Tools

Concrete implementations: software, libraries, vendor services.

Anytype Object-oriented, local-first, end-to-end encrypted PKM with P2P sync via the Any-Sync protocol. Architecturally the most ambitious tool in this list; the UX still trails Notion and Obsidian. tools.pkm
Capacities Object-based PKM that splits the difference between Notion's databases and Roam's daily-notes. Cleanest object model in the consumer PKM space; cloud-only is the main reason to skip it. tools.pkm
LightRAG Simple and fast GraphRAG implementation that combines entity-relationship graphs with vector retrieval. Lighter than Microsoft GraphRAG, pluggable vector backend. tools.memory.graph_rag
Logseq Open-source, outliner-first, local-first PKM with daily-notes as the default capture surface. Closest free alternative to Roam Research; the DB rewrite shifts the bet to a SQLite future. tools.pkm
Mem0 Memory layer for AI agents. Stores user/session facts, decays unused memory, and surfaces relevant context per turn. Drop-in for OpenAI-style chat loops. tools.memory.agent_memory
Notion Block-and-database hybrid that became the default team wiki. Strong for structured project bases, weak as a personal thinking tool — too many features compete for attention. tools.pkm
Obsidian Local-first markdown editor with bidirectional links and a deep plugin ecosystem. Best-in-class as a personal thinking surface; weakest for real-time team collaboration. tools.pkm
Qdrant Open-source vector database written in Rust. Strong payload filtering, hybrid (sparse + dense) search, and a managed cloud option. Default-OK choice for most RAG stacks. tools.memory.vector_dbs
Roam Research The tool that mainstreamed bidirectional links and daily notes. Historically transformative, currently coasting — most of its ideas now ship in Logseq, Obsidian, and Capacities for less money and more transparency. tools.pkm