What is the best alternative to Emacs Org-mode?

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score 113 · Answer 1

Org-mode

Top Pro

Very flexible

Org-mode is characterized by a flexible and versatile system with adaptability to different workflows, making it comparable as an Evernote alternative. It is at once simple and complex., which helps it to compete as an Evernote alternative.

Top Con

Difficult to learn

Org-mode has a difficult learning curve since you have to learn all the keybindings and commands. It's especially difficult if you are not used to Emacs.

Top Pro

Versioning can be tracked and synced using Git or other VCS

Org files are plain text, and lend themselves well to version control. Emacs also has good integrations for various VCS.

Top Pro

Built-in agenda

Org-mode has some built-in agenda functionality. You can schedule tasks and assign various degrees of importance to each of them. Org-mode agenda can also be synced with Google Calendar.

Top Pro

Basic spreadsheet functionality

Org-mode has some basic spreadsheet functionality. Other than auto-formatting ASCII tables (a notoriously annoying problem), it also has support for LISP-like syntax to define equations or any other functionality that can be achieved through spreadsheets.

Top Pro

Great sync support

Notes and to-dos can be synced with Trello, Toodledo, Simplenote, Orgmobile, or with tools like Git on Github, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Bitbucket, while WebDAV (with iOS and Android) can also be exported to PDF, mind map, LaTeX, HTML, Docbook, or txt.

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113 8

score 793 · Answer 2

Google Keep

Top Pro

Easy to use

1-step to take a note on Android: tap 'take a note'. Web version: cursor is on the note itself.

Top Con

Google can access and mine your data

You have to be okay with Google analyzing and using your data in order to use Keep.

Top Pro

Super fast to use

The focus on a minimal interface makes everything fast to use on both web and mobile. This comes in handy for when a note needs to be jotted down quickly, as there is little to no load times or faffing about trying to get to a space where the note can finally be recorded.

Top Con

Messy if you have lots of notes

It can be difficult to organize notes because you can only create labels and not, for example, separate projects.

Top Pro

Unlimited and seamless sync across all Google connected devices, from mobile to desktop

When a mobile device isn't in use, Google Keep can be accessed as a Chrome app or as a website. Basically, no matter the device being used or the OS on it, there is always a way to access the app. There is also no limitation to how many devices this can be done with, freeing up the user to always have access.

Top Con

No text formatting

No basic formatting like bold, italics. Makes it harder to do things like meeting notes. Keep is intended as a minimal and quick note taking app, but sadly for those that are looking for something more robust, the features are just not there.

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793 225

score 90 · Answer 3

Taskwarrior

Top Pro

Command line interface

The command line interface puts powerful filtering expressions, context, annotations, tags, due dates, reocurrence, and user-defined-attributes totally in your hands. It’s fast and low friction.

Top Con

Command line interface

A command line interface is a arguably overly verbose, consequently tedious, way to interact with a To Do list.

Top Pro

Extensible

Taskwarrior has many front-ends, services, extensions, hook scripts, and capsules available. Taskwarrior keeps a list of contributed tools on their site.

Top Pro

Lightweight and fast

Taskwarrior is written in the speedy C++ language.

Top Pro

Tasks stored in plain text files locally

Future-proof and easily integrated with version control system. You never lose access to your data.

Top Pro

Sync across devices

When used in conjunction with the Taskserver, it can sync tasks (conflict-free) across your Taskwarrior devices. This includes integration with Mirakel.

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90 4

score 80 · Answer 4

Todo.txt

Top Pro

Easily editable format

Todo.txt can be edited in plain text and then displayed with neat styles.

Top Con

Nested tasks not supported

Many todo tasks for developers end up having sub tasks that need to be performed for a parent task to be completed, but the todo.txt format does not have any nesting.

Top Pro

Editable from any text editor without needing any proprietary software

Because todo.txt is just a todo standard with various compatible apps to edit it, you can update it from any device as long as it can edit text and you can access your todo.txt file It's convenient to be able to access your todo list quickly via your programming environment so you don't have to switch contexts, and to have a separate todo.txt file per project.

