Knotbook Beta Is Now Available: A Local-First Desktop Workspace for Notes and Research

27/09/2026 12:48 PMMantresh Khurana

Knotbook Beta Is Now Available

Today, we are introducing the beta release of Knotbook, a local-first desktop workspace for notes, PDFs, research, and connected knowledge.

Knotbook is designed around a simple principle: the information you create should remain in files you own.

Instead of placing your notes inside a proprietary cloud database, a Knotbook workspace is an ordinary folder on your computer. Notes are stored as standard Markdown files, while features such as search, backlinks, tags, and the knowledge graph are built around those files.

Knotbook is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux and can be used without creating an account.

Product Homepage: https://knotbook.app

Download Knotbook: https://knotbook.app/download

Knotbook on Spyxpo: https://spyxpo.com/projects/knotbook/

A Workspace Built Around Files You Own

Knotbook treats your files as the source of truth.

Every note is stored as an ordinary .md file inside a workspace folder you choose. This means your notes can be opened with other Markdown-compatible editors and remain accessible independently of Knotbook.

Search indexes, backlinks, tags, and other workspace information are generated from those files and can be rebuilt when necessary.

There is no requirement to move your notes into a separate Knotbook cloud. You can back up your workspace, put it under version control, or use an existing file synchronization service according to your own workflow.

This approach is intended to keep a knowledge base portable even as the tools around it change.

Write in Markdown and Connect Your Notes

At the center of Knotbook is a Markdown editor built for both straightforward writing and connected knowledge work.

Notes can be linked using familiar [[wikilinks]]. Each note can also display backlinks, making it easier to discover other notes that reference the current page.

The editor supports common and advanced writing features including:

Headings
Tables
Callouts
Mathematical notation
Mermaid diagrams
Tags
Properties
Daily notes
Templates
Local version history

Every save is kept as a local version that can be restored when needed.

Knotbook also provides alternative ways to work with the same information, including a canvas, outliner, database-style folder views, and a dedicated tasks panel.

Search Across Notes and PDFs

Research often becomes fragmented between a notes application, PDF reader, browser, and folders full of downloaded documents.

Knotbook is designed to bring those materials into the same searchable workspace.

Its search system can return results from:

Note titles
Headings
Note content
Indexed PDF text

Results update as you type, while the command palette provides fast access to actions across the application.

The search index is stored on your computer and can be rebuilt from the underlying workspace files.

Knotbook can also open an existing Obsidian vault or another folder containing Markdown files without first converting them into a proprietary Knotbook format.

PDFs Beside the Notes Written About Them

Knotbook allows PDFs to sit alongside the notes and research connected to them.

PDF text can be indexed for search, allowing a relevant passage deep inside a document to appear alongside matching Markdown notes.

Knotbook Pro extends the PDF workflow with tools for:

Importing PDFs
Highlighting text
Adding comments
Correcting text
Adding image stamps
Exporting annotated copies
Exporting notes as PDFs

This creates a single environment where source documents and the notes written about them can remain closely connected.

Capture Information from the Web

Research does not always begin inside a notes application, so Knotbook also includes tools for bringing external material into the workspace.

The Knotbook browser extension can send clipped pages to an inbox in the desktop application. Items can be reviewed before they are accepted into the permanent note collection.

This keeps web capture deliberate rather than automatically filling a knowledge base with everything that is saved.

Knotbook also supports RSS feeds. Articles from feeds added by the user can be stored as Markdown notes in their own folder, making them searchable and linkable like other material in the workspace.

Quick Capture provides another way to add a thought directly to the current daily note.

Local AI with KnotAI

Knotbook Pro includes KnotAI, an optional AI system designed to work with the material already stored in a Knotbook workspace.

After the required model has been downloaded, KnotAI runs on the user's computer.

It can answer questions using notes and PDFs and provides numbered citations that point back to the source passages used for an answer.

KnotAI can also assist with tasks including:

Summarising notes and documents
Drafting text
Answering questions about workspace content
Transcribing audio

According to Knotbook's current product documentation, notes are not sent to a remote server to generate KnotAI answers. Web results are disabled by default and can be enabled for an individual message when required.

The model is downloaded during setup and can then operate locally.

Live Collaboration

Knotbook also includes live note collaboration.

A live session can be started from a note and shared using a six-digit code. Participants joining the session can work on the same note, and the session can be changed to read-only when the content only needs to be presented.

Note content transmitted during these sessions is end-to-end encrypted.

The Free edition supports live sessions with up to 5 people, while Knotbook Pro increases the limit to 10 people.

Built-in synchronization between a user's own devices is not included in the beta yet. Because a workspace remains a normal folder, users can continue using their existing file synchronization solution.

Privacy and Local-First Architecture

Local-first is a central part of Knotbook's design rather than an additional storage option.

During normal use, notes, search data, backlinks, and indexed PDF text remain on the user's computer.

Knotbook also states that the desktop application includes no analytics or telemetry.

Network access is used only for specific functions, including:

Checking for application updates
Downloading the KnotAI model during setup
Retrieving RSS feeds configured by the user
Optional KnotAI web searches
Validating a Pro licence

KnotAI answers themselves are computed on the user's computer.

Free to Start, Pro Paid Once

Knotbook can be used for free and does not require an account for its core functionality.

The Free edition currently includes features such as:

Markdown notes
Links and backlinks
Search
Canvas
RSS feeds
Web clipping
Templates
Extensions
Live sessions for up to five people

Knotbook Pro is currently listed at ₹2,999 as a one-time purchase.

Pro adds:

KnotAI
PDF importing
PDF annotations
Graph view
Note-to-PDF export
Live sessions for up to ten people

One Pro licence can currently unlock Pro functionality on up to three devices.

The Beta Release

This beta represents the first stage of making Knotbook available as a broader desktop product.

The core workflow is already in place: write in Markdown, connect related notes, search across notes and documents, keep PDFs alongside research, collect information from the web, collaborate on notes, and optionally use local AI.

At the same time, Knotbook remains a beta product.

Features and workflows will continue to develop as the project receives testing, feedback, and further development.

Built-in workspace synchronization, for example, is not currently part of the beta.

Users who begin working with Knotbook during the beta can follow the product's development and project information through both the Knotbook website and its official Spyxpo project page.

Follow the Knotbook Project on Spyxpo

Knotbook is a product of Spyxpo, operated by Spyxpo Technologies Private Limited. The official Spyxpo project directory currently lists Knotbook as an Active Software project.

For project information, development status, documentation references, tracking, updates, discussions, developer information, and additional details, visit the official Knotbook project page on Spyxpo:

https://spyxpo.com/projects/knotbook/

The project page provides a central location for following Knotbook beyond the product website and also provides an option to subscribe for project updates.

Download Knotbook

Knotbook is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Download the latest available version from:

https://knotbook.app/download

For product information, features, pricing, templates, extensions, and documentation, visit:

https://knotbook.app

For project status, tracking, discussions, updates, and further project information, visit:

https://spyxpo.com/projects/knotbook/

Knotbook is being built for people who want a modern workspace for notes and research without giving up control of the files underneath it.

The beta is the beginning of that work.

Developers

Knotbook is developed and maintained by contributors working on the project.

Uditi Singh's GitHub profile identifies her as Uditi Singh under the Uditi-Creator account.

For the Knotbook project developer section and current project credits, visit:

https://spyxpo.com/projects/knotbook/#developers

The Spyxpo project page currently provides the public project profile, status, developer section, discussion area, and subscription option for future project updates.

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