Lokus is an open-source note-taking application designed for users who prioritize data ownership, privacy, and performance. Unlike mainstream alternatives that rely on cloud sync or proprietary formats, Lokus stores notes as standard Markdown files locally on your device. Built with Tauri and Rust, it delivers desktop app performance with minimal resource usage—using only ~50MB RAM compared to 300MB+ for Electron-based apps. The app combines powerful editing features like live Markdown preview, LaTeX rendering, and graph views with a commitment to being truly offline-first and subscription-free. It’s ideal for researchers, writers, developers, and privacy-conscious professionals who want full control over their notes without vendor lock-in or recurring fees.
What You Get
- Rich Markdown Editor - Supports live preview, 100+ language syntax highlighting with Shiki, LaTeX math rendering via KaTeX, smart paste (HTML to Markdown), tables with resize and sort, and task lists with 18 states.
- Wiki Links & Graph View - Create bidirectional links using [[autocomplete]] and visualize your notes in interactive 2D and 3D graph views powered by Three.js and D3-force.
- Infinite Canvas & Database Views - Organize notes on an infinite canvas using TLDraw and create Notion-style database views with filtering, sorting, and custom fields.
- Template System - Use over 90 templating features to automate note creation, including daily notes and custom layouts.
- MCP Server Integration - Connect AI assistants via the Model Communication Protocol (MCP) server to enhance note creation and analysis.
- Plugin Marketplace - Extend functionality with community-built plugins without modifying core code.
- Zero Telemetry & No Account Required - No data is sent to servers; no login, no tracking, and full offline functionality.
- P2P Sync (Coming Soon) - Planned peer-to-peer synchronization using Iroh to enable secure, decentralized note syncing across devices without cloud dependency.
- Cross-Platform Installation - Install via .dmg (macOS), .exe (Windows), .AppImage (.deb/.rpm available) or build from source with npm and Tauri.
Common Use Cases
- Building a personal knowledge base - Researchers and students use Lokus to store research notes, citations, and ideas in Markdown files with graph visualization to uncover connections between topics.
- Developing code documentation - Developers maintain project notes and API references using Lokus’s syntax highlighting, LaTeX support for math-heavy documentation, and wiki links to connect related code concepts.
- Privacy-focused journaling - Users seeking to avoid cloud-based apps like Notion or Obsidian’s proprietary vaults use Lokus to keep sensitive personal journals entirely offline with no telemetry.
- DevOps teams managing internal wikis - Teams deploy Lokus locally to host internal documentation that must comply with data residency laws, using standard Markdown for version control compatibility.
- Replacing Obsidian without lock-in - Users migrating from Obsidian can directly open their existing vaults in Lokus, preserving all files while gaining faster performance and true open-source ownership.
- Content creators with offline workflows - Writers, journalists, and bloggers draft long-form content in Lokus without internet dependency, exporting clean Markdown for publishing.
Under The Hood
Lokus is a local-first note-taking application built with a rich UI and extensible plugin architecture, designed for desktop environments using Tauri. It emphasizes modularity, rich text editing, and integration with AI and knowledge graph tools to enhance user productivity.
Architecture
Lokus follows a layered architecture that cleanly separates UI, business logic, and data handling, enabling flexibility across web and desktop platforms.
- The application uses a multi-layered structure with distinct modules for core features, plugin systems, and documentation to support scalable development.
- Component-based UI composition and event-driven command handling promote loose coupling and maintainable code.
- Plugin architecture with activation lifecycle management allows for extensibility without tight coupling to core functionality.
Tech Stack
Lokus leverages modern web and desktop technologies to deliver a powerful, cross-platform note-taking experience with performance-focused backend components.
- Built primarily with JavaScript and TypeScript, using React for UI and Tauri for desktop app deployment, with Rust for performance-critical operations.
- Integrates Tiptap for rich text editing, Supabase for database support, and various UI libraries like Radix UI and Framer Motion.
- Development tools include Vite for fast builds, Docker support, and CI/CD pipelines that ensure consistent deployment across platforms.
Code Quality
Code quality in Lokus shows a balanced mix of strong practices and areas for improvement, with consistent linting and testing configurations.
- Comprehensive test suites are in place using Vitest, Playwright, and Jest, supporting both unit and end-to-end coverage.
- Type safety is enforced through TypeScript, and linting configurations help maintain code consistency across the codebase.
- Some inconsistency in error handling and naming conventions exists, indicating room for further refinement in code standards.
What Makes It Unique
Lokus stands out through its integration with Tauri and MCP standards, offering a unique blend of extensibility and local-first design.
- The application introduces worktree management and plugin SDKs that enable deep customization and third-party integration.
- Its adherence to the Model Control Protocol (MCP) and local-first architecture differentiates it from typical note-taking tools.
- Rich UI capabilities, combined with extensibility through plugins and AI-driven features, provide a distinctive user experience.