7 ms·

Does anyone have any experience with Joplin[0] as an alternative? I'm looking into using SyncThing + Joplin to create a sort of 'networked personal brain'. I wa

Does anyone have any experience with Joplin[0] as an alternative? I'm looking into using SyncThing + Joplin to create a sort of 'networked personal brain'. I was originally looking at Obsidian, but the arguments on why they chose not to go FOSS are pretty weak[2] imo, so I'm looking at using Joplin instead. [0] https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/ https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/ [1] https://syncthing.net/ https://syncthing.net/ [2] https://obsidian.rocks/why-isnt-obsidian-open-source/ https://obsidian.rocks/why-isnt-obsidian-open-source/

zeruch 4y ago
I used Joplin for about a year, then switched to Obsidian. Joplin is/was good (and on mobile was nice and responsive) but Obsidian just (so far) has been a better overall fit.
master-12 4y ago
Doesn't Joplin store all notes in a SQLite DB? I'd recommend looking into Logseq[0], it's free and open source and stores all notes on disk as Markdown. I version my notes with Git, but Syncthing will also work. [0] https://logseq.com/ https://logseq.com/
- wartijn_ 4y ago
  It does, but if you use the build in synchronization, your notes will by synchronized as (optionally encrypted) files. I think using syncthing would be possible if you make Joplin synchronize to a local directory, and use syncthing to sync that directory.
- hookey 4y ago
  I used to use Logseq with Syncthing, but I ran into a bunch of sync conflicts that were annoying to deal with and sometimes it would just stop syncing for no reason. Luckily, they've just made Logseq Sync available to all backers on OpenCollective and it works quite well. I'm very happy with the setup now. I think they're making Sync available as a paid monthly service soon.
- alexktz 4y ago
  No, Joplin stores files as plain text with obfuscated filenames. An SQLite DB is only involved for indexing and search.
throwaway675309 4y ago
If I remember correctly Joplin doesn't like you to keep your own file structure for your markdown notes, it has some kind of a alphanumeric representation which obfuscates the original structure.
stvrsxz 4y ago
I am using Joplin for years and I am pretty satisfied with it. (This is not a comparison because I have never used Obsidian) It is doing 99% of what I ever wanted to do with my knowledge base. Though, if I am in a hurry and I want to quickly write something down (like a quick todo or something), then I am still using google keep, because editing markdown in the Joplin mobile app and waiting for it to sync, it is ok but not as quick as google keep. (I will not be surprised if there is a solution to this and I am doing something wrong) Sure. There are plenty of alternatives, and being open source has its negative and positive things. Self host is a good alternative if you want to play some and want to own your data 100% and I have tried to self-host Nextcloud on a Raspberry Pi once, but I gave up after some troubleshooting when I found that Hetzner offers ready-made Nextcloud boxes with https and all. I then synchronize my encrypted notes through Nextcloud pretty easily. I have never tried the Joplin cloud solution that was created after I chose Nextcloud (as an alternative also to Dropbox).
number6 4y ago
I use a syncthing setup with logseq which is FOSS but is also opinionated. Could be something you could use
wartijn_ 4y ago
You can create a template for your daily/weekly..etc notes via the templates plugin[0]. And I don't use them myself, but it looks like there are plugins for automatic backlinks[1] and embedding other notes[2] as well [0] https://github.com/joplin/plugin-templates https://github.com/joplin/plugin-templates [1] https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/automatic-backlinks-with-manual-insert-option/13632 https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/automatic-backlinks-with-m... [2] https://github.com/ylc395/joplin-plugin-note-link-system https://github.com/ylc395/joplin-plugin-note-link-system
e-brake 4y ago
Switched from OneNote to Joplin. It's been a good replacement for organizing notes & code snippets. A couple quirks. Had to write custom CSS in the config to get markdown previews scaled correctly. Formatting has been a nuisance, having to [shift]+enter to not have double lines in preview mode, which seems to break basic formatting around it on reload. Otherwise no complaints, it's free, encrypted, lots of plugins, a great client, and has built in support to sync directly to OneDrive. Better than the janky, slow to load web client of OneNote on Linux!
alin23 4y ago
I'm using Syncthing with NotePlan and Caddy in a similar way, it should be doable as long as Joplin can sure individual files. Here's how I do it: https://notes.alinpanaitiu.com/How%20I%20write%20this%20blog%20on%20my%20iPhone%20in%20a%20train https://notes.alinpanaitiu.com/How%20I%20write%20this%20blog... If you want to sync an SQLite DB of articles instead, you can also do that with Litestream: https://litestream.io https://litestream.io
tristanbvk 4y ago
I used Syncthing and Joplin on both desktop ans Android and it worked very well.
rroot 4y ago
My only two frustrations with otherwise brilliant Joplin is the sync and (lack of encryption). Encryption: data isn't encrypted at rest. The author seems to be quite dismissive of the idea: https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/issues/289 https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/issues/289 But then it's advertised as "end-to-end encryption" but that only refers to data being encrypted while it sits on a sync point. Perhaps within the definition of end-to-end, but might give people the idea that the data is encrypted from the time they enter it. Sync: I set it to up sync so S3 so I could have mobile and desktop notes in sync. If I create or edit a quick note, it doesn't get synced automatically! I've set the S3 sync to 5 minutes (the minimum), but you have to press sync after edit. Last time I looked they were working on a server sync (instead of S3), so hopefully this gets fixed.
