Local
Private Space
- A folder of .md files that you choose
- Works offline, with no account
- Search and links use an index on your computer
- Nothing is uploaded unless you move it
Thoth: Your notes. Your files.
Thoth is an open-source notes app. Everything you write is a Markdown file in a folder on your computer, and a page reaches your team only when you share it.
Version 0.2.0 · 26 October 2026 · macOS, Windows, Linux
The web app opens workspaces on a free demo server with limits. Accounts unused for 90 days are deleted, and the demo may be reset, so keep anything important in your Private Space.
One page, two ways to write it
Blocks gives you headings, to-dos, callouts and toggles from a slash menu. Plain shows the same page as the Markdown text it is saved as, with a live preview.
Both edit the same file. Switch with Ctrl+Shift+E (Cmd+Shift+E on a Mac); text you did not touch is never rewritten.
Notes / Weekend plans
Weekend plans
A slow Saturday, then the coast on Sunday.
Packing list
Book the train
Sunscreen, a blanket and the camera
Leave by eight to miss the traffic.
Trail notes
Take the cliff path at low tide.
# Weekend plans
A slow Saturday, then the coast on Sunday.
## Packing list
- [x] Book the train
- [ ] Sunscreen, a blanket and the camera
> [!note] Leave by eight to miss the traffic.
> [!toggle]+ Trail notes
> Take the cliff path at low tide.
See Thoth at work
A short tour of the desktop app: writing in Blocks and Plain, importing notes from Notion, and sharing a page through a workspace. It has music and no voice; captions describe each scene.
What the video shows
- A Private Space opens: an ordinary folder of Markdown files on the computer.
- A page is written in Blocks mode with the slash menu and a toggle, then the same page is shown in Plain mode as Markdown text.
- A Notion export is imported, and the import report lists what came across.
- A page is shared through a workspace. Someone else edits it at the same time, Thoth shows the conflict, and Keep both saves both versions.
- Closing title: Thoth is open source, and your notes stay yours.
What Thoth does
Thoth pairs a block editor like Notion's with plain Markdown files that you own. These are the parts that make it different.
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Your notes are files
Your Private Space is a folder of Markdown files on your computer. It works offline, needs no account, and stays readable in any text editor, even if you stop using Thoth.
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Blocks and Plain, one file
Write with blocks, a slash menu and toggles, or switch to Plain to edit the Markdown itself with a live preview. Both edit the same file, and switching never rewrites text you did not touch.
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Bring Notion and Obsidian notes
Import a Notion export or an Obsidian vault. Links are kept, and a report lists anything that could not come across, such as Notion formulas and views.
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Shared workspaces
Copy or move pages into a workspace to work with others. Members are owners, editors or viewers, and earlier versions of each page are kept.
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No silent overwrites
Thoth saves only if the page is still the version you opened. If someone or another app changed it, you choose: keep mine, keep theirs, or keep both.
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AI edits you review first
The Agent Hub runs Claude Code, which you install yourself, on the pages you pick. Each change it proposes is shown as a diff, and nothing is written until you choose Apply. In the desktop app since 0.1.2.
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An open protocol
Clients and servers talk over a documented REST API with an OpenAPI description and a conformance suite, so anyone can build another server or client.
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Run your own server
The demo runs on the Thoth server, which is built to be hosted by anyone: Node.js and PostgreSQL in a container, started with Podman or Docker Compose.
How Thoth compares
Thoth, Notion and Obsidian side by side, on where your notes live and how you share them. Each cell comes from that product's own documentation.
| Topic | Thoth | Notion | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where notes live | Markdown files in a folder on your computer; shared pages on a Thoth server | On Notion's servers (the cloud) | Markdown files in a folder on your computer (a vault) |
| Offline | The whole Private Space, with no account | Pages you make available offline, in the desktop and mobile apps | The whole vault |
| File format | Markdown (CommonMark and GFM) | Notion's own; export to Markdown and CSV, HTML or PDF | Markdown |
| Working with others | Workspaces with owner, editor and viewer roles, and a conflict check on every save | Shared pages and workspaces, edited together in real time | Shared vaults through the paid Obsidian Sync, without live editing of one file |
| Self-hosting | Planned; the server's code is not published yet | No | No server to host; Sync and Publish are Obsidian's own services |
| AI assistant | The Agent Hub runs Claude Code, which you install, on pages you pick; you review each change first | Notion AI, built in | None built in; community plugins add some |
Checked against each product's documentation on 26 October 2026. Plans and features change; their own pages have the details.
From private note to shared page
Thoth has two kinds of places. Your Private Space lives on your computer as Markdown files and never leaves it on its own. A Workspace lives on a Thoth server and is shared with the people you invite. Pages move between them only when you copy or move them.
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It starts as a file on your computer.
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Then you connect a server.
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You see where it goes first.
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Now the team edits it with you.
