Local-first
A local-first notes app that keeps your notes yours.
Your notes are stored locally on your own device and work fully offline — nothing needs an account or a network connection to read or write. Sync is something you turn on, not something you depend on.
14-day free trial, no card required. macOS, Windows, and Linux.
What “local-first” actually means here
NoteLace keeps your notes in a database on your machine and works entirely offline — write on a plane, in a tunnel, anywhere. Nothing leaves your device until you decide to turn on cloud sync. There’s no required login to use the app day to day, and no spinner waiting on a server before you can type.
Local-first doesn’t mean locked in. Every note is standard Markdown, and you can export your entire vault to plain .md files whenever you want — so your writing stays portable and future-proof, not trapped in a proprietary format.
Sync when you want it — and only what you allow
Want your notes on more than one machine? Turn on cloud sync (one database per user). It’s encrypted in transit, and you can switch on an opt-in end-to-end-encrypted vault that encrypts note titles, bodies, and image attachments with a passphrase plus a recovery phrase. With it on, the sync server can’t read your content at all. It’s off by default — local-first stays the default.
Built to outlive any one app
Because your notes are Markdown on disk-backed storage and exportable at will, you’re never betting your knowledge on a company. Combine that with version history (local snapshots you can diff and restore) and you have a notebook you can trust with years of writing.
Frequently asked questions
- Does NoteLace work offline?
- Yes. The core reading and writing experience works fully offline. Cloud sync is optional and only runs when you enable it.
- Are my notes plain files on disk?
- Your notes live in a local database on your device (not as one editable file per note), and you can export the whole vault to plain Markdown .md files at any time — so they’re portable and never locked in.
- Is my data sent to a server?
- Not unless you turn on cloud sync. With sync on, data is encrypted in transit; with the opt-in end-to-end encryption enabled, the server cannot read your notes.
- What happens to my notes if I stop paying?
- You keep full read access and can export everything to Markdown. After the trial or a lapsed subscription, editing pauses until you subscribe again — your notes are never held hostage.
Keep exploring
Keep your notes local, portable, and yours.
Start your 14-day free trial. No card required.