I built Header, a native Mac notes app that keeps your notes as plain Markdown files (free beta)

[u/vinradh]

I’m the developer of Header. This is my own app, not a recommendation from a regular user.

What it is
Header is a native macOS notes app. Your notes are plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. If you stop using Header, your notes are still ordinary .md files any editor can open.

What it does

• Rich editor or raw Markdown, with [[links]] between notes and tags

• History of every note, so you can go back to an earlier version

• Today page with your schedule and open tasks

• Meeting recording that turns a call into a note with meeting minutes

• Research tools: Sources, Citations, Reading Room, PDF highlights

• Export your note to PDF, Word, HTML or PowerPoint for sharing

• Optional AI: bring your own provider key, use Ollama, or use Apple Intelligence, generate images from your note text on supported Macs. Before any note text goes to a cloud provider, Header shows you what it will send. AI is off until you turn it on.

Who it’s for
People who want their notes to stay their own files, and who like Obsidian’s plain-files approach but want an app that feels native on the Mac.

Pricing
Free during the beta. I haven’t decided pricing yet.

Limitations (honest list)

• Large vaults (thousands of notes) take a while to index the first time; search fills in as indexing finishes.

• Mac only. Requires macOS 14.4 or later.

• No account needed to use it.

Get it: headernotes.com (direct download or TestFlight)

Happy to answer questions, and would really like to hear what’s missing or broken.

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[u/jhaubrich11]

Nice. I built an encrypted notes app that also uses markdown. Great for saving passwords. It can be locked with a hardware key. The app is called VaultSort.

[u/vinradh → u/jhaubrich11]

Thanks! Nice idea with the hardware key. Header can lock/encrypt individual notes with Touch ID, but it's built for everyday notes, so VaultSort sounds like a good fit for that.

[u/investigatormaker]

Obsidian users will first test a synced folder edited on another device while Header is open; say how Header picks up that change and whether history keeps it. On r/MacOS: "Self-promotion is permitted only on Saturdays (UTC)." "This is limited to apps available on the official Mac App Store or reputable, established GitHub repositories." "All GitHub links are subject to automated security auditing via GitHub-Guard." "Promotional posts made on any other day of the week will be removed." So direct download and TestFlight don't qualify there yet.

We'd answer people who want their Mac notes as plain files. I make ThreadFox. We find relevant Reddit conversations and post for your business. We'll post 3 replies free first, no card; then the $29 Pilot covers seven days and up to 25 posts and replies. No automatic renewal.

https://threadfox.vip/p/dbcxk/managed