Overview

Tolaria is an open-source, Markdown-based note-taking and personal knowledge management app for Mac, built for the AI era. Notes are stored as plain Markdown files with YAML frontmatter on your local filesystem, so there's no proprietary database and you always own your data. It features a block-based editor with slash commands, wikilinks, and drag-and-drop image support, plus native relationships between notes as first-class citizens. Built-in Git integration provides version control, commit history, and cross-device syncing. For AI workflows, Tolaria ships with an AI chat sidebar and full MCP (Model Context Protocol) server support, making it a natural pairing with Claude Code and other MCP-compatible tools that can read, search, and edit your notes. Created by Luca (founder of the Refactoring newsletter) from 5 years of full-time writing experience managing over 9,000 notes. Free forever, open source, and no account required.

Pricing: Free (open source)

Architecture: Apple Silicon, Intel

Key Features

Notes stored as local Markdown files with YAML frontmatter (no proprietary database)
Block-based editor with slash commands
Wikilinks and native relationships between notes as first-class citizens
Drag-and-drop image support
Built-in Git integration for version control and commit history
Cross-device syncing via Git
AI chat sidebar integrated into the app
Full MCP server support for Claude Code and other MCP-compatible tools
Local-first and privacy-respecting — your data stays on your machine
Open source and free forever
No account required