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Add comparison page for Butterfly vs other note-taking apps (#912)
* Add comparison documentation for Butterfly and other note-taking apps - Compares Butterfly with OneNote, Obsidian, Excalidraw, and Xournal++ - Includes feature comparison table - Provides migration guidance and use case recommendations - Addresses issue #854" * Update comparison documentation: refine OneNote and Xournal++ advantages, enhance plugin support details, and clarify mobile support for Butterfly. * Refine Obsidian comparison: remove redundant line and clarify advantages * Update comparison.md with advantages of Xournal++ --------- Co-authored-by: CodeDoctor <[email protected]>
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‎docs/astro.config.mjs‎

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},
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favicon: "./favicon.ico",
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social: [
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{icon: "mastodon", label: "Mastodon", href: "https://floss.social/@linwood"},
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{icon: "matrix", label: "Matrix", href: "https://linwood.dev/matrix"},
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{icon: "discord", label: "Discord", href: "https://linwood.dev/discord"},
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{icon: "blueSky", label: "Bluesky", href: "https://bsky.app/profile/linwood.dev"},
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{icon: "github", label: "GitHub", href: "https://github.com/LinwoodDev/Butterfly"},
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{ icon: "mastodon", label: "Mastodon", href: "https://floss.social/@linwood" },
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{ icon: "matrix", label: "Matrix", href: "https://linwood.dev/matrix" },
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{ icon: "discord", label: "Discord", href: "https://linwood.dev/discord" },
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{ icon: "blueSky", label: "Bluesky", href: "https://bsky.app/profile/linwood.dev" },
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{ icon: "github", label: "GitHub", href: "https://github.com/LinwoodDev/Butterfly" },
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],
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components: {
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Head: "./src/components/Head.astro",
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...getSidebarTranslatedLabel("FAQ"),
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link: "/community/faq/",
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},
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{
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...getSidebarTranslatedLabel("Comparison"),
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link: "/community/comparison/",
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},
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{
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...getSidebarTranslatedLabel("Versions"),
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link: "/community/versions/",

