TreeNoote is a free and easy-to-use note taking program

Ashwin
Jun 26, 2020
Updated • Jul 10, 2020
Software, Windows software
|
15

We've reviewed simple note taking programs, and some very complex ones in the past. TreeNoote belongs to the former, and it is a freeware application. You can check out reviews of the note taking applications Elephant, QOwnNotes, Joplin, or tomboy-ng as well.

TreeNoote is a free and easy-to-use note taking program

Yes, I know what you're probably thinking, isn't it Tree Note? It's not a typo, it really is spelled TreeNoote.

The program is portable, run the TreeNote executable and it creates an INI in the same folder. The application has a two-pane interface, with a menu bar at the top, a sidebar on the left, which is called the TreeView. The right pane has a search bar and note menu at the top, and the note editor which makes for the rest of the screen space.

TreeNoote comes with an example notebook that explains some of the program's features. The program is still in an early stage, this is v1.0, so  I won't be too harsh to judge it. That being said, currently there isn't a way to create a new notebook. But you can add new notes to the welcome notebook. Or you can delete its contents, and take it over as your primary notebook. That's what I did.  Click on the + button at the top to create a new note, or the bin icon to delete a note.

TreeNoote text formatting

There is a title bar at the top of every note in the editor pane. This title is displayed as the note's name in the left pane. Click inside the editor pane to begin writing your notes. There is no option to save the notes manually. Though the program's page doesn't mention this, TreeNoote supports auto-save, though it isn't instant. I noticed that it autosaves whenever I switched notes, or exited the program.

The program does not have a right-click menu yet. Instead, you'll need to use the editor's toolbar for formatting the text. You may use it to change the font type, size, color, make text bold, italic, underline, strike-out, highlight, align text, add bulleted lists, lines. You can use the standard keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, etc) for formatting text. The calendar button adds the current time and date at the cursor position, which is useful in case you're using it like a journal.

TreeNote allows you to add URLs and images, you can either drag and drop them onto the interface, or paste them from the clipboard.

TreeNoote images and URLs
The search bar at the top of the window can be used to find text inside notes. It displays results in the pane. Use the menu in the top right corner to jump between notes.

The only other options that you can customize are the folder where the program stores its database, enable confirmation for deleting notes, and the language of the interface. There is an option to enable a password at launch (and after the program is inactive for a while). According to the developer, the password is saved in the RC5 Encrypted format. Don't lose the password though, it's impossible to recover it.

According to the developer, TreeNoote is headed soon to Linux, Mac, iOS and Android.

Note: The official download page requires an email id to which the link will be sent to. Use one of the mirrors to bypass that requirement.

TreeNoote is pretty usable in its current form and user-friendly. I'd like to see more options like creating different notebooks, rearranging the order of the notes, and maybe a to-do list.

TreeNoote

For Windows

Summary
software image
Author Rating
1star1star1star1stargray
5 based on 2 votes
Software Name
TreeNoote
Operating System
Windows
Software Category
Productivity
Price
Free
Landing Page
Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. Jacob said on May 10, 2021 at 10:39 pm
    Reply

    On the more free side of things, there’s TreeTime: https://github.com/jkanev/treetime . Taking notes in trees too, but this tries to be a multi-purpose data store and calculator. Python (hence platform independent), free, and open source.

  2. Klaas Vaak said on June 29, 2020 at 1:38 pm
    Reply

    Try Obsidian (https://obsidian.md/), it blows them all out of the water. Beautiful, cros-platform, chockful of useful features and more on the way.

  3. Brent R Jones said on June 27, 2020 at 2:51 pm
    Reply

    Google Keep, Microsoft To-Do, and Metapad FOR THE WIN!

  4. ULBoom said on June 27, 2020 at 3:18 am
    Reply

    I tried but still can’t pronounce it.

  5. Tom said on June 26, 2020 at 4:10 pm
    Reply
  6. Jimmy said on June 26, 2020 at 12:58 pm
    Reply

    Another windows only note taker worth trying is NoteItDown which is my currenty one.

    https://www.gaijin.at/en/software/noteitdown

    CherryTree gets my vote too. It’s good as well.

