Tomboy NG review
A free, open-source desktop notes app for linked, offline work.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Tomboy NG is a lightweight, open-source desktop note-taking application for people who want linked notes without a paid plan. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS, with offline access and a focused set of writing tools: rich-text markup, automatic linking between notes, search, notebooks, spell checking, printing, backups, snapshots, undo, and redo. Import and export support covers plain text, RTF, and Markdown, making it suitable for personal knowledge bases, reference notes, and long-lived local documents.
Its main strength is the way it connects local desktop notes with familiar storage options. Notes can synchronize through shared filesystems, including Google Drive, Dropbox, SMB shares, and SSH/sshfs. GitHub synchronization adds browser access to notes through the synchronized repository, although it requires a GitHub account and network access. This gives Tomboy NG a practical fit for people who already organize files across computers or prefer repository-based storage. The trade-off is that synchronization is central to the workflow, so it may appeal less to buyers seeking a hosted workspace with built-in team collaboration.
Tomboy NG stays deliberately narrow rather than adding AI or real-time collaborative editing. That focus suits users who value offline desktop writing, automatic note links, backups, snapshots, and control over where notes are synchronized. Its broad desktop platform coverage is useful for mixed Linux, Windows, and macOS environments, while Markdown, RTF, and plain-text export support helps keep notes portable. Choose it for free, open-source, cross-platform personal notes with filesystem or GitHub synchronization; choose an alternative if AI assistance or simultaneous shared editing is essential.
Questions about Tomboy NG
What does Tomboy NG run on? Windows, macOS and Linux. It runs as a desktop app.
What does Tomboy NG integrate with? 5 integrations: GitHub, Google Drive, Dropbox, SMB shares and SSH/sshfs.
Who is Tomboy NG built for? Solo users and small businesses (our editorial estimate).
Tomboy NG pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free and open source across Linux, Windows, and macOS
- Automatic links, rich-text markup, notebooks, and search
- Filesystem and GitHub synchronization with browser access
- Where it doesn't
- No AI features for assisted note creation or organization
- No real-time collaboration for shared editing
- GitHub synchronization requires an account and network access
Tomboy NG fact sheet, pricing and score →
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