Microsoft Loop does a lot right, and is one of the only near-perfect note apps that I’ve consistently reached for throughout my work and note-taking processes. It’s super minimal, sleek, fast, and has everything I need for frictionless writing and project planning. That said, it’s tied to a big corp, partially paywalled, and is also not open-source, which many prefer for privacy and customization.

However, there’s never been a better time to look beyond the big brands. A handful of free, community-driven tools deliver many of the same capabilities Loop does and more. You can easily find open-source apps with modular content, task lists, shared docs, and cross-device and browser-based access. Some of them let you self-host, others are fully free and privacy-focused. Here are the tools that match what I use Loop for…

Dillinger

A browser-based Markdown editor

One of the reasons I like Loop is that it’s fully functional in my browser. I keep it open next to whatever work I’m doing in my browser, which makes it easy to switch tabs between research and notes. This is why I also love Dillinger, because it’s an open-source, browser-based, self-hostable Markdown and plain text editor.

It has a live split-view that lets you see your Markdown syntax rendered on one side. It also gives you previewing options for HTML, styled HTML, Markdown, and PDF. The editor itself comes with several toggle options such as auto-save, word count, character count, and scroll sync for the split view, plus you can adjust the tab size and keybinding type.

Moreover, you can sync Dillinger with Dropbox, Bitbucket, GitHub, Medium, Google Drive, and OneDrive. Exporting options include HTML, Markdown, and PDF, or you can save straight to one of your synced services. Overall, Dillinger offers more than Loop in terms of formatting and export options, but it doesn’t have folder organization or note linking.

Simplenote

A minimalist, cross-platform note-taking app

Simplenote was a more recent discovery for me. It’s a completely free and open-source note-taking app that’s available for download cross-platform and on mobile, and it also works in your browser.

Simplenote lives up to its name, giving you a minimalist interface that’s frictionless to navigate, similar to Loop. Unfortunately, there aren’t any options for folder organization, which is one of the things I love about Loop despite its barebone approach. But it does have tags, a global search function, and lets you pin notes, which gives you a little bit of structure.

It ships with a bunch of customization options, such as note display length, line length, and note order. It uses plain text by default but can render Markdown as well, and you can import and export your files via the settings icon.

AFFiNE

A tried and true PKM and note-taking app

This list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention AFFiNE - it’s currently my go-to app for project and knowledge management, and it’s one of the alternatives closest to Loop in terms of features. AFFiNE is an open-source, cross-platform app that has a fully functional web app, too. The desktop version keeps all your data local by default, and it’s also self-hostable, which makes it appealing to anyone who cares about privacy and ownership.

At a functional level, AFFiNE blends documents, block-based notes and content, databases, and a whiteboard into a single space. You can write long-form documents, break them into movable blocks, embed tasks or tables, and visually map out your ideas. This modular approach is more similar to Loop’s Components function, but with fewer guardrails and more freedom in how you structure things.

While Loop does give you a hierarchical folder structure, so does AFFiNE, plus it lets you build backlinks. Overall, it’s more capable of holding larger and long-term projects, plus it has real-time collaboration so multiple users can co-edit documents.

Docmost

An open-source collaborative note-taking tool

Domost is a self-hosted collaborative wiki and documentation app that’s perfect for companies or small businesses that want to keep control over their data. If you like the idea of how Loop lets you build shared Components, then Docmost has you covered. The interface is clean and distraction-free as well, so the experience stays fast for all use cases whether drafting notes, meeting minutes, or collaborative documents.

It has a block-based rich text editor with formatting options like headers, lists, tables, and inline styles. It also has folder-like organization through its Space function and nested pages, so you get even better structure for your documents than in Loop. You can mention teammates in the docs and those with permission can comment.

Familiar tools, freer choices

Microsoft Loop is good. But to anyone who cares more about open standards, data ownership, self-hosting, or just avoiding unnecessary paywalls, there are solid open-source tools that cover the same ground in different ways. While none are an exact match for Loop's architecture, I mainly care about clutter-free navigation, ease-of-use, browser access, and some type of share or export option.