Scratchd Desktop

Notes that stay plain files

Only for Mac

$4.99

Mac

Markdown, JSON, YAML, .proto and textproto — with real previews, a schema viewer, and a diff view. Everything stays a plain file in your own iCloud Drive. Scratchd is a notes app for people whose notes are half prose and half config. You paste a JSON payload into a note and it renders as a browsable tree instead of a wall of grey text. You open a .proto schema and field types become links you can jump through. You keep a scratchpad of half-formed ideas in the same place you keep the YAML you're debugging, because in practice they're the same thinking session. FILES, NOT A DATABASE Every note is a plain file. Markdown, plain text, JSON, YAML, .proto, textproto and more, in a folder you choose, in your own iCloud Drive by default. Not rows in a store only this app can read. That means you can grep them. Point your editor at them. Put the folder in a git repo. Diff them with something else. Scratchd reads the folder on every launch and reconciles from disk, so changes made outside the app are picked up rather than clobbered. The file is the source of truth. The app is the thing that's derived. There's no account and no sign-up. FORMATS THAT GET REAL TREATMENT - Markdown with live preview, Mermaid diagrams, images and syntax highlighting - JSON and YAML as collapsible trees, with theming - Protocol Buffers: .proto schemas with a viewer and go-to-definition, plus textproto - API-request notes. Compose a request, run it, keep the response next to your notes - Sticky boards, a freeform canvas, and drawings COMPARE TWO FILES Put two files side by side, apply changes hunk by hunk, and save, without leaving the app or opening a terminal. It works on any two files you can reach, not just notes in the library. CAPTURE WITHOUT CEREMONY A quick capture panel, share extensions, and a menu bar presence. Today's scratchpad is created for you and always one step away. Everything new lands in one inbox. Archive, pin, tag or convert it later, or don't. Press Control-Option-Space from anywhere and the capture panel is in front of you. macOS asks for Input Monitoring permission the first time. Scratchd watches for that one shortcut and nothing else. Fleeting notes carry an expiry, and Scratchd shows you a keep-or-let-go review before anything is removed. TASKS AND JOURNAL, IF YOU WANT THEM Task lists with checklists, recurrence, a Today view and an Evening flag. A journal with optional prompts, moods and focus areas. Both are plain files too. VOICE, ON YOUR MACHINE On supported Macs, record and turn speech into notes without the audio leaving your machine. Scratchd requires on-device speech recognition and Apple's on-device models. If it cannot do the work locally, Scratchd declines rather than sending your recording elsewhere. BUILT NOT TO WATCH YOU No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs collecting anything. There are no servers holding your notes. They stay in the folder you picked. WHY VERSION 10 ON DAY ONE Scratchd has been version 1 through 9 already. It just wasn't for sale. It began as a plain Markdown editor, and each version added whatever was missing that year: the scratchpad, tasks, links, the journal, the structured viewers. This is the tenth, and the first one worth charging for. Syncs with the Scratchd app on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Requires macOS 26.

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The developer, Divya Duvvuri, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Collected

    The developer does not collect any data from this app.

    Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

    Accessibility

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    Information

    Seller
    • Divya Duvvuri
    Size
    • 14.2 MB
    Category
    • Productivity
    Compatibility
    Requires macOS 26.0 or later.
    • Mac
      Requires macOS 26.0 or later.
    Languages
    • English
    Age Rating
    9+
    Copyright
    • © 2026 Divya Duvvuri
  • Developer Website
  • Privacy Policy

    • Supports

    • Family Sharing

      Up to six family members can use this app with Family Sharing enabled.