Zen

Write and store markdown notes securely in a local database

Pricing model

Free

Rating

★ People love it

Time to value

Immediate

You can use Zen to capture thoughts, write journals, and organize knowledge without worrying about cloud lock-in. It stores notes in standard Markdown inside a local SQLite database that you own completely. You can quickly retrieve information using full-text search with BM25 ranking, restore earlier drafts through automatic version history, and organize projects using tags and custom focus views. It also features reusable note templates, canvas layouts, image support, and an optional model context protocol server to interact with AI tools.

What Zen does

Create reusable note templates with dynamic placeholdersSearch note archives and active content instantly as you typeRestore previous versions of notes from snapshot historySelf-host a private note-taking server with Docker ComposePaste or drag-and-drop images directly into markdown entriesExport complete workspaces as markdown files and JSON dataOrganize ideas visually on an infinite spatial canvasStores all notes in standard Markdown within a local SQLite databaseFull-text search across titles, content, and archives with BM25 rankingAutomatic version history tracking every note save with one-click restoreLightweight self-hosting via a single Go binary or Docker ComposeFocus views and flexible tagging instead of rigid folder structuresSpatial canvas mode to arrange notes and images visuallyExperimental MCP server to connect AI tools directly to your notesExport backups to raw Markdown files and JSON with referenced images