Ghostty
Focus: terminal, emulator and gpu. Shares developer tools with Heynote. Rated 4.9 (Heynote: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.9Visit
Desktop App
Heynote
A dedicated desktop scratchpad split into blocks, with a built-in calculator.
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Heynote?
Heynote is a free desktop scratchpad that keeps one persistent text buffer divided into blocks, each with its own language and syntax highlighting. Maths blocks work as a calculator with variables and unit conversions, and you can organise extra buffers into folders saved as files on disk.
Pros
- New blocks with a single shortcut
- Calculator blocks with unit conversion
- Buffers saved as local files
Cons
- No mobile app or cloud sync
- Source-available licence rather than fully open source
Who should use Heynote
Developers and power users who want one place for snippets, JSON and quick sums.
Who may not need it
People who need structured notes that sync between phone and desktop.
Heynote alternatives
Similar resources to Heynote, picked from the directory.
Snipd
Focus: Podcasts, AI and Learning. Also in Note-Taking and Personal Productivity, like Heynote. A mobile app, not a desktop app. Freemium (Heynote: Free). Adds iOS and Android. Rated 4.7 (Heynote: 4.6).
Mobile AppFree planiOS, Android
4.7Visit
brag
Focus: launch video, cli and open source. Shares developer tools with Heynote. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.6Visit
Mem.ai
Focus: AI, notetaking and knowledge management. Also in Note-Taking and Personal Productivity, like Heynote. An AI tool, not a desktop app. Freemium (Heynote: Free). Adds Web and iOS. Same 4.6 rating.
AI ToolFree planWeb, iOS
4.6Visit
Wake
Focus: ai agents, sessions and rust. Shares developer tools with Heynote. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Standard Notes
Focus: notes, encryption and privacy. Also in Note-Taking and Personal Productivity, like Heynote. A web app, not a desktop app. Freemium (Heynote: Free). Adds Web, iOS and Android. Rated 4.5 (Heynote: 4.6).
Web AppFree planWeb, Windows
4.5Visit
Free alternatives to Heynote
Free resources that cover similar ground.
Google Keep
Focus: quick capture, free and simple. Also in Note-Taking and Personal Productivity, like Heynote. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web, Android and iOS. Rated 4.2 (Heynote: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, Android
4.2Visit
Moments App (by Momentum)
Focus: Journaling, Gratitude and Mindfulness. Also in Personal Productivity and Note-Taking, like Heynote. A mobile app, not a desktop app. Adds iOS. Rated 4.1 (Heynote: 4.6).
Mobile AppFreeiOS
4.1Visit
Click
Focus: python, cli and command line. Shares developer tools with Heynote. A framework, not a desktop app. Rated 4.8 (Heynote: 4.6).
FrameworkFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
Frontend Design Skill
Focus: claude, claude skills and frontend design. Shares developer tools with Heynote. An AI tool, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.8 (Heynote: 4.6).
AI ToolFreeWeb
4.8Visit
simslim
Focus: ios, simulator and xcode. Shares developer tools with Heynote. A Mac app, not a desktop app. Rated 4.5 (Heynote: 4.6).
Mac AppFreemacOS
4.5Visit
Toolcraft
Focus: ai, design tools and open source. Shares developer tools with Heynote. A framework, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.5 (Heynote: 4.6).
FrameworkFreeWeb
4.5Visit
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