I tested every open-source notes app on mobile — and only one actually competes with Notion

A hands-on comparison of four open-source note-taking apps — AFFiNE, Joplin, Logseq, and Simplenote — evaluated specifically on their mobile experience. AFFiNE impresses on desktop but its Edgeless canvas is nearly unusable on mobile. Joplin offers a solid WYSIWYG editor and deep configuration but locks notes in SQLite rather than plain files. Logseq's block-based outliner is keyboard-first and struggles with touch input. Simplenote, despite requiring an account and being in maintenance mode, wins as the most practical daily-use mobile notes app among the four.