What can you take with you when you switch note apps?
Before choosing a note app, check whether you can edit the exported text elsewhere and whether files, links, and folders move with it. This comparison uses a small Windows desktop sample tested on November 4, 2026.
| App | Text and formatting | Attachments, links, and folders | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian 1.15.0 | Opened the original Markdown folder with bilingual text, checklists, and a table. | Both sample note links and the text file opened within Obsidian. Transfer to another app remains unverified. | |
| Joplin 3.7.22 | The Markdown export opened in Obsidian 1.15.0. One heading rendered correctly after adding a blank line after an attachment link. | A `.txt` attached in Joplin exported as a separate resource, and the exported link pointed to it. A text file imported with the source folder became a separate note. | |
| Standard Notes 3.202.11 | The backup ZIP downloaded while signed out. Both exported `.txt` notes matched the test inputs byte for byte. | Link syntax survived, but the referenced files and folders were absent from the sample ZIP. Native attachments remain untested. | |
| AFFiNE 0.27.4 | Individual Markdown exports while signed out preserved headings, task states, and the table. | The sample output contained two `.md` files and omitted the `.txt` attached in AFFiNE. Relative links still pointed to the original fixture paths. Native page links and batch export remain untested. |
Before moving your notes, export two linked notes and an attachment. Open them in the destination app and check links in both directions, attachments, and formatting. Keep your original backup until the destination checks pass.