Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.
Notes, tasks, passwords, journal, files, calendar, contacts and bookmarks, with mood and medication tracking. Encrypted on your device. Open source, no ads, no trackers. Free forever; Pro is a one-time purchase.
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Which is more popular?
Based on our record, Joplin
seems to be a lot more popular than MacVim.
While we know about 358 links to Joplin,
we've tracked only 3 mentions of MacVim.
social mentions
358 vs 3
Note Taking popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 44
Base details
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
Open Source Joplin is open source, which means the source code is freely available and can be modified or studied by anyone. This ensures transparency and provides the community with the ability to contribute to its development.
Cross-Platform Joplin is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, which allows users to access their notes and to-dos across different devices.
End-to-End Encryption Joplin offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring that your notes and data are securely encrypted and only accessible by you.
Rich Text Support Joplin supports Markdown, which allows users to create notes with rich text formatting, including headers, lists, checkboxes, images, links, and more.
Synchronization Options Joplin provides multiple options for synchronization, including cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Nextcloud, enabling users to keep their data in sync across devices.
Resource Management Joplin allows users to attach files, images, and other resources to their notes, making it a versatile tool for managing different types of information.
Possible disadvantages
User Interface The user interface of Joplin can be less intuitive and visually appealing compared to other note-taking apps, which might lead to a steeper learning curve for new users.
Limited Collaboration Joplin is primarily designed for individual use and lacks extensive collaboration features found in other apps like Google Keep or Evernote, making it less suitable for team-based tasks.
No Native Web App Joplin does not have a native web app version, which can be a drawback for users who prefer accessing their notes through a browser without installing the desktop or mobile applications.
Sync Configuration Setting up synchronization options can be complex for some users, especially for those who are not familiar with cloud services or network configurations.
Resource Intensive Joplin can be resource-intensive, particularly when dealing with a large number of notes or attachments, which might affect performance on older devices.
Familiar Vim Interface MacVim provides the same powerful and familiar editing interface as Vim, making it a great choice for users who are already accustomed to Vim's keybindings and commands.
Native macOS Integration MacVim is specifically designed for macOS, offering better system integration, including support for native macOS features like full-screen mode, a menu bar, and better keyboard shortcut customization.
GUI Enhancements While retaining Vim's command-line capabilities, MacVim offers a graphical user interface (GUI) which makes it more accessible to users who prefer a more visual interaction with their text editor.
Plugin Support MacVim supports Vim's extensive plugin system, allowing users to customize and extend its functionality with thousands of available plugins.
Active Development Being open-source and maintained by a community of developers means MacVim benefits from regular updates, bug fixes, and new features.
Possible disadvantages
Steep Learning Curve Like Vim, MacVim can be challenging for beginners due to its unique mode-based editing paradigm and the need to remember extensive keybindings.
Resource Intensive Though optimized for macOS, MacVim with a GUI can be more resource-intensive compared to traditional Vim, which may be a concern for those with older or less powerful machines.
Not for Non-Vim Users For users unfamiliar with Vim, MacVim can be intimidating and less intuitive compared to other modern text editors or IDEs.
Occasional macOS-Specific Bugs Being a macOS-specific application, some users encounter macOS-related bugs or compatibility issues that might not be present in the original Vim.
Requires Additional Configuration To fully leverage MacVim's capabilities, users often need to spend time configuring their environment, including installing and setting up plugins.
Analysis
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.
JoplinMacVim
Overall verdict
Joplin is highly regarded among users who appreciate open-source software and need a versatile note-taking solution. Its extensive features, along with active community support, make it a strong contender in the productivity software space.
Why this product is good
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do application with features such as synchronization across devices, support for rich-text and Markdown, and a web clipper for saving web pages and screenshots. It prioritizes user privacy and data ownership by allowing notes to be stored on local devices or using secure sync options like Nextcloud, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Additionally, Joplin supports end-to-end encryption to protect user data.
Recommended for
Users who prefer open-source applications
Individuals seeking a secure and privacy-focused note-taking app
People who need cross-platform compatibility
Users who want to organize notes using Markdown
Anyone looking for an alternative to mainstream note-taking apps
Joplin is best defined as an open-source note-taking app. The app lets you take notes and access them anywhere as it backs all your notes on the cloud. You can create checklists, notes, and tables within Joplin or...
Not only is Joplin the best open source note-taking app on our list, but it's also the best free Evernote alternative too. For a number of reasons I'll explore below, I don't feel Evernote merits a spot on this list...
In order to synchronize Joplin among your devices, you need to set it up with one of several existing cloud services (such as Dropbox or OneDrive). You can also use Joplin Cloud, which is available in Joplin’s paid...
What is this providing over similarly Markdown based open source note taking applications like Joplin? (https://joplinapp.org/) I've been a huge fan of the fact that my backend sync infrastructure is my own self-hosted S3 bucket with...
- Source: Hacker News
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6 months ago
An Introduction to Obsidian
Shout out to Joplin (https://joplinapp.org/), which I use on a daily basis. It does most of what Obsidian does but has a free sync version where you just use your cloud drive as the storage. The main thing missing, from what I've found,...
- Source: Hacker News
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7 months ago
I use Joplin (https://joplinapp.org) on mobile and pc(windows and Linux). Joplin has a free encrypted sync via OneDrive.
- Source: Hacker News
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over 1 year ago
gVim (only on windows/linux) with a minimal config is my preferred. Fast but a few powerful built-in vim features like search, replace, syntax highlighting, spellchecking, auto-indent etc. It loads in about 1.5s on my machine and renders...
- Source: Hacker News
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over 4 years ago
Vim (aka Vi IMproved) is a highly efficient text editor that has inspired other editors like it, most notably MacVim (which I will refer to as vim from here on) and gVim.
- Source: dev.to
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over 5 years ago
Vim 9 - Update
If you want to try out Vim9, you can download the latest Win32 binaries from: https://github.com/vim/vim-win32-installer/releases.
For MacOS, you can use https://github.com/macvim-dev/macvim/.
Source:
over 5 years ago
Alternatives to Joplin and MacVim
When comparing Joplin and MacVim, you can also consider the following products.
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Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.
Obsidian
Standard Notes
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Light Table
