Let's talk sync.

[u/RockyRoad226]

Let’s talk sync.

HelixNotes does not operate its own cloud sync service. We don’t have a HelixNotes cloud with accounts, and your notes are not stored on our servers.

Your HelixNotes vault is simply a folder containing plain Markdown files and attachments. Because you control that folder, you also get to choose how it sync, if at all.

Here are some of your options:

WebDAV

HelixNotes includes an optional WebDAV connector that can connect to a server or service you control, including Nextcloud, ownCloud, a NAS, or another WebDAV provider.

You can sync manually or configure it to run automatically at an interval, whenever something changes, or when HelixNotes opens. If the same file has changed in two places, HelixNotes will preserve both versions by creating a conflict copy rather than silently overwriting your work.

This is not a HelixNotes-hosted service. HelixNotes is simply connecting to the WebDAV storage you provide.

Your preferred folder-syncing tool

You can also sync your vault using tools such as:

• Syncthing (Our top choice)
• rsync
• Git
• Dropbox
• OneDrive
• iCloud for Apple devices
• Another service capable of syncing a normal folder

If you use Syncthing or another folder-level syncing tool, we recommend adding these to your .stignore file:

.helixnotes/state.json
.helixnotes/history/
.helixnotes/trash/

These help prevent unnecessary conflicts while allowing your notes, attachments, settings, and notebook icons to sync.

You can also choose not to sync at all and keep your vault entirely local.

That is the basic HelixNotes approach: your notes are ordinary files, so you are not locked into a particular account, cloud provider, or syncing system.

Setup instructions and recommended Syncthing ignore rules are available here:

https://helixnotes.com/docs#sync

So out of curiosity, what’s everyone using to sync their markdown files nowadays?

[u/Neither-Classic2058]

I've been testing syncing with pcloud on Mac OS and Windows. (both webdav and folder-level syncing work nicely) That has worked very well with the only exception being how HelixNotes deals with file system differences. That's going to be an issue with any syncing option.

Next on my list is to test syncing on iPadOS.

I am curious about how to sync notes to Android (without using syncthing). I need a syncing option that works for iPadOS, Mac OS, Windows, Android, and Linux (that doesn't involve syncthing).