OneTimeLocal-first markdown notes — your knowledge base is a folder of plain .md files you own.
Notion charges $12/month per seat and keeps your notes in their cloud, in their format. Obsidian is free but charges monthly for sync. Quillpad is a fast, beautiful desktop notes app where every note is a real markdown file in a folder you picked — wikilinks, backlinks, tags, daily notes, global quick capture — and your entire "knowledge base" outlives every notes startup.
Quillpad in 60 seconds
Everything in the box
Fast desktop notes with wikilinks, backlinks, tags, daily notes and global quick capture.
Your vault is just a folder
Notes are real .md files, folders are folders. Edit them in any other app — Quillpad watches the disk and refreshes live.
Live-styled markdown editor
CodeMirror 6 with inline preview styling — sized headings, rendered bold/italic, highlighted code. Ctrl+E toggles full preview.
[[Wikilinks]] + backlinks
Type [[ for fuzzy autocomplete over every note; aliases supported; missing notes are created on click. Every note shows who links to it, with context.
Tags
#hashtags anywhere appear in the sidebar — click to filter.
Full-text search + quick switcher
Instant search with highlighted matches across the vault; Ctrl+P jumps to any note, recent first.
Daily notes
Ctrl+D opens (or creates) today's daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md.
Global quick capture
Ctrl+Shift+N from anywhere in Windows pops a tiny window; Enter appends to inbox.md.
100% local
No account, no cloud, no database, no telemetry, no network calls — ever.
Quillpad vs Notion
Notion charges $12/mo per seat. Here's what actually differs.
| Quillpad | Notion | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | $12/mo per seat |
| Cost after 3 years | $29 | $432 |
| Your data | Plain .md files in your folder | Their cloud, their format |
| Works offline | Always | Partially |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Export needed to leave | Never — it's already files | Yes |
| Wikilinks + backlinks | Yes | Linked mentions |
| Telemetry | None | Yes |
Two and a half months of one Notion seat pays for Quillpad — and your notes stop being hostages.
One price. No asterisks.
Desktop app — pay once, it's yours on your machine forever.
Download Quillpad
install, then sign in with Whop. Your purchase unlocks it; there is no licence key to enter.
Quillpad
Windows and macOS. Buy once, download any time — this page always links the current build.
Up and running in three steps
Buy once on Whop
One-time $29 for the signed one-click Windows installer with auto-updates.
Point it at a folder
Use the starter vault under Documents or pick any existing folder of markdown — it just works, live.
Write, link, capture
Wikilinks with autocomplete, backlinks with context, daily notes on Ctrl+D, and quick capture from anywhere in Windows.
Fair questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — MIT source at github.com/bensblueprints/quillpad-notes-mvp, always. $29 buys the signed installer with auto-updates.
How do I sync between machines?
Your vault is a plain folder, so any file sync works: Dropbox, Google Drive, Syncthing, git. There's no built-in sync service — that's a feature, not a gap: it's why there's no account and no monthly fee. If you want turnkey encrypted mobile sync, Obsidian Sync is good at that.
Can it replace Notion databases?
No — Quillpad is notes, links and tags, not tables, kanbans and formulas. If your workspace is really a database app, Notion earns its seat fee. If it's actually a pile of documents, files are better.
What happens if Quillpad disappears?
Nothing — your notes are already plain markdown files in your own folder. Open them in anything. That's the whole point.
Is there a mobile app?
No — Quillpad is a desktop app (Windows installer; MIT source builds on macOS/Linux). On your phone, any markdown editor pointed at your synced folder works with the same files.
Related tools
More pay-once apps from the OneTimeSuite catalog.
More about Quillpad
Every page we publish about this app — comparisons, personas, platforms and the problems it solves.
Platforms
Stop renting. Own Quillpad.
Fast desktop notes with wikilinks, backlinks, tags, daily notes and global quick capture.
Get Quillpad — $29 once