Two kinds of places
Workspace
Workspace
- Stored on a Thoth server: the demo server or your own
- Members with owner, editor or viewer roles
- Page history and a conflict check on every save
- Open it in the desktop app or, on the demo server, in your browser
The web app opens workspaces on the demo server only. Your Private Space needs the desktop app, because a browser cannot keep a folder of files on your computer.
Download Thoth Early preview
The desktop app is free, and it is the only way to open your Private Space. Version 0.2.0 is an early preview: the core works and some edges are still rough. Whatever happens, your notes stay ordinary Markdown files in your folder.
macOS
Apple silicon and Intel
The first time you open it
macOS may say it can't check the app for malicious software. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway. You only do this once.
SHA-256 checksums
To check a download, compare these with the output of shasum -a 256 on macOS and Linux, or Get-FileHash in PowerShell on Windows.
- Thoth_0.2.0_universal.dmg
c8aaa2762bf35dd97c1c7fca8ae3f57b6499ea97d1e1a973289cf08aa44b4e9d
Windows
64-bit Intel and AMD (x64)
The first time you open it
Windows SmartScreen may warn about an unknown publisher. Choose More info → Run anyway.
SHA-256 checksums
To check a download, compare these with the output of shasum -a 256 on macOS and Linux, or Get-FileHash in PowerShell on Windows.
- Thoth_0.2.0_x64-setup.exe
077d3491c4d56c8e3f9be3047cbcf225992b5cc43b5f2ab8f9697231cc654b0a- Thoth_0.2.0_x64_en-US.msi
2a01329cfc87ab2ade5c2f6e96084c6e6d20edc5f6e6b0f0dbe59977a34d53a8
Linux
64-bit Intel and AMD (x64)
The first time you open it
AppImage: make the file executable, then run it.
.deb: install it with your package manager.
SHA-256 checksums
To check a download, compare these with the output of shasum -a 256 on macOS and Linux, or Get-FileHash in PowerShell on Windows.
- Thoth_0.2.0_amd64.AppImage
a1decb0b28b7cb87562682602263b45527cf879b3a93ff113a50e880873046a9- Thoth_0.2.0_amd64.deb
760aa4ae71cb7050e424e1fe4150cf93b40e818230f267b52d60fa3c34b4e69f
These early builds are not yet code-signed by Apple or Microsoft, so your system asks once before the first launch.
Host your own server Coming soon
You will be able to run the Thoth server yourself. The server's code will be published on GitHub. Until then, the demo server is the only Thoth server.
It is the same server that runs the demo, without the demo's limits: Node.js 24 and PostgreSQL, packaged as a container image with a Compose file. Sign-in works with Google, GitHub or any OpenID Connect provider, such as Keycloak or Authentik.
What you will need
- A machine that runs Podman or Docker
- PostgreSQL 14 or newer (the Compose file includes one)
- A domain with HTTPS, through a reverse proxy
- A sign-in provider, or personal access tokens for a one-person server
What's new
Thoth 0.2.0: an assistant, windows, share links and members
Thoth 0.2.0 adds the Thoth assistant with Codex and Claude Code, images in pages, notifications, tab windows, share links, invite links and an MCP server.
Questions and answers
Short answers to the questions people ask first.
What is Thoth?
Thoth is an open-source note-taking app that stores your notes as Markdown files on your computer. You can share chosen pages with other people through a workspace on a Thoth server.
Is Thoth free?
Yes. Thoth is open source under the Apache-2.0 license, and the app and the server cost nothing. The demo server is free too, with limits.
Does Thoth work offline?
Yes. The Private Space needs no network and no account. Only workspaces need a connection to their server.
Where are my notes stored?
Private Space notes are Markdown files in a folder you pick, plus a small .thoth folder for the search index and import records. Workspace pages are stored on the server that hosts the workspace.
Can I import from Notion or Obsidian?
Yes. Thoth imports a Notion "Markdown & CSV" export and an Obsidian vault, as a folder or a ZIP. Notion databases arrive as CSV files plus one page per row; formulas, relations and views do not, and the import report lists what was left out.
What is the difference between Blocks and Plain?
Blocks is a block editor with a slash menu, drag handles and toggles. Plain edits the Markdown text directly, with a live preview. Both open the same file, and you can switch a page with Ctrl+Shift+E (Cmd+Shift+E on a Mac).
What can the web app do?
The web app opens your workspaces on the Thoth demo server: browse, edit in both modes, search, resolve conflicts, see the members and, as an owner, invite people with a link. Your Private Space needs the desktop app.
What are the demo server's limits?
Each account can own up to 3 workspaces, each with up to 10 members, 200 pages and 20 MB of attachments. Accounts unused for 90 days are deleted, and the demo may be reset, so keep anything important in your Private Space.
Can I host my own server?
Not yet. The server's code will be published on GitHub. Until then, the demo server is the only Thoth server. The server runs in a container with PostgreSQL, using Podman or Docker Compose.
Does Thoth track me?
The desktop app sends nothing unless you connect a server, or run Claude Code on pages you pick. This website uses Google Analytics only if you accept. The web app sends anonymous usage events, never page content, titles or names.