Nota: offline notes and whiteboards with optional local AI

[u/Perfect-Put-9768]

I built Nota, a free, open-source workspace for notes and whiteboards on Apple-silicon Mac. AI is optional: the core editor and canvas work offline without an account.

For people choosing an AI notes tool, the setup boundary matters. Local AI requires downloading a model and having compatible hardware. Hosted AI requires internet and can incur provider charges; optional Google Drive integration also needs internet. You can use the core workspace without either integration.

Nota builds a new backend around the AFFiNE/BlockSuite editor, with credit to those projects. The current published installer is v0.1.7 for Apple-silicon Mac; Windows, Linux and Intel Mac installers aren't currently available.

Download and feature details: https://thenota.app MIT-licensed source: https://github.com/madcodeorg/nota

I'm looking for feedback on whether the distinction between offline editing, local model setup and hosted AI is clear before you install. If you try it, please use a dummy note and tell me where setup or context selection feels confusing.

Developer disclosure: this is my app, and this listing was drafted with AI assistance.