# Inkdrop Overview

Inkdrop is an *AI-native* **Markdown note-taking app for developers**, available on **macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android**. It is where you keep the notes your coding agents can't hold for you — decisions, lessons, plans, and the reasoning behind them — in plain Markdown, with end-to-end encrypted sync that works out of the box.

Tagline: *"Your context, beautifully organized."* AI handles the how. You write down your why.

Inkdrop has been the daily thinking space of developers around the world since **2016**. It is built and maintained by a single independent developer, **Takuya Matsuyama** ([@craftzdog](https://x.com/inkdrop_app)), takes no VC money, and is funded entirely by subscriptions. The current major version is **v6** ([what's new in v6](https://forum.inkdrop.app/t/whats-new-in-v6/5570)).

## What "AI-native" means here

Inkdrop is not an app with a chatbot bolted on. It is built so your notes and your agents flow into each other:

1. **Your agents can read and write your notes** — the built-in [MCP server](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/mcp-server) lets Claude Code, or any MCP client, search, read, create, and update notes.
2. **Your agents know how to use it** — [Agent Skills](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/agent-skills) teach them Inkdrop's Markdown dialect and note-driven workflows, and [note templates](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/note-templates) carry instructions so agents fill them out and file their work the way you would.
3. **AI helps while you write** — an [inline AI assistant](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/inline-ai-assistant) and [Next Edit Suggestions](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/next-edit-suggestions), both bring-your-own-API-key.
4. **Reading what agents produce is the point** — plans, reports, and research render with syntax-highlighted code, Mermaid diagrams, and math, so you can review and move on.

## Platforms

- **macOS** — 12.0 or later
- **Windows** — 10 or later
- **Linux** — Ubuntu 22.04 or later
- **iOS** — 15.6 or later
- **Android** — 14.0 or later

All platforms share the same end-to-end encrypted sync. Downloads: [my.inkdrop.app/download](https://my.inkdrop.app/download)

## Quick Start

1. [Start a 30-day free trial](https://my.inkdrop.app/signup) — no credit card charge until the trial ends.
2. [Download](https://my.inkdrop.app/download) the app for your platform and sign in.
3. Write in Markdown. Press `/` on an empty line for headings, alerts, and code blocks; select text for the floating format toolbar.
4. Organize with notebooks, tags, and note statuses as your notes grow.
5. Optional — connect your agents: enable the MCP server in **Preferences → Integrations** (macOS) or **File → Settings → Integrations** (Windows/Linux), then run the setup command it gives you.

## Pricing

One plan, everything included.

| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| **Basic (monthly)** | **$9.98/mo** | Cloud sync, unlimited notes, 30GB storage, no setup or hidden fees |
| **Basic (annual)** | **$8.31/mo** — $99.80 billed annually | Same as above |

- **30-day free trial.** You are charged once the trial ends.
- **Payment:** credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) via Stripe. Card details are never sent to or stored on Inkdrop's servers.
- **No free plan** — subscriptions are the only thing funding development, which is what keeps it sustainable and keeps it from suddenly disappearing.
- **No lifetime license** — a lifetime license only pays off if you buy a new major version periodically, which pushes an app to pile on flashy features to justify the next upgrade. A subscription removes that pressure.
- **No educational discount and no regional pricing** — verifying, administering, and maintaining those across every existing subscription is more than a one-person business can take on.
- **Cancelling:** delete your account from [the Account page](https://my.inkdrop.app/account/delete). All notes and uploaded images are deleted permanently.

## AI & Agents

### MCP server

A local [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) server that gives agents access to your notes — searching, reading, creating, and updating notes, notebooks, and tags. Enable it in **Preferences → Integrations**; the app starts a local HTTP server and generates credentials, then hands you an agent-specific setup command with those credentials filled in.

For Claude Code:

```sh
claude mcp add inkdrop --scope user \
  --env INKDROP_LOCAL_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:19840 \
  --env INKDROP_LOCAL_USERNAME=your-local-server-username \
  --env INKDROP_LOCAL_PASSWORD=your-local-server-password \
  -- npx -y @inkdropapp/mcp-server
```

Package: `@inkdropapp/mcp-server` · Source: [github.com/inkdropapp/mcp-server](https://github.com/inkdropapp/mcp-server) · Docs: [MCP server](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/mcp-server)

### Agent Skills

The MCP server gives an agent the *hands*; skills give it the *know-how* — Inkdrop's Markdown dialect and note-driven workflows you'd otherwise spell out in every prompt.

```sh
npx skills@latest add inkdropapp/skills
```

- **note-taking** (model-invoked) — Markdown reference for note bodies: code-block attributes, diagrams, note links. Triggers automatically when the agent writes a note.
- **fill-out-template** (user-invoked) — completes a note created from a template by following the template's own instructions.

