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, and sync with end-to-end encryption to your iPhone and iPad.
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.
Version history
Noter keeps up to 50 earlier versions of each note inside your folder. Synced vaults also back up every version, encrypted.
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.
Tables
Table columns fit their content. A table wider than the editor scrolls sideways instead of squeezing its text.
Open from Finder
Open a Markdown file from Finder and Noter shows it. A note inside your folder is also revealed in the sidebar.
Automatic updates
Noter checks for new versions on its own and offers to install them. Run Check for updates in the command palette to check now.
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 on iPhone and iPad.
Noter for iPhone and iPad opens the vaults you sync from your Mac. Read, write, and search your notes anywhere, and every change syncs back.
Coming soon to the App Store · iOS 18 or later
- Markdown styles as you type, with a format bar for headings, lists, tasks, and links.
- Smart Search finds notes by meaning with a model that runs on your iPhone or iPad.
- The same ten themes as Noter for Mac, in light and dark.
Sync that only your devices can read.
Noter Sync keeps a vault the same on your Macs, iPhone, and iPad. Each device encrypts a note before it uploads it.
- Your vault password stays on your devices. The sync service cannot read your notes or their file and folder names.
- Earlier versions of each note are backed up with it, encrypted, so you can restore them later.
- Noter shows a live sync percent until your notes are safely synced.
- Free includes 100 MiB of sync storage. Noter Pro includes 10 GiB for $5 a month or $50 a year.
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.
Noter for Mac
Download for macOSFree · macOS 11 or later · Apple silicon · Automatic updates
Noter for iPhone and iPad
Coming soon to the App Store · iOS 18 or later
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 Noter account and set a vault password to sync a vault between your Macs, iPhone, and iPad. Your notes are encrypted before they leave your device.
Is there an app for iPhone and iPad?
Yes. Noter for iPhone and iPad opens the vaults you sync from Noter on your Mac, and it is coming soon to the App Store. It needs iOS 18 or later.
What does Noter Pro include?
Noter Pro includes 10 GiB of encrypted sync storage per account for $5 a month or $50 a year.
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.