Top Con

No support for reoccurring tasks

Tasks have dates corresponding to creation and completion, but there is no explicit support for due dates or for tasks that reoccur.

Top Pro

Works with lots of apps for every platform

Todo.txt lists can be edited in virtually every text editor ever made and accessed on devices that support Dropbox. The user community has also created a number of apps for dozens of platforms.

Top Con

Android app not updated since 2013

The app only seems to support Dropbox. It would be nice to see support for different and newer file storage services.

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80 8

score 43 · Answer 5

Momentum

Top Pro

Automated Next Steps

Next steps have a separate view. Tasks can be updated sequentially or parallel.

Top Con

Beta interface is confusing for first-timers

The interface is very opinionated (this is a good thing). But it is not obvious how to map user's own GTD variant onto the one the author has in mind. Maybe after it is in production, there will be better on-boarding.

Top Pro

Projects and Tasks can be endlessly nested

You can nest multiple projects with tasks, there is no limit.

Top Con

No native apps

Top Pro

Has an offline mode

No permanent internet connection needed.

Top Con

In Beta (development)

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43 5

score 165 · Answer 6

Dynalist

Top Pro

Ability to create documents and organize by folder, and search by title

Top Pro

Unlimited notes

Which is perfect for personal knowledgebase.

Top Pro

Search and link to other notes

Top Pro

Bullet hierarchy with zoom

Able to zoom in in bullet points, collapse bullets, move bulleted information, etc.

Top Pro

Create custom user styles

Anyone can create a custom style and share them with the community, which can be found here.

Top Pro

Inline images

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165 17

score 48 · Answer 7

Checkvist

Top Pro

Tasks can be managed with custom tags

Top Con

Limited capability in the android app

Checkvist is primarily a web interface.

Top Pro

vim-like commands

Top Pro

Convenient search by text or tag filtering

Top Pro

Converts incoming emails to todos - this is a way to enter tasks from anywhere.

Top Pro

Great search

Search filters help you search for tasks by tag, due date, assignee, etc.

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48 0

score 414 · Answer 8

Joplin

Top Pro

Cross-platform

Supports Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.

Top Con

Sync issue under Linux

The Linux client has a bug that requires the user to click the mouse frequently in order for sync to proceed. This bug has been open for a while.

Top Pro

Offline access

Top Con

Old school interface

Top Pro

Supports markdown

Top Con

Gargantuan memory footprint

1GB+ of memory for taking notes.

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414 66

score 359 · Answer 9

Turtl

Top Pro

Good security

After assigning a password to your account in Turtl, a key is created to encrypt the entire account. No data is stored on their servers meaning they have no access to unencrypted content. This is a huge leg up when comparing to other Evernote alternatives.

Top Con

No image embedding

Instead of image embeddings, there's a sort of poor man's substitute: image + description. If you add an image, you can create a description of any size and with all the formatting features. It can be used instead of image embedding but much more limited: only one image and only at the very top.

Top Pro

Multiple Platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Firefox, Chrome)

Turtl has applications for all the major operating systems, as well as Android. In addition, there are extensions available for Firefox and Chrome that cooperate with the downloadable applications.

Top Con

Internet dependent

Requires Internet connection to initiate offline mode, loses access to notes without Internet or server.

Top Pro

Open source

The app is licensed under GPLv3 making it open source. This means that anyone can use the code and contribute. This also makes it easy to use on one's own server or for company solutions.

Top Con

No iOS app

While many other operating systems have a client, iOS does not have one yet (though it is planned).

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359 59

score 310 · Answer 10

Notion

Top Pro

Does a great job with both notes and to-dos

To-dos in Notion aren't just dot point lists. You can drag and drop them into columns just like Trello (Kanban style), you can have sub-tasks, and you can easily mark things off as completed so they are no longer in your way. Notes are also powerful, with proper formatting and ways to manage and search for them, which makes it a great Evernote alternative.