‎docs/src/content/docs/community/comparison.md‎

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---
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title: Comparison
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---
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Butterfly is a note-taking app that aims for a unified experience across all platforms. It combines a simple UI with powerful customization. This page compares Butterfly to other popular note-taking and drawing applications to highlight what makes Butterfly unique.
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## Quick Comparison Table
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| Feature | Butterfly | OneNote | Obsidian | Excalidraw | Xournal++ |
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|---------|-----------|---------|----------|------------|-----------|
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| **Open Source** | ✅ Yes (AGPL-3.0) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (MIT) | ✅ Yes (GPL-2.0) |
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| **Cost** | Free | Free | Free (personal) | Free + Paid tiers | Free |
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| **Android** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
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| **Windows** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ (Windows 10)|
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| **Linux** | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
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| **macOS** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
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| **Web** | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
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| **Infinite Canvas** | ✅ Full | ✅ Positive coords only | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ Fixed pages |
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| **Handwriting** | ✅ | ✅ | Limited | ✅ Drawing | ✅ |
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| **Custom Colors** | ✅ Full palette | ✅ | ✅ Themes | ✅ | ✅ |
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| **PDF Import** | ✅ | ✅ | Limited | ❌ | ✅ |
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| **PDF Export** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
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| **SVG Support** | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
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| **Offline Use** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Basic | ✅ |
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| **Cloud Sync** | WebDAV | OneDrive/SharePoint | Paid sync | Paid collab | Manual |
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## Detailed Comparisons
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### Butterfly vs Microsoft OneNote
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**Similarities:**
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- Infinite canvas for freeform note-taking
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- Strong handwriting and drawing support
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- Support for images and multimedia content
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- Cross-platform availability
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**Butterfly Advantages:**
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- **Open source** - You can inspect, modify, and contribute to the code
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- **True infinite canvas** - No coordinate limitations
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- **Better privacy** - Store data locally or choose your own WebDAV provider
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- **Lighter weight** - Faster startup and lower resource usage
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- **SVG support** - Vector graphics import and export
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- **No vendor lock-in** - Your data stays under your control
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**OneNote Advantages:**
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- **Deep Microsoft ecosystem integration** - Works seamlessly with Office 365
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- **Advanced OCR** - Text recognition from handwritten notes and images
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- **Enterprise features** - Advanced sharing and permission management
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**Best for:**
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- **Butterfly**: Privacy-conscious users, Linux users, those wanting lightweight open-source solutions
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- **OneNote**: Microsoft ecosystem users, teams needing collaboration, macOS users
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### Butterfly vs Obsidian
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**Similarities:**
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- Cross-platform support
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- Customizable interface and themes
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- Local data storage with sync options
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**Butterfly Advantages:**
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- **Canvas-based interface** - Freeform drawing and note placement
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- **Built-in drawing tools** - No plugins required for handwriting
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- **Simpler learning curve** - Ready to use out of the box
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- **Better for visual thinkers** - Infinite canvas for mind mapping
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- **Web version available** - No installation required
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**Obsidian Advantages:**
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- **Powerful linking system** - Bidirectional links between notes
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- **Markdown-based** - Future-proof plain text format
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- **Advanced search** - Complex queries and filtering
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- **Graph view** - Visualize connections between notes
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- **Better for text-heavy notes** - Structured note organization
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- **Plugin/extension** Plugin/extension support for enhanced functionality
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**Best for:**
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- **Butterfly**: Visual note-takers, sketching, casual note-taking, students
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- **Obsidian**: Knowledge workers, researchers, those building personal knowledge bases
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### Butterfly vs Excalidraw
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**Similarities:**
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- Excellent drawing and diagramming capabilities
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- Clean, intuitive interface
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- Web-based accessibility
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- Open-source foundation
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- Hand-drawn aesthetic for diagrams
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**Butterfly Advantages:**
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- **Mobile apps** - iOS and Android support
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- **Desktop applications** - Windows and Linux apps available
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- **Text editing** - Rich text support beyond just drawings
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- **File management** - Organize notes with pages and structure
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- **PDF import** - Annotate existing documents
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- **Offline-first** - Works without internet connection
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**Excalidraw Advantages:**
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- **Collaboration focus** - Real-time collaborative drawing
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- **Library system** - Reusable components and templates
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- **Excalidraw Plus features** - Professional collaboration tools
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- **Integration friendly** - Embeds well in other applications
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- **Specialized for diagrams** - Purpose-built for technical drawings
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**Best for:**
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- **Butterfly**: General note-taking with drawing, mobile users, offline work
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- **Excalidraw**: Team diagramming, technical documentation, collaborative sketching
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### Butterfly vs Xournal++
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**Similarities:**
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- Excellent handwriting support
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- PDF annotation capabilities
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- Open-source and free
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- Cross-platform (Windows, Linux)
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- Stylus/pen input optimization
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**Butterfly Advantages:**
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- **Mobile support** - iOS and Android support
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- **Web version** - Browser-based access
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- **Modern interface** - Contemporary design and UX
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- **Infinite canvas** - Not limited to page boundaries
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- **Cloud sync** - WebDAV integration built-in
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- **Multiple export formats** - SVG, PNG, PDF support
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**Xournal++ Advantages:**
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- **Built with GTK** - Natively integrated in the GNOME interface
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- **Audio recording** - Link audio notes to written content
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**Best for:**
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- **Butterfly**: Mobile note-taking, modern UI preferences, cloud sync needs
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- **Xournal++**: Academic users, PDF-heavy workflows
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## Migration and Compatibility
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**From OneNote:**
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- Export OneNote pages as PDF and import into Butterfly
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- Recreate drawings and handwritten notes natively in Butterfly
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- Consider using WebDAV sync to replace OneDrive synchronization
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**From Obsidian:**
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- Copy text content and recreate in Butterfly's text tools
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- Convert Markdown files to PDF for import if needed
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- Use Butterfly's infinite canvas for mind maps instead of graph view
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**From Excalidraw:**
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- Export drawings as SVG and import into Butterfly
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- Recreate collaborative workflows using Butterfly's sync features
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- Transition from pure diagramming to mixed note-taking
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**From Xournal++:**
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- Export annotated PDFs and import into Butterfly
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- Transfer handwritten notes by recreating or importing as images
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- Adapt from page-based to infinite canvas workflow
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