A calm, focused and SIMPLE note-taking app for students.
Free · Open Source · Local-first · No accounts · No subscriptions
SpadeNotes is a desktop note-taking app built for students who find tools like Microsoft Word too complex and Notion too distracting. It opens instantly, gets out of your way, and lets you write.
No cloud sync. No account required. Your notes are plain files on your own machine — always accessible, always yours.
Built by a law student doing a Master's in European Law. Born out of frustration with bloated software during seminar and thesis paper season.
| Platform | File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 | SpadeNotes.exe | 64-bit installer |
| macOS | [SpadeNotes.exe} (https://github.com/namik55/SpadeNotes/releases/download/v0.1/SpadeNotes-0.1.0-early-access.dmg) | Intel Mac |
| mac-arm64 | [SpadeNotes.exe} (https://github.com/namik55/SpadeNotes/releases/download/v0.1/SpadeNotes-0.1.0-early-access-arm64.dmg) | Apple Silicon |
Windows Defender warning: Since SpadeNotes is not code-signed yet, Windows may show an "Unknown publisher" warning. Click More info → Run anyway to proceed. This is normal for open source apps without a paid certificate.
- Rich text editor — Headings, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, links, checklists, code blocks, images, and citations
- Notebooks & folders — Organize notes into nested notebooks with color tags. Drag and drop to rearrange
- A4 page canvas — Write on a real A4 page with proper margins. Looks great on screen and prints correctly
- Calendar — Built-in calendar with quick notes per date
- Pinned notes — Pin important notes or folders for quick access
- Local-first — Notes saved as
.lnotefiles on your machine. No internet required - Dark mode — Full light/dark theme support
- Export — Export notes to PDF, Word (.docx), and Markdown
- Read mode — Distraction-free reading view
- Spell check — Built-in spell checker with language selection
- Zoom — Adjustable zoom level for the editor canvas
- Page margins — Customizable page margins (Settings → Editor)
- Indent control — Tab/Shift-Tab indent support for body text
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Desktop shell | Electron |
| UI framework | React |
| Rich text editor | Tiptap |
| Build tool | Vite |
| Icons | Lucide |
| Fonts | Fraunces · Inter · JetBrains Mono |
Requirements: Node.js 18+
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/namik55/SpadeNotes.git
cd SpadeNotes
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start in development mode
npm run dev# Windows (.exe installer + portable)
npm run dist
# macOS (.dmg — must be run on a Mac)
npm run dist-macOutput files appear in the release/ folder.
SpadeNotes/
├── electron/ # Electron main process
│ ├── main.js # App entry point, IPC handlers
│ └── preload.js # Secure bridge between renderer and Node
├── src/
│ ├── components/ # React components (Editor, Sidebar, Calendar...)
│ ├── storage/ # Note file I/O logic
│ ├── App.jsx # Root component
│ └── theme.css # Design tokens & global styles
├── assets/ # App icons
├── docs/ # GitHub Pages website
└── package.json
SpadeNotes is open source and welcomes contributions. If you find a bug or have a feature idea, open an issue.
- Fork the repo
- Create a branch:
git checkout -b my-feature - Commit your changes:
git commit -m 'Add my feature' - Push:
git push origin my-feature - Open a Pull Request
SpadeNotes is free and will always be free. If it saves you time during exam season, consider buying me a coffee ☕
Found a bug? Have a feature idea? There are three ways to reach me:
E-mail: kaya.nmk@hotmail.com
MIT © 2026 namik