- kal87 4y ago
  Joplin's own sync service [1] works seamlessly for me. The basic plan is enough for my needs and is way cheaper than obsidian's sync subscription. [1] https://joplinapp.org/plans/ https://joplinapp.org/plans/
  - rroot 4y ago
    That's good news. Does the app sync on exit?
    - linuxdaemon 4y ago
      I thought "yes", but just tested and turns out it's more like "kinda". It doesn't do a full sync on shutdown, but if something is modified it sends a sync push , and that change will get picked up after a few seconds. So if you have a note that you modify, and then allow a few seconds, and then close...That modification will show up on other devices outside of a full sync. But you can't open joplin, create a note, and then immediately exit and expect the note to show up on other devices. It will still exist on the device it was created on, so it's not lost, it just hasn't synced yet. It will automatically sync the next time you start joplin though. In my case, I use the vim key bindings, and am so accustomed to hitting "<esc>:w" (which does perform a sync) when I'm finished writing the note, I never noticed.
eitland 4y ago
I used Joplin for some time. It is really good and it has been very stable. Using Joplin Web Clipper from Firefox I could also snip pages (or parts of pages) into Joplin. But the most amazing thing is that - it works on mobile devices as well. - No lock in: it syncs flawlessly (AFAIK) over WebDAV so I can sync all my data using a really inexpensive Hetzner instance. Personally I happily used it for a long time but always felt something was missing and never felt completely at home with it. So now I use Logseq which is a little rough around the edges but which I, for now at least feel very at home with.
- srcreigh 4y ago
  Can you describe the things you like about Logseq at the moment?
  - eitland 4y ago
    Effortless switching between input and reading mode. Automation features works seamlessly and makes sense to me. No lock in (was true for Joplin as well).
    - gooseyman 4y ago
      How do you enable reading mode (assuming means no edits)? I looked through shortcuts and don't see it.
stavros 4y ago
I use Joplin and like it a lot. I wrote some tooling to generate a static site out of my public notes: https://notes.stavros.io/ https://notes.stavros.io/
robviren 4y ago
I have used syncthing + marktext[0] and or ghostwriter[1] depending on the content of my notes. For a daily journal I like to use ghostwriter as it has almost no distraction and it forces me to focus. It just got shifted over to being maintained by the KDE team and I really enjoy it. I liked marktext over joplin for similar reasons. But I am probably a little overzealous in my search for distraction free note taking. I assume joplin provides more feature sets, I just happened to want less features for what I do on a day to day. [0]https://github.com/marktext/marktext https://github.com/marktext/marktext [1]https://github.com/KDE/ghostwriter https://github.com/KDE/ghostwriter
graeber_28927 4y ago
Joplin as a markdown note taking app was my gateway drug to Obsidian. I used to sync Joplin to just my Dropbox, and it worked well for free on all my devices. Once (and only once) I had a conflict, which from then on I was nervous to get again And I never really liked how top level folders are notes as well, somehow I found that strange. Obsidian saves markdown files, I use git so I can solve merge conflicts myself, and see the version history, albeit at the price of having to save and sync manually (Ctrl+Shift+C for commit, Ctrl+Shift+P to push, cause I'd rather do that than have it autopush at intervals). I like the UI more too, only I haven't set up Obsidian on my phone yet, but it's possible theoretically. Tldr: Setup is more hassle, but I migrated my notes (manually) and like the UI, layout, search and git integration better. Joplin was definitely easier to get running for free, and I can easily recommend it to anyone. It's just where I am now, exploring and liking something new, seeing if it sticks.
theshrike79 4y ago
I used to use Joplin, but I prefer the Obsidian way where all my documents are just markdown in a directory structure. The plugin ecosystem seems more viable too, not that I'm using that many.
tluyben2 4y ago
I use Joplin with the personal server; I migrated my notes away from Evernote and Notion to Joplin for my personal use. I really like it; it is fast, open source, simple plugin system and very stable (something I cannot say of notion or Evernote).
_def 4y ago
I use Joplin and sync it with Dropbox, because after loosing my notes too many times I don't want to be responsible for hosting them anymore. Joplin works and syncs good enough across all devices I use (Linux, Windows, Android).
qbasic_forever 4y ago
IIRC Joplin stores notes in a SQLite DB which is a huge no-no to sync with syncthing. Even the syncthing devs warn against syncing SQLite databases. It will seem to work fine until two machines write to the database independently (perhaps each is offline) and then their changes can't be reconciled by syncthing and data is lost or conflicted.
- alexktz 4y ago
  Notes in Joplin are stored plain text with obfuscated filenames. The only time joplin uses a DB is for indexing.
krimpenrik 4y ago
I used Joplin for some years, really stable and worked well. I used nextcloud with webdev to sync. Switched over to obsidian couple months ago and am in love, such a great piece of software. I love the excalidraw integration, game changer