Top Con

no true backup

true backup can only exist if it's automated and easily recoverable. else, it's just an outdated copy or useless scrambled data.

Top Pro

Unlike anything else

One of the most complete applications one can use to build a personal dashboard (or professional) and migrate all other services to it. No more calendar, task, notes, financials, lists, writing and wiki apps, just Notion.

Top Con

Designed with teams in mind, and less formatting than Evernote.

Evernote may be more individual-oriented and has more formatting and such options available, but whether that affects you is down to personal preference. Try both and see which you prefer.

Top Pro

Awesome for wikis

You can easily start writing a bunch of web pages, share it with co-workers and choose whether to publicize or keep your contents private. It's also easy to hyperlink pages.

Top Con

No lightweight tables like Markdown

Every table is some sort of database with a default view and every row is a data set with attributes and it's own page. Simple tables as in Markdown are missing.

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310 58

score 417 · Answer 11

Simplenote

Top Pro

Very simple and clean interface

Simplenote takes a minimalist approach to its interface. There are no toolbars full of formatting options or extra features like notebooks to group notes. The entire desktop interface consists solely of a sidebar with your tags and trash filters, the list of existing notes with search, a button to add a new note and a simple view for looking an existing note or writing a new one.

Top Con

Search is limited to one tag

There seems to be no way to find notes that have both tag X and tag Y. This isn't a big deal until you have a large library of notes, and want to cross-search for two things at the same time to vastly narrow down your search.

Top Pro

Works offline

Users can edit and create documents offline, can then sync their content the next time they are online. This way a user can work even when there's no data connection without the worry of losing work.

Top Con

Limited ways to reorder notes

You are able to sort your notes alphabetically, date modified, or by last created. There is no way to drag and drop the notes to create a custom order.

Top Pro

Geared towards fast usage

Unlike alternatives (such as Evernote) that are laden with features, Simplenote is fast to use and sync. Reviews from the Verge, Lifehacker, and a variety of other sources all describe using the Simplenote apps as very fast. While it may not be as feature-rich as other apps, the responsiveness of the app and simple interface keep it easy to use while never slowing down the user when they need to quickly take a note.

Top Con

No support for file attachments

Simplenote doesn't provide support for embedded attachments. This can limit the use for some as many other note-taking apps do support this type of feature.

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417 84

score 200 · Answer 12

Workflowy

Top Pro

Outline-style hierarchy with zoom

Any sublist can be viewed as a top-level list. This sounds simple but makes WorkFlowy extremely powerful. For example, the same line item, "write my book," can simultaneously be a to-do in a task list and the container for an entire working document.

Top Con

Doesn't work well in mobile browsers

The functionality of the mobile version of the site is a bit limited, while new features have been added such as the ability to move lines of text, even that is limited on Android to only being functional on Chrome.

Top Pro

Minimalistic interface

Interface has no clutter. It allows focusing on thoughts to note down. This keeps things simple and easy to understand, which can help keep everything organized in an intuitive manner.

Top Con

Doesn't support images

There is no way to attach images to an entry.

Top Pro

Easy to see an overview and organize notes

All notes are part of a list, which makes it easy to organize everything. Nested lists allow for organizing notes into hierarchical categories of infinite depth. All lists can be folded. WorkFlowy also has tags and instant full-text search.

Top Con

Offline desktop app requires Chrome

The offline desktop requires installing Google Chrome first before the WorkFlowy app can be installed. This is not good news for non-Chrome users especially users who frequently uses Firefox or Safari as their default browsers, in which Chrome app also suffers memory leak and battery issues.

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200 47

score 676 · Answer 13

Todoist

Top Pro

Minimalist UI that's designed for efficient use

Todoist's web and desktop interfaces have a 2-column layout. The right column has all tasks organized in nested lists with color codes and information such as what people are assigned to each task and which project the task is part of. The left column offers ways of accessing various groups of tasks – tasks that have to be completed within a certain timeframe, tasks that are a part of a certain project or have certain labels attached to them, etc. The left column also contains filters that allow even more advanced ways of finding a group of tasks. The mobile interface follows a similar design philosophy, but gives each column a separate view.

