Text Editor

HelixNotes – local-first Markdown note-taking app

HelixNotes is a local-first markdown note-taking app built with Tauri, SvelteKit, and Rust.

Your notes are stored as standard Markdown files on your local filesystem. No cloud, no lock-in.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

  • Markdown editor with rich formatting toolbar, slash commands, and source mode.
  • Wiki-links — link notes with [[Note Title]] syntax.
  • Graph view — visualize connections between your notes.
  • Full-text search powered by Tantivy.
  • AI writing tools — improve, summarize, translate, and more (Anthropic / OpenAI).
  • Version history — per-note snapshots with diff view.
  • Backups — automatic zip-based vault backups.
  • PDF preview — inline rendering of embedded PDFs.
  • Obsidian import — convert Obsidian wiki-links to standard markdown.
  • Themes — light/dark mode with customizable accent colors and fonts.
  • Focus mode — distraction-free writing.
  • Local-first — everything stays on your machine.

Website: codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes
Support:
Developer: ArkHost
License: GNU Affero General Public License v3.0

HelixNotes

HelixNotes is written in Rust. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.


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Read our verdict in the software roundup.


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