Carnet review
A flexible open-source note taker for rich text, media and self-hosted sync.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Carnet is an open-source note-taking application for individuals who want rich-text notes across web, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Its editing tools cover bold, italic, underline, color and highlighting, while folders, keywords and search help organize larger collections. Notes can include images, audio recordings and to-do lists, and the app also provides word, sentence and character statistics. A dark theme and PIN protection on Android add practical options for everyday use.
Carnet’s strongest fit is its combination of platform coverage and storage flexibility. Notes can synchronize through Google Drive, ownCloud or Nextcloud, giving users several cloud-service paths rather than tying the product to one provider. The published feature set also includes a configurable root storage folder, HTML file support and Google Keep import on desktop. That makes Carnet a particularly relevant choice for users moving from Google Keep or organizing notes within a self-hosted setup. Its GPLv3 license and open-source model further suit people who value inspectable, locally oriented software.
The trade-off is that Carnet’s appeal centers on personal note management rather than shared workspaces. Sharing and collaboration are not listed among its core capabilities, so teams seeking coordinated editing may prefer a product built around those workflows. Sync also requires choosing and configuring one of the supported services, while Google Keep import is limited to desktop. Pick Carnet for cross-platform rich-text notes, media, folders and flexible storage options; choose an alternative if collaborative authoring or a more tightly integrated workspace matters more than open-source and self-hosted options.
Questions about Carnet
What does Carnet run on? Web, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. It runs in the cloud, self-hosted, as a desktop app and as a mobile app.
What does Carnet integrate with? 4 integrations: Google Keep, Google Drive, ownCloud and Nextcloud.
Who is Carnet built for? Solo users and small businesses (our editorial estimate).
Carnet pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Rich-text editing includes formatting, color and highlighting
- Supports folders, keywords, search, media, audio and to-do lists
- Syncs with Google Drive, ownCloud and Nextcloud
- Where it doesn't
- Google Keep import is limited to desktop
- Sync depends on a configured cloud service
- Sharing and collaboration are not listed as core features
Carnet fact sheet, pricing and score →
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