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this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2026
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Do I get it right that this is like Obsidian, but free and open source?
How does it compare to Obsidian? Does it have note linking using square brackets?
Not to be rude or anything like that, where I'm going is not the "we already have obsidian, why you made this" but "currently obsidian is one of the few non-FOSS things I use in Linux, would be happy to replace obsidian with this if it's a good substitute".
I don't use obsidian plugins, so I understand that HelixNotes doesn't have this whole plugin ecosystem and can't replace obsidian for people that rely on plugins, but for me it's fine.
Is android app coming?
Yes, local-first markdown like Obsidian, but fully open source (AGPL-3.0).
Note linking with square brackets - yes, supported. Graph view too so you can see connections between notes.
If you don't rely on Obsidian plugins, you'll feel right at home.
Android is on the roadmap, but the desktop experience comes first. Still early days.
Thanks, gotta try this!
Well, there's Markor on android, so even without a dedicated android app, I can use Helix Notes + syncthing + Markor on the phone and ditch obsidian if it's good.
That's exactly the way I do it. However, the mobile app is something that will be made in the near future.