Top Con

Annual subscription required for notifications and attachments

A yearly subscription costs $29.

Top Pro

Supports natural language input

Todoist supports phrases like "tomorrow," "next month," "in 3 weeks," or for recurring tasks, "every week" or "every 3 days."

Top Con

Does not listen to user suggestions

Todoist has been shown to be fairly unresponsive to requests from their user community. An example can be seen here.

Top Pro

Powerful search and filtering functionality

Todoist allows you to perform advanced queries to find tasks that are overdue, have a certain priority level or label, are within a certain project, are assigned to a certain person, or have a deadline set within a certain date range. It also allows combining different queries, removing certain results from the queries, and creating either/or statements. These queries can be saved as filters for easy access. Filters can be color-coded.

Top Con

Awkward data entry

Several aspects of data entry are far more awkward than they should be: Adding notes, moving subtasks within the outline, and scheduling repeating tasks are all handled better by other apps. Adding notes cannot be done while creating the task, but must be done after. Moving items within the outline hierarchy is very clumsy and the use of keyboard shortcuts (such as holding down 2 or 3) requires knowledge of your current level in the hierarchy (which is not always clear). Finally, there is a natural language syntax for repeating tasks but it is very finicky and there is no good feedback mechanism to tell you whether or not it’s working.

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676 189

score 551 · Answer 14

Microsoft OneNote

Top Pro

Text can be added anywhere like a whiteboard

OneNote allows you to arrange text freely on the digital paper mimicking the way it would be done with a real pen on real paper.

Top Con

Text editing is weird (poor UX)

When clicking in the middle of a note, it adds something like a text-box positioned in the middle. If you move that field to the bottom right, it gets weirder. You can end-up with an empty note, having an empty text-box 1km to the bottom-right of it.

Top Pro

Comprehensive organization methods

Can have multiple 'tabs' at the top like in a web browser with many notes within each 'tab'.

Top Con

Not available for Linux

There is no native Linux client for OneNote available, and most likely will never be created. Users can use the web based client, but a native app would be a better choice for those that use the app frequently.

Top Pro

Stylus and digitizer pen support

OneNote can be used on all touch capable devices via stylus or digitizer pen making for an intuitive and easy way to take notes by hand, which can often be faster or just preferred over typing. It has the best pen input out of any note taking app.

Top Con

Requires a Microsoft account

You need to have a Microsoft email to sign up for OneNote (Outlook, Hotmail, or Windows Live).

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551 162

score 182 · Answer 15

Any.do

Top Pro

Clean, intuitive design

Any.do splits all tasks up into groups. Tasks can be grouped either by date (today, tomorrow, upcoming, and someday) or in custom folders. Each group has a plus button next to it that allows adding new tasks to the group.

Top Con

No Windows app or client

Unlike rival to-do list apps such as Todoist or Wunderlist, Any.do does not have an official app for Windows. There’s also no indication that the company plans to build this app in the near future.

Top Pro

"Any.do Moment" makes to-dos manageable

"Moment" is a reminder to check all tasks that are planned for the day. It simplifies scheduling your day and let’s you quickly check off items as they're completed. It can be set it to prompt you in the morning or afternoon to review your day’s tasks and update whether or not you’ve accomplished them. This is really useful for managing a long to-do list without feeling overwhelmed.

Top Con

Lack of power features like priority and labels

Any.do has only two levels of priority that can be assigned to tasks, namely Normal and High. There is no way to assign any sort of weights to tasks either. There is no feature to assign any sort of labels on them to be able to filter particular type of tasks. These features are very valuable to a power user.

Top Pro

Web interface for desktop access

The web interface can be used to add items.

Top Con

If you pay once it charges recurring even after unsubscribe and notified to the team as well.

Only solution is downgrade to free plan and remove credit card details.

