →

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 →