The best writing tools store your words in plain text files you own forever. Here are the essential free apps for notes, knowledge management, and long-form writing.

Obsidian — Knowledge Base

Obsidian stores everything as local Markdown files. Backlinks connect your ideas into a web, and 1,000+ plugins let you turn it into anything from a simple notepad to a project management system. Free for personal use.

Notion — All-in-One Workspace

Notion blends notes, databases, wikis, and project management into one tool. Its block-based editor lets you mix text, tables, kanban boards, and calendars. The free personal plan is generous.

Logseq — Outliner Knowledge Base

Logseq is an open-source outliner with bidirectional linking. Like Obsidian and Roam Research, but the outliner paradigm makes daily journaling effortless. Everything is stored in plain Markdown or Org-mode files.

LibreOffice — Office Suite

LibreOffice is the full office suite that respects your freedom: Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations). Opens and saves Microsoft Office formats with high fidelity. No subscription needed.

Zotero — Reference Manager

Zotero automatically senses research articles in your browser and saves them with one click — complete with metadata, PDFs, and citation generation. Essential for anyone who writes papers or theses.