<img src="./assets/icon.png" alt="Otterly icon" width="120">

Otterly

Otterly is a local-first Markdown editor and privacy-focused note-taking app for people who want plain files, fast search, wiki-links, and desktop performance without accounts or cloud lock-in.

Your notes stay as normal Markdown files in a folder you control. Otterly adds the workflow you actually want on top: tabs, backlinks, search, git-aware status, themes, hotkeys, and a command-first omnibar.

Download

| Platform | Direct download | Install | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | macOS Apple Silicon | .dmg | Open the DMG and drag Otterly into Applications. | | macOS Intel | .dmg | Open the DMG and drag Otterly into Applications. | | Windows x64 | setup.exe | Run the installer. | | Linux x64 | .AppImage | Make it executable, then run it. | | Debian/Ubuntu | .deb | Install with your package manager or double-click it. |

See the latest release if you want checksums, signatures, or every packaged asset.

Local-First Markdown Editor

• Plain Markdown files in a normal folder
• No accounts, no sync subscription, no proprietary database
• Tauri desktop app with native-feeling performance
• Wiki-links, backlinks, and outlinks built in
• Search files, content, commands, and settings from one omnibar
• Git-aware status and version history support
• Rebindable hotkeys and built-in dark/light themes

<p align="center"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-hero-dark.png" alt="Otterly dark theme showing Markdown notes, file tree, tabs, wiki-links, and git-aware status." width="92%"> </p>

Features

Writing and Formatting

Otterly keeps the editor close to Markdown while still feeling like a real writing tool. The goal is to make common structure, media, and formatting tasks feel native instead of plugin-dependent.

<p align="center"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-hero-dark.png" alt="Otterly editor with Markdown content, tabs, file tree, and formatting controls in the main writing view." width="92%"> </p> <details> <summary>Supported capabilities</summary>

• Headings, lists, checklists, tables, quotes, and fenced code blocks
• Slash-driven insertion flow for common block types
• Resizable code blocks with per-tab restore
• Inline and block images with paste/import support
• Resizable images and image captions in the editor
• Plain Markdown files on disk instead of a proprietary note format

</details>

Navigation and Connected Notes

Search, commands, wiki-links, backlinks, and outlinks are part of the core workflow. You can move through a vault from the keyboard, then inspect note relationships without losing context.

<p align="center"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-omnibar.png" alt="Otterly omnibar showing command results for search, navigation, and git actions." width="45%"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-links.png" alt="Otterly links panel showing backlinks and outlinks for the current Markdown note." width="50%"> </p> <details> <summary>Supported capabilities</summary>

• One omnibar for files, note content, commands, and settings
• [[wiki-links]] with backlink and outlink views
• Full-text search across your vault
• File tree and folder navigation
• Starred notes for quick access
• Command-first flow for opening dialogs and actions without hunting through menus

</details>

Tabs, Workflow, and Daily Use

Otterly is designed for working across multiple notes at once, not just opening one file at a time. Tabs, keyboard shortcuts, recent state, and quick vault actions are treated as first-class features.

<p align="center"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-dashboard.png" alt="Otterly vault dashboard showing note count, folder count, recent activity, and quick actions." width="40%" align="center"> </p> <details> <summary>Supported capabilities</summary>

• Multiple tabs open at the same time
• Drag-reorder tabs within pinned and unpinned groups
• Pin important tabs so they stay anchored
• Restore tab sessions, cursor position, scroll state, and code block sizes
• Close other tabs, close tabs to the right, and reopen recently closed tabs
• Rebindable hotkeys for navigation and actions
• Vault dashboard with recent notes and quick actions

</details>

Themes and Personalization

Themes are not just a dark-mode toggle. Otterly supports built-in themes and editable user themes so you can tune typography, spacing, colors, and code presentation without changing your files.

<p align="center"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-hero-dark.png" alt="Otterly dark theme workspace." width="48%"> <img src="./assets/readme/readme-hero-light.png" alt="Otterly light theme workspace." width="48%"> </p> <details> <summary>Supported capabilities</summary>

• Built-in dark and light themes
• Duplicate, rename, and delete custom themes
• Adjustable accent color, typography, spacing, and editor padding
• Theme controls for headings, blockquotes, inline code, code blocks, and tables
• Persistent active theme and user theme library
• Keyboard shortcut customization stored in app settings

</details>

Versioning, Safety, and File Ownership

Otterly stays close to the filesystem while still giving you guardrails for day-to-day work. The app surfaces git-aware state and preserves enough workspace context that you do not lose your place when you come back.

<details> <summary>Supported capabilities</summary>

• Plain Markdown notes in folders you control
• Git-aware file status in the workspace
• Version history and checkpoints from the app
• Dirty-tab tracking and save-aware close flows
• Session restore for open work
• Recent notes and starred paths persisted per vault

</details>

Why Otterly

Most note apps ask you to choose between polished UX and file ownership.

Otterly is for people who want both:

• a privacy-focused note-taking app
• a local-first Markdown editor
• an Obsidian alternative that stays close to plain files
• a desktop notes app that does not require plugin hunting to feel usable

If you stop using Otterly, your notes are still just Markdown files in a folder you already own.

Build From Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• pnpm
• Rust toolchain
• Platform-specific build tools from Tauri prerequisites

Run

pnpm install
pnpm tauri dev

Build

pnpm tauri build

Contributing

Otterly uses a ports-and-adapters architecture so the business logic stays testable and the UI remains replaceable.

• Architecture: docs/architecture.md
• Coding guidelines: devlog/coding_guidelines.md
• Validation:

pnpm check
pnpm lint
pnpm test
cd src-tauri && cargo check
pnpm format

Star History

License

MIT. See LICENSE.