Lokus
What Lokus is
Lokus is a personal knowledge OS for thinking, research, and creative work. It stores notes locally as plain Markdown files and works offline on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The editor offers live preview, syntax highlighting, tables, code blocks, and KaTeX math. Wiki links add backlinks, autocomplete, and unlinked mentions, while interactive 2D and 3D graph views and an infinite canvas help organize ideas visually. Its template system lists more than 90 capabilities, including variables, conditionals, date operations, and a JavaScript sandbox. A community plugin marketplace and developer SDK support extensions; plugins run in isolation and require approval for requested access. Optional sync uses on-device AES-256-GCM encryption, but the wrapped key is stored server-side. Sync is not real-time collaboration or backup, and concurrent edits create conflict copies. Analytics can be disabled, crash reporting is opt-in, and note content is excluded. Claude MCP is listed as an integration.
Who it suits
Lokus is aimed at students, researchers, professionals, and writers or creators who want local, offline Markdown notes. It also suits users seeking graph, canvas, template, and plugin capabilities.
What it does well
- Local plain Markdown storage
- Works offline on three desktop platforms
- Interactive 2D and 3D graph views
- Plugin marketplace with permission controls
- Analytics disable option and opt-in crash reporting
What to know first
- Sync is not real-time collaboration
- Sync is not a backup service
- Concurrent edits create conflict copies
- Wrapped sync key remains server-side
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Archivist | $15/month · All Knowledge Seeker perks · Monthly feature priority polls · Exclusive Discord channel access · Name displayed in app's About section | $15 a month |
| Knowledge Seeker | $5/month · Name in README contributors list · Special Discord badge · Early access to feature announcements · Support Lokus development | $5 a month |
| Custom Amount | $Any · Support at your comfort level · Flexible payment options | On request |
As lokusmd.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Lokus combines offline local notes with visual organization, advanced templates, and extensibility through plugins. Users considering sync should note its collaboration, backup, and key-storage limitations.
Facts from Lokus's own pages
- Free plan
- Yes · lokusmd.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Graph and canvas
- Lokus offers interactive 2D and 3D graph views and an infinite canvas for arranging notes and sketching ideas. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Claude MCP · lokusmd.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Intended users
- The features page identifies students and researchers, professionals, and writers and creators as intended users. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Linked notes
- Wiki links provide automatic backlinks, autocomplete, and unlinked mentions. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Local files
- Notes are stored locally as plain Markdown files, and the app says it works offline. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Markdown editor
- The editor supports Markdown, live preview, syntax highlighting, tables, code blocks, and KaTeX math. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Offline access
- Yes · lokusmd.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Platforms
- The download and installation pages list macOS, Windows, and Linux; the official download page lists macOS 11+, Windows 10/11, and Linux AppImage options. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Plugin permissions
- Plugins run isolated and require user approval for requested capabilities such as reading notes, writing notes, or network access. · docs.lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Plugins
- A community plugin marketplace and developer SDK let users extend Lokus with plugins. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Privacy defaults
- Analytics are limited to product usage metrics and can be disabled; crash reporting is off unless enabled, and note content is excluded from both. · docs.lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Product
- Lokus describes itself as a personal knowledge OS for thinking, researching, and creating. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Real-time collaboration
- No · lokusmd.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Support
- The site links to GitHub Discussions and Bug Reports for community help and issue reporting. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Sync encryption
- Optional sync encrypts files on-device with AES-256-GCM, but the documentation says the service is not zero-knowledge because the wrapped key is stored server-side. · docs.lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Sync limits
- Sync is not real-time collaboration or a backup service, and concurrent edits create conflict copies rather than merged documents. · docs.lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Templates
- Its template system lists over 90 features, including variables, conditionals, date operations, and a JavaScript sandbox. · lokusmd.com, 12 Oct 2026
Where Lokus stands on Freedom251
- Note-taking apps#66 of 216