Nodum vs Joplin
A Joplin alternative with wikilinks, backlinks and a graph
Nodum and Joplin are both open-source markdown note apps, and they organise differently. Joplin is a desktop and mobile app built around notebooks, tags and pluggable sync targets, with an excellent Evernote importer. Nodum is browser-native and link-first: wikilinks, automatic backlinks and a GPU-rendered knowledge graph, on a server you can host yourself.
What Joplin is
Joplin is a long-standing open-source note app under AGPL-3.0: markdown notes in notebooks, end-to-end encrypted sync to a target you choose — Nextcloud, Dropbox, S3, WebDAV or its own service — a web clipper, and a solid Evernote ENEX importer. It is the safe answer for someone leaving Evernote who wants to stay open source.
Side by side
| Property | Joplin | Nodum |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | AGPL-3.0 — genuinely open source | MIT — the whole stack, frontend and backend |
| Hosting | Desktop and mobile app; sync to a target you choose, or Joplin Cloud | Hosted at nodum.md, or self-hosted with one Docker Compose command |
| Your notes are | Markdown notes in a local database, synced as files to your target | Plain markdown files, exported as a folder-true zip whenever you ask |
| Linking | Markdown links between notes; no wikilink syntax and no backlinks pane | [[wikilinks]], [[path/Note]], [[Note|alias]], ![[embeds]] — Obsidian syntax |
| Graph | No first-party graph view | Global and local force-directed graph, GPU-rendered on WebGL2 |
| Pricing model | Free; Joplin Cloud is an optional paid sync service | Free and open source; self-host at your own infrastructure cost |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, terminal | Any modern browser, desktop and mobile; installable as a PWA |
| Getting out | JEX, markdown or HTML — a clean, well-supported export | Vault zip of .md files, plus a REST API and an MCP server |
Where each one actually wins
The left-hand column is the honest part. If none of it applies to you, the switch is probably worth making; if several do, it probably is not.
What Joplin does better
- End-to-end encrypted sync to storage you already own — Nextcloud, S3, WebDAV, Dropbox.
- The best Evernote import path in the category.
- A mature terminal client, and offline-first apps on every platform.
- Years of stability and a large plugin set of its own.
What Nodum does better
- Wikilinks and automatic backlinks: Joplin links notes but does not show you the reverse side.
- A GPU-rendered knowledge graph, global and local.
- It runs in a browser — nothing to install, and the same vault everywhere.
- Real-time collaborative editing and publishing built in.
- An MCP server and an AI assistant on your own key.
So — switch, or stay?
Switch to Nodum if…
- You want to see what links to what.
- You want the vault in a browser rather than an installed app.
- You want to publish or collaborate on notes.
Stay on Joplin if…
- End-to-end encrypted sync to your own storage is the requirement.
- You need offline-first apps on every platform, including a terminal.
Joplin and Nodum: common questions
Does Joplin have a graph view?
Joplin has no first-party graph view; community plugins add limited versions. Nodum ships a global and a local graph rendered on WebGL2, with node size by degree, ghost nodes for unresolved links, tag and folder filters, and live force controls.
Joplin or Nodum — which should I use?
Choose Joplin if end-to-end encrypted sync to your own storage and offline-first apps matter most. Choose Nodum if you want linked notes with backlinks and a knowledge graph, in a browser, on a server you can self-host. Both are open source and both keep your notes as markdown.
Before you move anything
Whatever you decide, run this once. It takes ten minutes and it is the difference between a migration and an incident.
- Export from Joplin first, and keep that export somewhere safe.
- Import a copy into a throwaway Nodum vault, not your main one.
- Open the graph and look for ghost nodes — those are links that did not resolve.
- Export the Nodum vault and diff it against what you put in.
- Only then delete anything.
Other comparisons
Every comparison is on the alternatives index, and the glossary defines the vocabulary these pages use.
Bring your Joplin notes with you.
Import a zip, look at the graph, export it again. Nothing about it is one-way.