note.md Local LLM Memory: What It Does, Pricing, Use Cases, and Alternatives

Full Guide

Last verified: July 24, 2026

note.md is a local-first macOS workspace for reading papers, managing sources, writing in Markdown, and tracing citations back to the evidence behind them. Its Premium tools add on-device semantic search, automatic indexing, research-matrix extraction, and Evidence Scan without sending the research library to a cloud model.

Identity resolved

This profile covers the product at notemd.org, built by ARSoftware UG (haftungsbeschränkt) in Germany. It is not the similarly named Markdown editor at notemd.net. The first-party company page, product site, pricing page, App Store link, and technical articles all identify the same macOS research product.

What note.md does

The free workspace combines a PDF reader, source manager, Markdown editor, citation workflow, graph view, and local project vault. Notes and PDFs remain in files on the Mac. Citations created from a source can link back to the relevant passage, while a bibliography can be exported as a standard .bib file.

The architecture article says Premium indexing, retrieval, Matrix, and Evidence Scan workflows share a local SQLite-based index. Its semantic search combines vector similarity with keyword matching. Those are vendor-documented implementation details, not independent performance results, so buyers should test retrieval quality with their own papers and terminology.

Where it fits

• Reading a paper beside a note and keeping the citation tied to the highlighted evidence.
• Maintaining a plain-file research vault that remains usable outside the app.
• Searching a private literature collection by meaning without uploading the collection.
• Building an editable literature-review matrix or checking a draft claim against imported sources.

Researchers comparing local knowledge tools can follow related AI News and browse the AI tools directory.

Pricing and access

The official pricing page lists the writing workspace at $0. Premium is shown at $8.99 per month, $49.99 per year, or $99.99 as a one-time purchase. Student pricing is listed at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Purchases are managed through the App Store and can vary by region, so the live page and Apple account remain the authority at checkout.

What to test

• PDF metadata, citation accuracy, page anchors, and bibliography export.
• Retrieval results for technical language, synonyms, tables, and contradictory evidence.
• Import and export behavior for an existing Zotero or Markdown workflow.
• Local model speed, storage use, and battery impact on the intended Mac.
• Backup and recovery for the project folder and its local index.

Limits and tradeoffs

note.md is macOS-only and younger than established combinations such as Zotero plus Obsidian. The official site says direct Zotero-library import is not yet supported, although PDFs can be imported and bibliographies can be exported. Teams that require Windows or Linux, Word integration, mature group libraries, or mobile access should confirm those gaps before moving a working research archive.

Bottom line

The product has enough first-party evidence to support an indexable profile: a live product site, named company, current pricing, App Store access, detailed workflows, and implementation articles. Its useful distinction is the combination of a plain-file research workspace and local retrieval. A trial should begin with a copied project, not the only copy of an active research library.

Verified sources

• note.md product site
• Official pricing
• ARSoftware and product identity
• Local AI architecture
• Product Hunt launch record

Later product and pricing changes can be tracked through AI News.