Hillnote
What Hillnote is
Hillnote is a local-first markdown workspace for notes, drawings, databases, plans, and other work. Its desktop workspace includes documents, databases, kanban boards, calendars, slides, and canvases built on markdown files. Workspaces are stored as plain markdown in a folder you choose, with syncing off until enabled. The editor, workspace, and local AI through Ollama or Apple Intelligence can work offline. You can choose Claude or GPT for tasks and provide note context. Connections include Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub, OneDrive, Cursor, Gemini, ChatGPT, and MCP. Notes can be shared, but real-time collaboration is not supported. Hillnote runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The Free plan costs nothing and includes unlimited local documents and workspaces plus 100MB synced storage. Plus costs $2 a month billed yearly; Pro costs $20 a month billed yearly. No sign-up or credit card is needed.
Who it suits
Hillnote suits builders, designers, product teams, writers, creators, marketers, researchers, and personal users needing offline, local-first workspaces. It also fits people who want optional AI and cloud-drive connections.
What it does well
- Plain-markdown local storage
- Offline editor and local AI
- Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Free plan with unlimited local workspaces
- Multiple AI and drive integrations
What to know first
- No real-time collaboration
- Free synced storage limited to 100MB
- Notes without passwords are readable by the service
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 forever · 100MB synced storage · limited premium model use · core editor · local AI · collaboration on synced workspaces | Free |
| Extra credits | $10 one-time · For heavier frontier-model use | $10, paid once |
| Extra storage | $10/ year · 1GB of extra synced storage | $10 a year |
| Plus | $20/ year · Annual plan only · 1GB synced storage · publish 1 workspace · custom domain mapping · up to 3 routines · bring your own API key | $20 a year |
| Pro | $200/ year · Two months free · 10GB synced storage · publish up to 6 workspaces · up to 5 routines · 30× premium model usage vs other plans | $200 a year |
As hillnote.com lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Hillnote combines markdown-based local workspaces with optional syncing, publishing, and AI assistance. Its free tier supports unlimited local documents, while paid plans increase synced storage and publishing capacity.
Facts from Hillnote's own pages
- Account and billing
- The site says no sign-up or credit card is needed, and paid plans can be canceled with access retained through the billing period. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- AI
- Local models run on the device, while frontier models such as Claude or GPT receive note context when the user chooses them for a task. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Cloud storage integrations
- Hillnote lists GitHub, Google Drive, and Dropbox as synced-drive connections. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Features
- The desktop workspace includes documents, databases, kanban boards, calendars, slides, and canvases built on markdown files. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · hillnote.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- Hillnote lists Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Cursor as tools that can connect over MCP, raw files, or its built-in terminal. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Local storage
- Workspaces are stored as plain markdown in a folder the user chooses, and sync is off until enabled. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Note sharing
- Yes · hillnote.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Offline access
- Yes · hillnote.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Offline use
- The editor, workspace, and local AI via Ollama and Apple Intelligence work offline. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- windows,macos,ios,android · hillnote.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Product
- Hillnote is a local-first markdown workspace for notes, drawings, databases, plans, and other work. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Real-time collaboration
- No · hillnote.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Security
- Synced transfers use HTTPS and synced files are encrypted at rest with AES-256; password-protected notes use AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Security limit
- Notes synced without a password are readable by the service so features such as search, AI, and publishing can work. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Storage limit
- 10 · hillnote.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Support
- Support is available by email or Discord, with documentation and a known-bugs resource also provided. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- Hillnote describes itself as a workspace for creative work and presents setups for builders, designers, product teams, writers, creators, marketers, researchers, and personal use. · hillnote.com, 8 Oct 2026
Where Hillnote stands on Freedom251
- Note-taking apps#34 of 216