zeruch 4y ago

I used Joplin for about a year, then switched to Obsidian. Joplin is/was good (and on mobile was nice and responsive) but Obsidian just (so far) has been a better overall fit.

master-12 4y ago

Doesn't Joplin store all notes in a SQLite DB? I'd recommend looking into Logseq[0], it's free and open source and stores all notes on disk as Markdown. I version my notes with Git, but Syncthing will also work. [0] https://logseq.com/ https://logseq.com/

wartijn_ 4y ago
It does, but if you use the build in synchronization, your notes will by synchronized as (optionally encrypted) files. I think using syncthing would be possible if you make Joplin synchronize to a local directory, and use syncthing to sync that directory.
hookey 4y ago
I used to use Logseq with Syncthing, but I ran into a bunch of sync conflicts that were annoying to deal with and sometimes it would just stop syncing for no reason. Luckily, they've just made Logseq Sync available to all backers on OpenCollective and it works quite well. I'm very happy with the setup now. I think they're making Sync available as a paid monthly service soon.
alexktz 4y ago
No, Joplin stores files as plain text with obfuscated filenames. An SQLite DB is only involved for indexing and search.

throwaway675309 4y ago

If I remember correctly Joplin doesn't like you to keep your own file structure for your markdown notes, it has some kind of a alphanumeric representation which obfuscates the original structure.

