NEW Google Drive sync and end-to-end encryption

Your notes, your files, your AI.

Capable Notes is a local-first notes, wiki and project app for Windows. Write in a fast block editor, let AI that runs on your own PC help out, and sync to storage you choose. Every page stays a plain Markdown file you own.

Get it for Windows See what it does

Works offline · No account needed · Windows 10 and 11

Gemma 4 · on this PCPrivate AI, works offline
Encrypted before uploadOnly you hold the key
  • Plain Markdown files
  • Works fully offline
  • AI that runs on your PC
  • Optional end-to-end encryption
  • No tracking, no ads
Features

Everything you need to think, write and organise

Notes, a personal wiki and to-do lists in one calm app — fast to write in, easy to find things again.

A block editor that keeps up with you

Headings, lists, to-dos, quotes, callouts, code and dividers. Press / to insert anything, drag blocks to reorder them, and use the Markdown shortcuts you already know. Type [[ to link another page.

  • Insert any block/
  • Heading# ## ###
  • To-do list[]
  • Link a page[[
  • Search everythingCtrlK

Nested pages

Build a personal wiki. Put pages inside pages, move them around, and find your way back with breadcrumbs, favourites and recent pages.

Search that finds it

Ranked full-text search with highlighted matches, plus filters for tags, exact phrases, excluded words and dates.

Version history on every page

Compare any two versions line by line and restore with one click. Every change an AI makes is always kept.

Tags and backlinks

Tag pages and browse by tag in the sidebar. Every page shows which other pages link to it, so connections surface on their own.

Images and files

Paste or drop screenshots, PDFs and other files straight into a page. They're stored alongside your notes.

Bring your notes with you

Import from Joplin and Obsidian — notebooks, tags, attachments, links and dates included — or any folder of Markdown.

Joplin .jexObsidian vaultMarkdown folder
AI, your way

An AI helper that respects your notes

Use AI that runs privately on your own PC, or connect the AI apps you already use. Either way, you decide what it can touch — and nothing it does is ever lost.

Built-in AI, on this PC

Rewrite a selection, draft with Write with AI, summarise a page, and get tag and title suggestions.

Gemma 4 Free · Offline

Runs on your computer. Your notes never leave it. The app downloads the model once and checks it.

Ollama

Already run local models with Ollama? Point Capable Notes at it.

Claude Your own key

For harder tasks, use Claude with your own API key, chosen per feature.

RewriteWrite with AISummarise pageSuggest tagsSuggest a title

Connect AI apps over MCP

Let Claude Desktop, Claude Code or any MCP-compatible app read and edit your notes — with the level of access you choose.

Read-onlyAsk before writingAllow writes
Claude wants to edit “Launch checklist”Review the change before it's saved
## Before launch
- [ ] Check redirects
- [ ] Check redirects from the old /blog URLs
- [ ] Test the contact form on mobile
DeclineAccept

AI edits are labelled with who made them, kept in version history, and never overwrite your newer changes.

Sync & storage

Store your notes wherever you like

Your vault is always a normal folder on your PC, so it works offline. Sync it to one place you choose and pick it up on your other computers.

  • Syncs in seconds. Changes go up a few seconds after you make them, and are checked every minute.
  • Never loses an edit. If a page changed on two PCs at once, you get a conflict copy to compare — nothing is overwritten. Large deletions stop and ask first.
  • End-to-end encryption. Turn it on and notes are encrypted on your PC with your passphrase before they're uploaded. You get a recovery key, shown once.
  • Automatic backups. A dated zip of your vault, daily or weekly, to any folder or drive. Restore any backup as a new vault.
How Capable Notes uses Google Drive

Sync through your own Google Drive — and only what the app creates

If you choose Google Drive for sync, Capable Notes asks for permission to create and manage its own files in your Drive (the drive.file permission). It uses that to keep a copy of your vault in a “Capable Notes” folder so your notes stay in step across your computers.

  • Can't see your other files. The app has no access to documents, photos or folders it didn't create.
  • Goes straight from your PC to Google. Your notes and sign-in never pass through any Capable server.
  • Encrypt it if you like. With end-to-end encryption on, Drive only ever stores scrambled data.
  • Never sold or used for ads. Your Drive data is used only to sync your vault, and never to train AI models.
  • Sign-in stays on your PC. The access token is kept in Windows Credential Manager.
  • Disconnect any time. Turn off sync in the app, or remove access in your Google Account settings.

Capable Notes' use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Read the full privacy policy.

No lock-in

If the app disappears, your notes don't

Every page is a readable Markdown file with a little metadata at the top. Open them in any text editor, back them up however you like, or take them to another app.

  • Nothing to sign up for. No Capable Notes account — open a folder and start writing.
  • Safe saving. Autosave, careful writes, and a prompt instead of an overwrite if a page changed somewhere else.
  • Export any time. Export your vault as a plain folder of Markdown.
pages/01JD8M2K7Q….md
---
id: 01JD8M2K7Q…
title: Website relaunch
icon: 🚀
parent: 01JD8KZ0P4…
tags:
- client
- q4
updated: 2026-11-06T10:42:00Z
---

# This week

- [x] Sign off homepage design
- [x] Write privacy policy
- [ ] Set up analytics-free hosting
- [ ] Book launch call with the team
Work notes/ ├── vault.json ├── pages/ one .md file per page ├── resources/ images and files └── .history/ earlier versions
What's coming

Growing one phase at a time

The personal app is ready. Here's what we're working on next.

● Available now

Notes, AI & sync

  • Block editor and nested pages
  • Search, tags, backlinks, history
  • Local AI and MCP connections
  • Google Drive, R2 and drive sync
Next

Databases

  • Tables of pages with properties
  • Every row opens as a page
  • Views, filters and sorting
Later

Smarter knowledge

  • Search by meaning, not just words
  • Ask questions across your notes
  • Projects, boards and automations
Later

Teams & mobile

  • Shared workspaces, live editing
  • Comments and mentions
  • macOS, Linux and mobile apps
FAQ

Questions, answered

Do I need an account or an internet connection?

No. Capable Notes works fully offline with no account. You only need a connection to sync, to download the built-in AI model once, or to use online AI like Claude.

Where are my notes stored?

In a folder you pick on your PC or an external drive — a “vault”. Each page is a Markdown file. If you turn on sync, a copy is kept in the one place you choose: Google Drive, Cloudflare R2 (or other S3-compatible storage), or another folder.

Can Capable Notes see the rest of my Google Drive?

No. It uses Google's drive.file permission, which only gives access to files and folders the app itself created. Your other documents, photos and folders are invisible to it.

Does the AI send my notes anywhere?

The built-in AI (Gemma 4) runs entirely on your PC, so your notes stay there. If you choose Claude for a feature, the text you ask it to work on is sent to Anthropic using your own API key. AI apps you connect over MCP only get the access level you set.

What happens if I edit the same page on two computers?

Nothing is lost. If the same page changed on two PCs before they could sync, one version is saved as a conflict copy so you can compare the two and keep what you want.

What if I forget my encryption passphrase?

Use the recovery key shown when you turned encryption on. We never have your passphrase or keys, so we can't recover them for you — keep the recovery key somewhere safe.

Which platforms are supported?

Windows 10 and 11 today. macOS, Linux and mobile apps are on the roadmap.

Start writing in minutes

Download Capable Notes for Windows, open a folder, and you're ready. Bring your notes from Joplin or Obsidian in a couple of clicks.

Download for Windows Explore features
Windows 10 and 11 · No account needed If Windows shows “Windows protected your PC”, choose More info → Run anyway. The installer isn't code-signed yet.