Noter
Live Markdown
Markdown renders as you type. The line you are editing shows its syntax, and every other line stays clean.
A fast, native Markdown editor for your Mac.
Written in Rust and drawn on the GPU. No Electron, no plugins to manage. Your notes stay plain Markdown files in a folder you choose.
Download for macOSFree · macOS 11 or later · Apple silicon
Light enough to leave open all day.
Noter uses 96 MB of memory with a folder of notes open, and the whole app is 56 MB on disk.
| App | Chart | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Noter | 56 MB | |
| Notion | 305 MB | |
| Obsidian | 505 MB |
Measured on a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip and macOS 27. Memory is the Noter app while idle with a folder of notes open. The Smart Search model runs in a separate helper only while it searches or indexes. Sizes are the installed apps on disk.
Clean, quiet, and quick.
Everything built in. Nothing to install.
Tabs and split panes
Open notes in tabs and split the editor right or down. Each pane keeps its own cursor and scroll position.
Command palette
Find any command by name. ⌘⇧P opens the command palette and ⌘P opens any note by name.
Wiki links and backlinks
Link notes with [[wiki links]]. The backlinks panel shows every note that links back, with the line around each link.
Tags
Add #tags inline or in frontmatter. The tags panel lists every tag and its notes, and tags complete as you type.
Find and replace
⌘F finds text in the open note. Step through matches, replace one or all, and add the next match to your selection.
Local history
Noter keeps up to 50 earlier versions of each note inside your folder, so you can return to any of them.
Themes
Noter, Gruvbox, Nord, Solarized, and Tokyo Night, each in light and dark. Add your own theme as a JSON file.
Plain files on disk
Every note is a .md file in a folder you choose. Edit a note in another app and Noter picks up the change.
Works with AI agents
Noter includes an MCP server, so Claude Code, Codex, and other agents can read, search, and edit your notes. Their changes show inline, and you keep or reject each one.
Pinned tabs
Pin the notes you use every day. Pinned tabs stay at the left of their pane and reopen when you start Noter.
Search by meaning. Privately.
Smart Search reads your notes and images with an AI model that runs on your Mac's GPU.
- Ask in your own words. Results match the meaning, not only the exact text.
- Finds images by what is in them, as well as notes.
- The model runs on your Mac. No account, no API key, and nothing leaves your computer.
Your notes belong to you. Noter keeps them as plain Markdown, in a folder you can open with any app, now or in ten years.
Questions
Where are my notes stored?
In the folder you choose, as ordinary .md files. Local notes need no account. Earlier versions of each note go in a hidden .noter-history folder inside it.
Is it free?
Yes. Noter is free to download and use, with 100 MiB of encrypted sync storage.
Which Macs does it run on?
Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 11 or later. Smart Search downloads a 4.3 GB model once, which you can remove in Settings at any time.
Can I use it with my Obsidian vault?
Yes. An Obsidian vault is a folder of Markdown files, so Noter opens it as it is. Your wiki links and tags work. Obsidian plugins and canvas files do not.
Does it sync?
Yes. Sign in with your Galactus account and set an encryption password to sync your vaults. Your notes are encrypted before they leave your Mac.
What does Noter Pro include?
Noter Pro includes 10 GiB of encrypted sync storage per account for $5 a month or $50 a year. It is also included in Galactus Labs Pro and Labs Ultra.
Does Smart Search send my notes anywhere?
No. The Smart Search model runs on your Mac, and the index stays on your Mac. Noter does not need an account or an API key.