Note Gen
A cross-platform Markdown AI note-taking software.
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What is Note Gen?
Note Gen is a cross‑platform Markdown AI note‑taking application that sits between raw recording and polished writing, designed to help users turn fragmented thoughts—text snippets, screenshots, images, links, and files—into structured, readable notes.
It blends lightweight local‑first storage with AI‑powered assistants: a chat assistant records conversations, an AI organizer synthesizes scattered records into coherent articles, and a clipboard assistant captures whatever is on the clipboard without leaving the current app. The underlying workflow is to capture first, then let the AI restructure and phrase the content while preserving the original Markdown format.
The tool targets knowledge workers, developers, researchers, writers, and students who manage large volumes of loose information and want to keep everything in Markdown, versioned and synced via Git hosts or WebDAV. It offers a rich writing environment with a hierarchical file manager, RAG‑style search over your own notes, and support for math formulas, mind maps, charts, and flowcharts, all backed by extensible AI models including Silicon‑Flow‑powered free models and custom backends like OpenAI, Deepseek, Gemini, and Ollama.
In practice, Note Gen is a Markdown‑centric workspace where you can author documents, help AI polish or extend them, and rely on AI‑assisted organization and semantic search without moving data into a proprietary cloud stack, while still gaining capabilities such as visual‑model‑assisted OCR from screenshots and image understanding.
Note Gen pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
The desktop‑focused NoteGen client is positioned as open‑source and free to use, with no explicit paid plans or subscription tiers mentioned on the main site; it emphasizes local storage, self‑hosted sync, and optional custom model keys rather than cloud features behind a paywall. However, the related NoteGen iOS app on the Apple App Store lists a 3‑day free trial followed by a paid subscription, with NoteGen Monthly at 14.99 USD and NoteGen Yearly at 79.99 USD (pricing varies by region), covering all advanced transcription, AI formatting, and collaboration features; the core website version does not advertise these in‑app purchases but instead promotes the free, ad‑free, cross‑platform client with user‑managed AI models and sync.
Note Gen pros
- Cross‑platform support for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- Tiny install size around 20MB
- Supports multiple AI backends including OpenAI, Deepseek, Gemini, and Ollama
- Built‑in free models provided by SiliconFlow (Qwen/Qwen3‑8B, BAAI/bge‑m3, THUDM/GLM‑4.1V‑9B‑Thinking)
- Local knowledge‑base RAG over your notes for semantic search and recall
- Multiple record tools: text, screenshot, image, link, file
- Clipboard assistant for instant capture of text or images
- AI chat assistant that records and summarizes conversations
- AI organizer that synthesizes scattered records into a single readable note
- File manager with infinite‑level folders and remote sync control
- Markdown editor with standard Markdown plus math formulas, mind maps, charts, and flowcharts
- Three editing modes: instant rendering, WYSIWYG, and split‑pane preview
- Support for history rollback with version control via sync hosts
- Flexible sync via GitHub, GitLab, Gitee, local backups, and WebDAV
- Support for Model Context Protocol (MCP) to extend AI‑tool integrations
- Lightweight, open‑source, and no‑ads design focused on note‑taking purity
Note Gen cons
- Free built‑in models are limited in capacity and performance compared to premium providers
- Complex setup for local models such as Ollama requires technical familiarity
- No built‑in web‑only or pure‑browser version; it is a desktop/mobile client
- Dependence on external Git/WebDAV hosts for sync may deter users uncomfortable with Git workflows
- RAG and vector‑search features rely on properly tuned embedding/re‑ranking models
- Some advanced features may require self‑hosting or custom configuration rather than being click‑and‑go
- iOS and Android builds currently require manual or self‑compiled installation according to docs
- Limited third‑party app ecosystem or plugin marketplace documented on the site
- On‑device AI features may be slower on lower‑end hardware
- Markdown‑only focus may exclude users who prefer pure rich‑text or multi‑format editors
Frequently asked questions about Note Gen
What is NoteGen and what does it do?
NoteGen is a cross‑platform Markdown AI note‑taking application that helps users record fragmented information—such as text, screenshots, images, links, and files—and then use AI to transform those fragments into structured, readable notes. It combines a Markdown editor, a hierarchical file manager, and multiple AI assistants that can chat, summarize conversations, and organize scattered records into a single article, while supporting math formulas, mind maps, charts, and flowcharts and syncing via Git hosts or WebDAV.
Which platforms does NoteGen support?
NoteGen is built on the Tarui2 framework and supports Windows, macOS, and Linux out of the box, with compact installers around 20MB. It also supports Android and iOS, though the mobile versions may require manual compilation or self‑installation rather than being available through regular app stores.
Can I use NoteGen without an AI model key?
Yes; NoteGen provides ready‑to‑use free models powered by SiliconFlow including the Qwen/Qwen3‑8B conversation model, the BAAI/bge‑m3 embedding model, and the THUDM/GLM‑4.1V‑9B‑Thinking vision model, which are sufficient for basic chatting, semantic search, and image understanding. If you need more powerful or vendor‑specific models, you can configure custom backends such as OpenAI, Deepseek, Gemini, or Ollama, but the app functions without requiring a paid key.
How does NoteGen synchronize my notes?
NoteGen supports multiple synchronization schemes, with primary options through code‑hosting platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, and Gitee, which also enable history rollback and automatic private‑repository creation for data security. As a backup, it offers WebDAV and local‑only backups, allowing users to keep their notes synchronized across devices without relying on a single proprietary cloud provider.
What kind of AI features does NoteGen include?
NoteGen offers AI chat assistants that record and summarize conversations, an AI organizer that compiles scattered records into a cohesive Markdown note, and clipboard‑based AI capture for quick text or image recording. It also supports AI‑assisted writing—such as polishing and continuing text—plus RAG‑style search over your own notes using embedding and re‑ranking models, and integrates with MCP to extend AI interaction with external tools and data sources.
Is NoteGen open source?
Yes, NoteGen is released under the GPL‑3.0 License and its source code is hosted on GitHub, inviting contributions for bug fixes, new features, and documentation improvements. The project team highlights several contributors and encourages users to join the open‑source community to help shape the tool’s evolution.
How does NoteGen handle local knowledge and search?
Your notes themselves form a local knowledge base; after editing, NoteGen automatically runs vector calculations so later queries can retrieve semantically relevant sections or notes. This RAG‑style search lets you find content by meaning rather than only by keywords, and it can be extended with your choice of embedding and re‑ranking models.
Can I use my own LLMs or local models with NoteGen?
Yes; NoteGen supports custom configuration of mainstream cloud models such as OpenAI, Deepseek, and Gemini, as well as local models through Ollama. This allows advanced users to run inference on their own hardware or private instances instead of depending on the built‑in SiliconFlow‑hosted models.
What Markdown features does NoteGen support?
NoteGen supports standard Markdown syntax and extends it to include math formulas, mind maps, charts, and flowcharts, making it suitable for both simple notes and technical or research‑oriented documents. You can edit in three modes: instant rendering similar to Typora, WYSIWYG, and split‑pane preview, giving flexibility in how you view and edit content.
Is there a mobile app version of NoteGen?
Yes; NoteGen is built for Android and iOS, but the main site points to GitHub releases for downloads, implying that mobile builds may require self‑compilation or manual installation rather than being available as standard app‑store installs. Apple‑store‑listed NoteGen apps exist under the same branding and focus on AI‑assisted voice note recording and transcription, with a separate subscription model that does not appear to be advertised on the core NoteGen website.