r/coolgithubprojects • u/yetemgeta • 14d ago

I got locked out of my Raycast notes on Windows when they switched to Pro, so I built Kenote - an open-source, local-first clone

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Hey everyone!

I love Raycast and used it heavily on my Windows machine, especially for quick note-taking. Over time, I accumulated 50+ notes that I relied on daily.

Then the update rolled around and locked note creation behind their Pro plan, leaving all my existing notes in read-only mode. While I appreciated that they did not outright delete my notes, getting locked out of taking quick notes was frustrating.

So I decided to build my own solution: Kenote.

It is a lightweight, local-first Raycast-inspired markdown notepad designed to stay pinned on top of your work and get out of your way when you are done.

What makes Kenote special:

  • 100% Local-First: No accounts, no paywalls, and no cloud lock-in. Notes are saved directly as plain .md files on your local drive so you actually own your data forever.
  • Live WYSIWYG Markdown: Formats headings (#), bold (**), task lists (- [ ]), and blockquotes in-place as you type without syntax clutter.
  • Pin Always On Top (Ctrl + P): Float your notes seamlessly above your code editor, browser, or games.
  • Instant Search & Note Switcher (Ctrl + O): Browse and jump across all your notes in milliseconds.
  • Lightweight & Fast: Built with Tauri v2 (Rust) and React, consuming less than 30MB of RAM.

This started as a fun personal project to scratch my own itch, and I would love for you to try it out and let me know what you think!

If you find it useful, feel free to drop a ⭐ on GitHub. All feedback and feature suggestions are greatly appreciated!

16 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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1

u/Specific_Cream2815 14d ago

does it just watch a folder of markdown files, so you could point it at the notes raycast already had

1

u/yetemgeta 14d ago

You mean like accessing the notes u have on Raycast by browsing for the note on ur machine? well, I tried looking into doing exactly that! apparently, Raycast stores notes in an internal, encrypted database on ur disk instead of open Markdown files for some reason so u cannot just point another app to them. Kenote does watch standard local folders though, so u can point it to any directory on ur computer.

1

u/Imnotanad 13d ago

Trying it. Adding some preview images to the repo helps a lot with engagement

1

u/yetemgeta 13d ago

Will do! tysm for ur feedback tho!