HelixNotes
by HelixNotes
What HelixNotes is
HelixNotes is a free, open-source note-taking app that edits plain Markdown files stored on your disk. Its rich editor offers slash commands, tables, syntax-highlighted code blocks, live KaTeX mathematics, and raw Markdown mode. Wiki links connect notes and provide a graph view. A Tasks view collects checklist items across notes with priorities, due dates, list view, and calendar view. Daily Notes uses a calendar for files in a Daily folder, while local full-text search uses Tantivy with a tokenizer for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean text. Optional synchronization works through WebDAV, Syncthing, Nextcloud, rsync, Git, Dropbox, or OneDrive folders. Optional AI supports Ollama, OpenAI-compatible servers, Anthropic, and OpenAI; selected text goes to cloud providers when used. Notes remain local files without server telemetry or a proprietary format.
Who it suits
It suits individuals wanting offline, local Markdown notes across Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It is not intended as a hosted workspace or team collaboration suite.
What it does well
- Stores notes as plain local Markdown files
- Works offline across desktop and mobile platforms
- Includes tasks, calendars, and linked-note graphs
- Supports multiple sync methods
- Offers local and cloud AI provider options
What to know first
- No note sharing is available
- No real-time collaboration is available
- No hosted cloud or account exists
- Cloud AI sends selected text to providers
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| HelixNotes | Free and open source · No account required · local Markdown files · no hosted cloud or team collaboration | Free |
As helixnotes.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
HelixNotes focuses on local files, offline access, structured personal notes, and flexible synchronization. Its lack of sharing, collaboration, and hosted cloud makes it a personal rather than team-oriented tool.
Facts from HelixNotes's own pages
- AI providers
- Optional AI supports local Ollama, OpenAI-compatible servers, and cloud providers Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI (GPT); selected text is sent to cloud providers' servers. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Daily notes
- Daily Notes provides a calendar for creating and browsing daily notes stored in a Daily folder in the vault. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Editor
- Its rich editor supports slash commands, tables, syntax-highlighted code blocks, live KaTeX math, and raw Markdown source mode. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2026 · helixnotes.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · helixnotes.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Import
- HelixNotes has a built-in Obsidian importer that converts wiki links and image embeds to standard Markdown. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- WebDAV,Syncthing,Nextcloud,Dropbox,OneDrive,rsync,Git,Ollama,Anthropic,OpenAI · helixnotes.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Linked notes
- Wiki links can connect notes and enable a graph view of their connections. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Maker
- The site footer says HelixNotes was built by Yuri Karamian and is powered by ArkHost. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Note sharing
- No · helixnotes.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Offline access
- Yes · helixnotes.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Supported platforms
- linux,windows,macos,android,ios · helixnotes.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Platforms and requirements
- The download page lists Linux, Windows 10/11 x64, macOS, iPhone/iPad on iOS/iPadOS 14+, and Android; it says the macOS build is for Apple Silicon and separately links an Intel Mac download. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Privacy and storage
- The docs state that notes are local plain files, there is no server or telemetry on notes, and no proprietary format. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Real-time collaboration
- No · helixnotes.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Search
- Full-text search uses Tantivy and indexes notes locally, with a CJK-aware tokenizer for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Sync and integrations
- Optional WebDAV sync works with a server the user controls; the docs also say users can sync files with Syncthing, Nextcloud, rsync, Git, or synced folders such as Dropbox and OneDrive. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Tasks
- The Tasks view collects checklist items across notes and supports priorities, due dates, list view, and a calendar view. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Version history and backups
- The app saves note version snapshots and can create automatic ZIP backups of an entire vault with configurable frequency and retention. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- What it does
- HelixNotes is a local Markdown note-taking app that edits plain .md files stored on the user's disk. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- The maker describes it as not being a hosted workspace or team collaboration suite; there is no HelixNotes cloud or account. · helixnotes.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where HelixNotes stands on Freedom251
- Notes apps#15 of 83
- Note-taking apps#60 of 216