The Quiet Stack
Tools chosen for what they don't do as much as what they do.
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This is not a list of the most powerful tools, the most popular tools, or the tools with the most features. It is a list of tools I use regularly and trust to stay out of my way. None of them are here because they won a product hunt. Several of them have not had a major update in years, which is part of why they are here.
Stores everything locally. No sync without your permission. Your notes are Markdown files on your own filesystem — readable without the app.
Why this, not Notion: Notion holds your data on their servers and requires an account to access it. Obsidian does not. If Obsidian disappears tomorrow, your notes remain exactly where they are.
One window, one typeface, no formatting sidebar, no template gallery. The interface presents no choices that are not about the words.
Why this, not Ulysses: Ulysses is a capable writing environment, but it introduces organisational structures — sheets, groups, filters — that require maintenance. iA Writer is a file on your disk and an editor. Nothing to maintain.
Free, open source, no algorithmic feed. Shows you what the sources you chose published, in the order they published it. No engagement optimisation.
Why this, not Feedly: Feedly has introduced AI features, team collaboration, and intelligence tools that are not relevant to the problem of reading things you chose to subscribe to. NetNewsWire has not.
Seven coloured dots in your menu bar. Each dot is a small text field. Nothing syncs, nothing logs, nothing is permanently stored unless you choose to move it somewhere else.
Why this, not a notes app: Notes apps accumulate. Tot does not. When the dot is full, you clear it. The constraint is the feature.
Handles every archive format I encounter without asking me to create an account, subscribe, or view an advertisement.
Why this, not The Unarchiver: Both are fine. Keka has a cleaner interface and handles compression as well as decompression. The choice is not strong here — either works.
A password manager that works without ceremony. The subscription model means the product is funded by users rather than by data.
Why this, not Bitwarden: Bitwarden is excellent and open source. 1Password has a marginally better native app experience on macOS and iOS. If cost is a factor, Bitwarden is the correct choice and this note is the disclosure.
A native macOS Gmail client that removes the Gmail web interface without removing access to Gmail features. Noticeably faster than the browser.
Why this, not Mimestream alternatives: If you use Google Workspace, Mimestream is the clearest choice. If you use a non-Google provider, it does not apply — Mimestream is Gmail-specific.
A task manager that does not try to be a project management suite. Tasks live in areas, areas have projects, projects have tasks. That is the entire hierarchy.
Why this, not Linear or Asana: Linear and Asana are team coordination tools. Things is a personal task list. They solve different problems. If you are looking for a personal task list, the comparison to team tools is irrelevant.
Prevents your screen from sleeping when you are reading something long. One menu bar icon, one click. No settings screen.
Why this, not Amphetamine: Amphetamine has a preference pane with many configuration options. Lungo has one button. The additional options in Amphetamine are not features I need. If you need them, Amphetamine is worth the additional complexity.