You can write your own with a `SKILL.md` file. Docs: [Agent Skills](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/agent-skills)

### AI-ready note templates

Ready-made notes for recurring work — a daily report, a bug-fix write-up, a feature plan. Templates carry instructions for AI, so agents fill them out properly and file their work consistently. Docs: [Note templates](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/note-templates)

### In-editor AI

- **Inline AI assistant** — select text, describe the change in plain language. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/inline-ai-assistant)
- **Next Edit Suggestions** — AI predicts what you'll type next and completes the line at your cursor. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/next-edit-suggestions)

**Bring your own API key.** Inkdrop ships no built-in AI provider and adds no AI surcharge. Supported: **Anthropic** (Claude models) and any **OpenAI-compatible** provider (Ollama, OpenRouter, Together AI, Anyscale, self-hosted). Keys are stored in your OS credential store, not in plain text. Custom models can be configured via `config.json`, and all AI features can be switched off entirely. Docs: [AI integrations](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/ai-integrations)

Note: an Anthropic subscription like Claude Pro does not cover API access — API credits are billed separately by the provider.

## Features

### Editor — express your thoughts comfortably

Write tech notes without wrestling with syntax; structure, formatting, and code blocks appear right where you type.

- **Slash commands** — press `/` on an empty line to insert headings, alerts, code blocks, and more.
- **Floating toolbar** — select text to format it: bold, italic, headings, GitHub alerts, reading highlights.
- **Code-aware autocompletion** — language suggestions when you open a code block, and autocompletion inside it.
- **Emoji autocompletion** — type `:` plus two characters for GitHub-style emoji.
- **Smarter link pasting** — paste a URL and pick a link format inline; the page title is fetched in the background so nothing interrupts your flow.
- **Inline AI assistant** and **Next Edit Suggestions** (see above).

### Renderer — reading tech notes, enjoyably

- **Advanced code blocks** — language icons, line numbers, and file-name rendering, including Markdown highlighting inside fenced `markdown` blocks.
- **Mermaid diagrams** — pan, zoom, and view full-screen; diagrams follow your theme in light and dark.
- **Math** — KaTeX rendering for inline and block equations.

### Organization — stay focused as your notes grow

- **Notes at a glance** — a note list view that keeps every project scannable in seconds.
- **Nestable notebooks** — [notebooks inside notebooks](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/organize-notebooks), with per-notebook icons.
- **Workspace view** — focus the whole app on one notebook tree when you're deep in a project.
- **Note statuses** — manage notes as tasks (active, on hold, completed, dropped) and filter the note list by status. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/note-statuses)
- **Tags** — [slice your notes](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/write-notes#tag-notes) any way you like.
- **Pin to top** — [keep notes](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/pin-notes-to-top) at the top of the list.
- **Search and filter** — [full-text search with filter qualifiers](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/search-and-filter-notes).
- **Revision history** — [recover earlier versions](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/revision-history) of a note.

### Shortcuts — your hands never leave the keyboard

- **Telescope command palette** — a Spotlight-style floating bar: run commands, jump to a notebook, or switch tags by fuzzy typing. Extensible via plugins — [telescope-toc](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/telescope-toc) navigates a note's table of contents, [telescope-themes](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/telescope-themes) switches themes.
- **Customizable keymaps** — selector-based bindings map keys to commands per context (editor, note list, app-wide), with multi-stroke and global shortcuts. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/key-customizations)
- **Vim keybindings** — full modal editing via the [vim plugin](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/vim).

### Extensibility — hackable to its core

Even the built-ins are plugins: Mermaid, math, and emoji ship on the same API you get.

- **Plugins** — [browse the plugin directory](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins) for official and community plugins: [outline view](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/sidetoc), [code folding](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/code-fold), [YouTube embeds](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/embed-youtube), [vim](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/vim), and many more — or write your own with the TypeScript plugin API. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/extend-with-plugins)
- **Themes** — themes are plugins too, e.g. [Kanagawa Lotus](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/kanagawa-lotus), [Kanagawa Dragon](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/kanagawa-dragon), [Nord](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/nord), [Solarized Dark](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins/solarized-dark).
- **Scripting** — script the app with your own [`init.js`](https://developers.inkdrop.app/guides/the-init-file), and restyle any corner of the UI with your own [`styles.css`](https://developers.inkdrop.app/guides/style-tweaks).
- **Local HTTP server** — opens your notes to anything that speaks HTTP: scripts, automations, and your agents' custom tools. [Docs](https://developers.inkdrop.app/data-access/local-http-server)

### Import, capture, and integrations

- Import from [Evernote](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/import-from-evernote), [Apple Notes](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/import-from-apple-notes), [Notion](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/import-from-notion), and [Bear](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/import-from-bear).
- [Clip web pages from the browser](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/clip-web-pages-from-browser) and [import Kindle highlights](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/import-kindle-highlights).
- Launcher integrations for [Alfred](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/integrate-with-alfred) and [Raycast](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/integrate-with-raycast).
- [Share notes on the web](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/share-notes-on-the-web) via public links.

