Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reception of Files.md

  • Many commenters like the minimalist, polished UI and the fact it’s been iterated on for ~5 years rather than “weekend project” quality.
  • Several say it feels more like a focused, opinionated knowledge base than a drop-in Obsidian replacement; “alternative” is seen as misleading by some but useful as a mental anchor by others.
  • The author emphasizes simplicity, low cognitive load, and “only necessary features,” which appeals to some and worries others who fear future feature requests will be refused.

Architecture, tech choices, and longevity

  • Backend rewrite from a multi-component PHP stack to a single Go binary is praised as a strong argument for Go: simple deployment, small static binary, long-term maintainability.
  • Some users want strictly local, non-server-side tools that can run unchanged for decades; Files.md can be used by opening the static index.html, with the server optional.

Sync, browser support, and mobile

  • Sync currently hinges on a Telegram chatbot/auth flow and optional self-hosted Go server. Several see this as overkill or privacy-unfriendly; end‑to‑end encryption is “not possible” with the current bot-centric design.
  • The app depends on the Local File System API, so it works best in Chrome/Chromium; Safari and Firefox only partly work via OPFS or not at all. This Chrome-centrism is a blocker for some.

Open source vs Obsidian and business models

  • Many only now realize Obsidian isn’t open source, despite using open Markdown files and being highly extensible.
  • There’s extensive debate on whether Obsidian “should” be open source:
    • One side argues that open source is especially important for personal knowledge bases and long-term trust.
    • The other side notes Obsidian already uses open formats, is free, and must protect its sync/publish business and plugin ecosystem from forks.
  • Broader arguments explore donationware viability, developers’ need to earn money, and common OSS funding patterns (sponsorships, paid services, commercial licenses).

Comparisons and alternatives

  • Numerous alternatives are discussed or self-plugged: TiddlyWiki, Logseq, Joplin, Trilium/TrilliumNext, QOwnNotes, Silverbullet, HelixNotes, VS Code/Helix/Vim setups with markdown-oxide, Tolaria, Idaztian, Opal, AS Notes, etc.
  • Preferences split along lines such as: GUI vs terminal, native vs Electron/web, self-hosted vs managed sync, Markdown-on-disk vs database-backed.

AI, “second brain,” and note-taking philosophy

  • Files.md is intentionally “dumb-simple” so users or LLMs can later extend it, with “complexity budget” reserved for AI-generated changes.
  • Some see AI as making it trivial to build personal Obsidian clones, or to render notes as rich HTML instead of Markdown; others stress Markdown’s low friction and robustness.
  • Debate around “second brain” methods: some critique systems that encourage “remember nothing,” instead favoring notes that enhance actual learning and memory.