Notespice

Notes without the nonsense

Write in markdown. Keep the files. Notespice runs on your own machine and saves every note as an ordinary .md file you can open with anything, for as long as you like.

Get started Try the editor
  • One container to run
  • No database
  • Nothing to sign up for
saved

This is not a screenshot. Type in it. The real editor, running here in your browser: write a note, use the whole toolbar, flip to Markdown to see exactly what gets saved to disk. Nothing you type leaves this page. (Search inside notes, import and export and the rest are in the real thing.)

Your notes are just files. That's the whole idea.

Notespice keeps your notes as plain markdown files on disk. No database, no proprietary format, nothing you can't open in any other editor the moment you stop using this one.

There's no account system, no subscription, and no third-party server holding your notes. It's one container, one folder of .md files, and an editor that works the same on your phone and your laptop.

A full markdown editor, without the baggage.

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No database

Every note is a .md file. Move it, back it up, or read it with any other tool. Nothing is locked away.

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The markdown you actually use

Tables, footnotes, task lists, strikethrough and coloured callouts, all written back out as ordinary markdown any other editor can read.

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Blank lines that stay

Press Enter three times and the extra empty line is really there, saved as a literal <br> line in the markdown, so the gap is still there wherever you open the file next.

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Zero-dependency editor

A small hand-written markdown converter, not a third-party library loaded from a CDN, so there is nothing external to version-mismatch or break.

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Self-hosted

Runs in one Docker container. Your notes live on your own disk, not someone else's server.

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Dark throughout

One considered dark palette everywhere. No theme setting to hunt for.

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Import / export

One click exports every note and attachment as a dated zip. Import it right back in, always yours to take.

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Installable PWA

Add it to your home screen. Use it like a native app, on desktop or mobile.

Questions people ask

Where are my notes actually stored?

In a folder you choose on your own machine, one ordinary .md file per note. Nothing is held in a database and nothing is kept on anybody else's server. You can open that folder in any file manager and read the notes with any text editor.

Does Notespice send anything to you or to anyone else?

No. The software makes no outbound connections of its own. It does not check for updates, report errors, or load fonts, scripts or images from another company. Everything it needs ships inside the container.

What does it cost?

Nothing. It is free software under version 3 of the GNU General Public Licence, which lets you use it, change it and pass it on, so long as what you pass on stays free in the same way. There is no paid tier, no account and nothing held back.

What do I need to run it?

A machine that runs Docker, and two folders on disk: one for your notes and one for the app's own small amount of state. It listens on port 8080 by default. There is nothing else to install.

Can I read my notes in another app?

Yes, and that is the point. They are plain markdown files, so any editor opens them. If you stop using Notespice tomorrow, the notes stay exactly where they are and nothing needs converting.

How do I get everything out at once?

One button exports every note and attachment as a dated zip file. The same zip imports straight back in, so it doubles as a backup you can check by opening it.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. It installs to a phone or a desktop like an app, and the editor is built for a touch screen as well as a keyboard.

Which parts of markdown does it support?

The parts most people use: headings, bold and italic, lists, task lists, tables, footnotes, strikethrough, code blocks and coloured callouts. It is not a complete implementation of the markdown specification. Reference links, indented code blocks and raw HTML blocks, for instance, are not supported.

Running in about two minutes.

Notespice ships as a Docker image. Point it at two folders on disk, one for your notes and one for the app's own small bit of state, and it takes care of the rest.

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  notespice:
    image: ghcr.io/lightmorphic/notespice:latest
    container_name: notespice
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      NOTES_USERNAME: "admin"
      NOTES_PASSWORD: "changeMe!"
    volumes:
      - /opt/media/notes:/notes
      - /opt/notespice:/data
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
  1. Create the data folderssudo mkdir -p /opt/media/notes /opt/notespice
  2. Start the containerdocker compose up -d
  3. Open itVisit http://your-server:8080 and write your first note

That is the whole thing. No account to create, no plan to choose, and nothing to cancel later. If you stop using it tomorrow, your notes are already sitting in a folder you own, in a format that outlives all of us.