## Sync & Security

Sync is end-to-end encrypted and works with zero setup. Your notes stay available offline.

- **End-to-end encryption** — notes, notebooks, tags, and attachments are encrypted with **AES-256 in GCM** on your own device. The 256-bit key is derived with **PBKDF2** from your login password.
- **No key escrow** — Inkdrop never stores an unencrypted copy of your key and has no recovery mechanism. Losing your password means losing access to your encrypted data, so use a password manager and keep your own backups. [Data backup docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/data-backup)
- **In transit** — TLS/SSL.
- **Two-factor authentication** — TOTP via any authenticator app. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/configure-2fa)
- **Self-hosting** — you can run your own **CouchDB-compatible** sync server, or use Inkdrop fully offline from the preferences. [Docs](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/note-synchronization#how-to-set-up-your-own-sync-server)
- **No third-party file sync** — Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, and similar are not supported; sync requires a CouchDB-compatible server. Supporting many backends would come at the cost of the stable, smooth experience Inkdrop aims for.

Full details: [Security](https://docs.inkdrop.app/security)

## Known limitations (stated plainly)

- **Images only** for attachments — arbitrary file attachments are not supported.
- **No free tier**, no lifetime license, no student discount, no regional pricing (see Pricing above for the reasoning).
- **Sync backends** are limited to Inkdrop's server or a CouchDB-compatible one.
- **No built-in AI provider** — the AI features need your own API key and are billed by that provider.

## Links

- [Home](https://www.inkdrop.app/)
- [Pricing](https://www.inkdrop.app/#pricing)
- [Start a 30-day free trial](https://my.inkdrop.app/signup)
- [Download](https://my.inkdrop.app/download)
- [Log in](https://my.inkdrop.app/)
- [Plugin directory](https://my.inkdrop.app/plugins)
- [Documentation](https://docs.inkdrop.app/)
- [Start guide](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide)
- [API / plugin developer docs](https://developers.inkdrop.app/)
- [FAQ](https://docs.inkdrop.app/faq)
- [Security](https://docs.inkdrop.app/security)
- [Troubleshooting](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/troubleshooting)
- [Migrate from v5 to v6](https://docs.inkdrop.app/reference/migrate-from-v5-to-v6)
- [Contact](https://docs.inkdrop.app/contact)
- [Terms of Use](https://docs.inkdrop.app/terms) · [Privacy Policy](https://docs.inkdrop.app/privacy) · [特定商取引法に基づく表記](https://docs.inkdrop.app/notation)

## Community

- [Forum](https://forum.inkdrop.app/) — questions, feature requests, and discussion
- [Release notes](https://forum.inkdrop.app/c/announcements/)
- [Discord](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/join-discord-server)
- [X / Twitter](https://x.com/inkdrop_app)
- [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/devaslife.bsky.social)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@craftzdog) — the developer builds Inkdrop in public
- [Blog](https://www.devas.life/)

## Note-taking guides

Inkdrop's docs include opinionated guidance on how to actually keep notes, not just how to use the app:

- [How to write Markdown notes](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/how-to-write-markdown-notes)
- [How to organize notes](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/how-to-organize-notes)
- [A low-friction note-taking system](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/low-friction-note-taking-system)
- [Issue-driven note-taking](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/issue-driven-note-taking)
- [Key note categories and examples](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/key-note-categories-and-examples)
- [Note-taking tips](https://docs.inkdrop.app/start-guide/note-taking-tips)
- [Basic writing and formatting syntax](https://docs.inkdrop.app/writing/basic-writing-and-formatting-syntax)

## Company

Inkdrop is made by **Takuya Matsuyama**, an independent developer based in Japan, and has been shipping since **2016**. It is a one-person business, not VC-funded — which is why the pricing is simple, the scope stays focused, and the app is built to last rather than to grow at any cost.

Questions or feedback: [get in touch](https://docs.inkdrop.app/contact) or post on [the forum](https://forum.inkdrop.app/).

*(Updated August 8, 2026)*