When it comes to self-hosting, note-taking apps are my favorite type of software to explore. I appreciate the different approaches developers take to their solutions, especially when it comes to services that favor simplicity.

Finding capable, yet sleek note-taking apps is what helped me break away from Google Keep. However, I still struggle with my notes becoming messy and disorganized. Luckily, I discovered an app that maintains an effortless UI along with the organizational features I need — Poznote.

What is Poznote?

Simple note-taking with easy organization

Poznote is a self-hosted notes and task lists app that takes a lightweight approach. It's incredibly easy to get started with the app, and you can choose between Markdown and rich text notes. I prefer rich text notes, so having this flexibility is great.

When editing a note, you can apply a variety of formatting or select from a list of commands using the slash ( / ) key. This includes inserting code blocks, quotes, callout boxes, and more. When it comes to lists, you can create bulleted and numbered lists, as well as checklists.

While you can create checklists within notes, you can also make a task list — which is essentially a note that consists only of tasks that you can check and uncheck. You can also favorite a task to keep it at the top of the list. This was handy for me for my story ideas list, as it allows me to highlight the tasks I'm currently working on.

In terms of organizational features, you can use folders to easily sort your notes. Tags allow you to filter these notes further. You can also add favorite notes that appear at the top of your task bar, as well as shortcuts for specific notes.

The app also supports a Kanban view of certain folders. This works well for folders that consist of task lists. For example, I created a folder for projects and articles. I then created columns indicating my progress on the tasks, with each note consisting of subtasks I needed to complete. This is a great way to organize certain notes as you can get an overall view of what you need to get done, while also being able to open up notes for more details and attachments.

How to set up Poznote

The process is relatively easy

It doesn't take much effort to get started with Poznote, since the documentation includes the steps you need. It's one of those self-hosted apps that beginners should try, if they want to get familiar with using Docker Compose.

Since I'm self-hosting the app on Windows using Docker Desktop, I manually created the folder for Poznote and added the example .env and docker-compose.yml files provided in the documentation. In the .env file, I changed the POZNOTE_SETTINGS_PASSWORD field to include a password. However, this can be left blank.

I then opened my terminal in the folder and ran the docker compose up -d command. Once the container was up and running, I logged in with the default admin credentials. Once logged in, you can use the admin dashboard to change the admin username and assign a new password. Since there's no option to reset your password, I highly recommend saving your new password in a password manager.

You can then get started creating notes, folders, and tags.

Poznote offers flexibility, but also ease

My favorite ingredients for productivity software

When it comes to productivity software, I can get overwhelmed when there are too many features and UI elements. That's why I like Poznote's focused approach.

At the same time, I like some flexibility so that I can use a service in the way that suits me best. That's where Poznote's adaptability comes in handy. I can use as many or as few folders and tags as I would like. The drag-and-drop interface also makes it easy to organize my notes that I haven't categorized.

While some people prefer Markdown notes, I appreciate the ability to use rich text formatting instead. Meanwhile, I can choose when to use the Kanban view and when to ignore the feature entirely. My notes adapt to my needs, rather than being stuck in a specific format or view.

One thing I would like to see is a customizable home view, since the app currently just opens on my most recent note.

I can't wait to see where Poznote goes next

Poznote shows a lot of promise as an open-source, self-hosted note-taking app that can serve as an alternative to Google Keep and Google Docs. So far, the app has avoided the clutter problem that I encounter when I use other note apps. However, time will tell whether it will keep up with my scattered approach to note-taking. However, I am impressed by the tool, and I'm excited to see where it goes next.