# ZenNotes/zennotes

Keyboard-first local Markdown notes with Vim motions, diagrams, and MCP integration.

Repository: https://github.com/ZenNotes/zennotes
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/zennotes
Homepage: https://zennotes.org
Language: TypeScript
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: electron, local-first, markdown, mcp, notes, vim
Last push: 2026-08-26T15:56:17+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 87, longevity 10
- inputs: {"age_days": 144, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 8, "gap_med": 0.0, "n_releases_24m": 93}
- flags: young
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2350, forks 133 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:40.230045+00:00)

## What it is
ZenNotes is a keyboard-first, local-first Markdown notes application with real Vim motions, split panes, diagrams (Mermaid, TikZ, KaTeX math), tasks, tags, and Notion-style CSV table/board views. It ships as an Electron desktop app, a self-hosted web app backed by a Go server, and includes a bundled MCP server and zen CLI so AI assistants can edit the same plain .md files on disk.

## Use cases
- take markdown notes with vim keybindings
- keep notes as plain local md files instead of a proprietary database
- let Claude or another AI assistant read and edit my notes via MCP
- render mermaid diagrams and math in my notes
- self-host a notes app in a browser with Docker
- manage tasks and tags across a personal knowledge vault
- use Notion-style tables and boards over plain csv files
- write daily notes and search my vault from the keyboard

## When to choose
- you know Vim and want real motions, operators, macros, and ex commands in a note editor
- you want local-first plain-text Markdown files you fully own and can sync or back up yourself
- you want an MCP server so AI assistants work directly on your vault
- you need cross-platform desktop apps plus a self-hosted web option
- you want diagrams, KaTeX math, and CSV-based tables without leaving Markdown

## When to avoid
- you want a polished collaborative notes product with built-in cloud sync as the primary experience
- you prefer a GUI-first, mouse-driven editor with no modal editing
- you need a mobile-first experience as your main workflow
- you want a mature project with a long track record and large community

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: editor, markdown, mcp, search-engine, cli, pdf, data-visualization
- domain: developer-tools, text-editors, self-hosted, files
- platform: windows, cross-platform, self-hosted, cli
- tags: notes-app, vim-motions, local-first, markdown-editor, mcp-server, knowledge-base, mermaid-diagrams, csv-database, daily-notes, raycast, macos, linux, electron, ios, android, web-server, docker

## Member repositories
- ZenNotes/zennotes (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:40.230045+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:36:55.654926+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ZenNotes/zennotes (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:40.230045+00:00, sha 0df9aa1b867b)
  - homepage: https://zennotes.org (fetched 2026-08-29T10:17:45.884023+00:00, sha 4755d550d3be)
  - site_page: https://zennotes.org/docs (fetched 2026-08-29T10:17:45.893480+00:00, sha fd9b0eb5db7d)
  - site_page: https://zennotes.org/releases (fetched 2026-08-29T10:17:45.900463+00:00, sha 501f964a42ec)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.