    1. bawldiggle said on June 30, 2020 at 2:12 pm
      Reply

      @ Jimmy

      Thank you for the link to NoteItDown. Perfect, just what I need.

  7. Gerard said on June 26, 2020 at 10:29 am
    Reply

    Linux users could try CherryTree. So could MS Windows and Apple users btw.
    CherryTree is a cross-platform and free open source tree-type notes program and information manager.

    http://www.giuspen.com/cherrytree/

    Recommended.

    1. pd said on June 27, 2020 at 5:57 am
      Reply

      I found CherryTree way too complex. It’s in no way a like for like competitor to an app like this. Let’s be realistic. If you’re running Linux, you’re already confident with complexity. For better or worse, this app looks like it’s meant for the luddites of the world who just need something searchable and hierarchical to run on their Windows computer.

      You may not know anyone with *just* a Windows desktop, no mobile phone, and basically just ‘tubes, Solitaire and email. I hope you do not because such users can be so hard to support!!!

      But I do. I’m just cleaning up a single .txt file that has become such a massive mess because what started as an phone book became a note-taking file etc. GARRGH. Life is too short.

      Thank feck for programs like this. Not everyone needs sync all over the universe. Not everyone needs a object-based concept such as CherryTree. Those apps are great for those who work, live and think that way, but for the luddites, let them have the simpleware, FFS! Windows has not provided these elementary features everyone should have access to as a default in digital life. Google has *only just* made their simplistic, baseline “Messages”, “Phone” usable by almost anyone. Even Google DID NOT HAVE a bleeding Contact manager until a couple of years ago! They make the biggest mobile and online presence in the universe and they did not have a contacts editor? You can’t believe it, can you? It’s true! Try this one on for size: most data in the Google/Android ecosystem is backed up via sync, right? So when you change phones or need to use a computer, it’s all consistent, right? NOPE. “Messages” does not back up SMS!!! FFS.

      Do you see where I’m ranting here? Basic, simple, free entry level requirements for ordinary, yes possibly luddites, people are not yet available … over 25 years into the digital ‘revolution’!!!

      Mean pensioners are being forced increasingly to access government and private services online through tools they can’t fully adopt. It’s stupifying until you realise one thing: so very many of the digitally capable amongst us write and promote software that suits us! Not other people!

      Think about your fellow, heavily flawed, not necessarily digital, man/woman when writing and suggesting software, not just yourselves.

      EndRant.

      LOL

    2. Trey said on June 26, 2020 at 12:42 pm
      Reply

      That’s what I use. Recommended x2.

  8. The Equestrian said on June 26, 2020 at 7:06 am
    Reply

    Looks pretty useless considering it only works on Windows. The reason I use Simplenote (brand is not important) is because it has mobile app and I can take notes on either my PC or phone and they will sync in and become available everywhere immediately.

    I honestly can’t see a reason for me to use TreeNoote.

    1. Addy T. said on June 26, 2020 at 7:49 am
      Reply

      You seem to compare hat is apparently a cloud-backed service (ie the whole world reads what you write) with an offline app.

      1. Juraj Mäsiar said on June 26, 2020 at 11:23 am
        Reply

        Exactly! If you need truly private notes, you need my “Private Notes” :).
        It’s a brand new browser extension I’ve build just a week ago that encrypts notes and doesn’t have own cloud – it uses Firefox Sync. or Chrome Sync, but still fully encrypted.
        See more info:
        https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/private_notes/
        https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/private-notes/phckehehoioleicpfnmigmidofibnnnn

      2. Jimy P said on June 29, 2020 at 9:31 am
        Reply

        Your extension looks pretty cool, Mäsiar. Ghacks should give it a review.

      3. pd said on June 27, 2020 at 6:36 am
        Reply

        Leveraging Firefox Sync is an interesting idea and you’re screenshots looks very impressive
        but I don’t want to limit note-taking to the browser context.

        Would be great if your app was available standalone, yet still used Firefox Sync. Then again, the same applies to Joplin. I would be happily using Joplin except, despite having a personal server, I haven’t got sync going with it as I’m too nervous to implement webdav on a world-facing server.

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.