stvrsxz 4y ago

I am using Joplin for years and I am pretty satisfied with it. (This is not a comparison because I have never used Obsidian) It is doing 99% of what I ever wanted to do with my knowledge base. Though, if I am in a hurry and I want to quickly write something down (like a quick todo or something), then I am still using google keep, because editing markdown in the Joplin mobile app and waiting for it to sync, it is ok but not as quick as google keep. (I will not be surprised if there is a solution to this and I am doing something wrong) Sure. There are plenty of alternatives, and being open source has its negative and positive things. Self host is a good alternative if you want to play some and want to own your data 100% and I have tried to self-host Nextcloud on a Raspberry Pi once, but I gave up after some troubleshooting when I found that Hetzner offers ready-made Nextcloud boxes with https and all. I then synchronize my encrypted notes through Nextcloud pretty easily. I have never tried the Joplin cloud solution that was created after I chose Nextcloud (as an alternative also to Dropbox).

number6 4y ago

I use a syncthing setup with logseq which is FOSS but is also opinionated. Could be something you could use

wartijn_ 4y ago

You can create a template for your daily/weekly..etc notes via the templates plugin[0]. And I don't use them myself, but it looks like there are plugins for automatic backlinks[1] and embedding other notes[2] as well [0] https://github.com/joplin/plugin-templates https://github.com/joplin/plugin-templates [1] https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/automatic-backlinks-with-manual-insert-option/13632 https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/automatic-backlinks-with-m... [2] https://github.com/ylc395/joplin-plugin-note-link-system https://github.com/ylc395/joplin-plugin-note-link-system

e-brake 4y ago

Switched from OneNote to Joplin. It's been a good replacement for organizing notes & code snippets. A couple quirks. Had to write custom CSS in the config to get markdown previews scaled correctly. Formatting has been a nuisance, having to [shift]+enter to not have double lines in preview mode, which seems to break basic formatting around it on reload. Otherwise no complaints, it's free, encrypted, lots of plugins, a great client, and has built in support to sync directly to OneDrive. Better than the janky, slow to load web client of OneNote on Linux!

alin23 4y ago

I'm using Syncthing with NotePlan and Caddy in a similar way, it should be doable as long as Joplin can sure individual files. Here's how I do it: https://notes.alinpanaitiu.com/How%20I%20write%20this%20blog%20on%20my%20iPhone%20in%20a%20train https://notes.alinpanaitiu.com/How%20I%20write%20this%20blog... If you want to sync an SQLite DB of articles instead, you can also do that with Litestream: https://litestream.io https://litestream.io

tristanbvk 4y ago

I used Syncthing and Joplin on both desktop ans Android and it worked very well.

rroot 4y ago

My only two frustrations with otherwise brilliant Joplin is the sync and (lack of encryption). Encryption: data isn't encrypted at rest. The author seems to be quite dismissive of the idea: https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/issues/289 https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/issues/289 But then it's advertised as "end-to-end encryption" but that only refers to data being encrypted while it sits on a sync point. Perhaps within the definition of end-to-end, but might give people the idea that the data is encrypted from the time they enter it. Sync: I set it to up sync so S3 so I could have mobile and desktop notes in sync. If I create or edit a quick note, it doesn't get synced automatically! I've set the S3 sync to 5 minutes (the minimum), but you have to press sync after edit. Last time I looked they were working on a server sync (instead of S3), so hopefully this gets fixed.

kal87 4y ago
Joplin's own sync service [1] works seamlessly for me. The basic plan is enough for my needs and is way cheaper than obsidian's sync subscription. [1] https://joplinapp.org/plans/ https://joplinapp.org/plans/
- rroot 4y ago
  That's good news. Does the app sync on exit?
  - linuxdaemon 4y ago
    I thought "yes", but just tested and turns out it's more like "kinda". It doesn't do a full sync on shutdown, but if something is modified it sends a sync push , and that change will get picked up after a few seconds. So if you have a note that you modify, and then allow a few seconds, and then close...That modification will show up on other devices outside of a full sync. But you can't open joplin, create a note, and then immediately exit and expect the note to show up on other devices. It will still exist on the device it was created on, so it's not lost, it just hasn't synced yet. It will automatically sync the next time you start joplin though. In my case, I use the vim key bindings, and am so accustomed to hitting "<esc>:w" (which does perform a sync) when I'm finished writing the note, I never noticed.