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182 65

score 477 · Answer 16

Evernote

Top Pro

Consolidates all your information

Evernote is designed to store a lot of different types of information from a lot of different sources in one place. Using the Web Clipper, native integrations, or a service such as IFTTT (If This Then That) you can use Evernote to store all your ideas, notes (both handwritten and typed), tasks, reading lists, receipts, and more.

Top Con

Free version limited to 2 devices

The free version has become very limited as a cloud based note taking app as there is now only sharing between two devices allowed.

Top Pro

Powerful features for organising your notes

Evernote is designed to make it easy to keep your notes well organized, which aids in quickly finding/browsing old information. You can put notes into a single notebook and use search to access old notes, or if you're so inclined, organize notes extensively with hierarchical notebooks and tags.

Top Con

Poor text formatting abilities

Text formatting in Evernote is buggy and unreliable. Bullets (outlining) are getting stuck or disappearing, tables are very static and prone to breaking and everything beyond the most basic formatting might cause an issue.

Top Pro

Native and offline-capable apps on pretty much every platform

Evernote has apps for Windows 7 and 8, Windows 10, Mac, Android, iOS (both iPhone and iPad), Blackberry, and Windows Phone. It also has a fully functional web app and chrome plug-in. No matter what device or platform you're on, you will pretty much always be able to access Evernote.

Top Con

Pay for offline use, search, and other functions

The free version of Evernote is highly limited. You have to pay if you want to access your notes without internet connection, search your notes or documents, or upload large amounts of data. The free version allows you to upload 60 MB of data per month, which is about 20 to 30 iPhone camera pictures. At a certain point, they started charging you for "advanced" capability, which includes searching your own attachments.

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477 168

score 11 · Answer 17

DropTask

Top Pro

Visual task management

A unique visual style uses large circles to group tasks by project or user.

Top Pro

Nice visuals

Simply put, it’s a pretty program.

Top Pro

Easy to view tasks

View by urgency, importance, and effort or all three, as well as simple to view deadlines.

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / OSX / Web

API:yes

Collaborative:yes

11 0

score 10 · Answer 18

Qbserve

Top Pro

Invoice generation

It's possible to generate PDFs with invoices based on tracked project time or create ones from scratch.

Top Con

No synchronization

Since Qbserve is a serverless solution – you can't sync your database between multiple Macs.

Top Pro

Automatic project tracking

Qbserve categorizes project time automatically based on opened documents and web pages.

Top Con

Short free trial

While it's good that there is a 10 day free trial, 10 days isn't very long. A longer trial would allow for better judgement of how much more productive the software made you.

Top Pro

Dynamic icons

The dock icon will change color depending on what you are currently doing, acting as a reminder to get back to work when you've become distracted. You can also set goals, and in the status bar you will see a percentage of how close you are to your daily goal.

Top Pro

Data is stored locally

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10 0

score 7 · Answer 19

24me

Top Con

No desktop or browser client

Top Pro

Integrates with Android and iOS

The app has an Android version and an iOS version that syncs with the native reminders app.

Top Pro

Combines 4 apps into 1

The app lets you manage your notes, calendar, personal accounts, and to-do list from one place.

Top Pro

Cuts down on procrastination

The self-proclaimed "assistant for everyone," 24me helps people break the cycle of procrastination and willpower exhaustion by automating things they may have otherwise put off until later.

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS

API:no

Collaborative:yes

7 0

score 7 · Answer 20

Quire.io

Top Pro

Task board available

Multiple configurable task boards (kanban-like) are available for all projects.

Top Pro

Free

Free (for the time being), later on paid options will be added.

Top Pro

Nice looking

Nice looking modern GUI. Easy to use.

Top Pro

Keyboard shortcuts

Useful keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+F1 gives pop-down help) gives faster task manipulation.

Top Pro

Mobile app is available

The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Specs

Platforms:Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

Dark Theme:Yes

Subtasks:Yes

Project management:Yes, Quire has simple progress stats for each projects

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7 0