eitland 4y ago

I used Joplin for some time. It is really good and it has been very stable. Using Joplin Web Clipper from Firefox I could also snip pages (or parts of pages) into Joplin. But the most amazing thing is that - it works on mobile devices as well. - No lock in: it syncs flawlessly (AFAIK) over WebDAV so I can sync all my data using a really inexpensive Hetzner instance. Personally I happily used it for a long time but always felt something was missing and never felt completely at home with it. So now I use Logseq which is a little rough around the edges but which I, for now at least feel very at home with.

srcreigh 4y ago
Can you describe the things you like about Logseq at the moment?
- eitland 4y ago
  Effortless switching between input and reading mode. Automation features works seamlessly and makes sense to me. No lock in (was true for Joplin as well).
  - gooseyman 4y ago
    How do you enable reading mode (assuming means no edits)? I looked through shortcuts and don't see it.

stavros 4y ago

I use Joplin and like it a lot. I wrote some tooling to generate a static site out of my public notes: https://notes.stavros.io/ https://notes.stavros.io/

robviren 4y ago

I have used syncthing + marktext[0] and or ghostwriter[1] depending on the content of my notes. For a daily journal I like to use ghostwriter as it has almost no distraction and it forces me to focus. It just got shifted over to being maintained by the KDE team and I really enjoy it. I liked marktext over joplin for similar reasons. But I am probably a little overzealous in my search for distraction free note taking. I assume joplin provides more feature sets, I just happened to want less features for what I do on a day to day. [0]https://github.com/marktext/marktext https://github.com/marktext/marktext [1]https://github.com/KDE/ghostwriter https://github.com/KDE/ghostwriter

graeber_28927 4y ago

Joplin as a markdown note taking app was my gateway drug to Obsidian. I used to sync Joplin to just my Dropbox, and it worked well for free on all my devices. Once (and only once) I had a conflict, which from then on I was nervous to get again And I never really liked how top level folders are notes as well, somehow I found that strange. Obsidian saves markdown files, I use git so I can solve merge conflicts myself, and see the version history, albeit at the price of having to save and sync manually (Ctrl+Shift+C for commit, Ctrl+Shift+P to push, cause I'd rather do that than have it autopush at intervals). I like the UI more too, only I haven't set up Obsidian on my phone yet, but it's possible theoretically. Tldr: Setup is more hassle, but I migrated my notes (manually) and like the UI, layout, search and git integration better. Joplin was definitely easier to get running for free, and I can easily recommend it to anyone. It's just where I am now, exploring and liking something new, seeing if it sticks.

theshrike79 4y ago

I used to use Joplin, but I prefer the Obsidian way where all my documents are just markdown in a directory structure. The plugin ecosystem seems more viable too, not that I'm using that many.

tluyben2 4y ago

I use Joplin with the personal server; I migrated my notes away from Evernote and Notion to Joplin for my personal use. I really like it; it is fast, open source, simple plugin system and very stable (something I cannot say of notion or Evernote).

_def 4y ago

I use Joplin and sync it with Dropbox, because after loosing my notes too many times I don't want to be responsible for hosting them anymore. Joplin works and syncs good enough across all devices I use (Linux, Windows, Android).

qbasic_forever 4y ago

IIRC Joplin stores notes in a SQLite DB which is a huge no-no to sync with syncthing. Even the syncthing devs warn against syncing SQLite databases. It will seem to work fine until two machines write to the database independently (perhaps each is offline) and then their changes can't be reconciled by syncthing and data is lost or conflicted.

alexktz 4y ago
Notes in Joplin are stored plain text with obfuscated filenames. The only time joplin uses a DB is for indexing.

krimpenrik 4y ago

I used Joplin for some years, really stable and worked well. I used nextcloud with webdev to sync. Switched over to obsidian couple months ago and am in love, such a great piece of software. I love the excalidraw integration, game changer