ZenNotes: Markdown Notes
Productivity
Free · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Atlas turns your vault into a map you can pinch and pan. Plus find-in-note from the keyboard, strikethrough, block links, and one task filter everywhere.
ZenNotes is a local-first markdown notes app for writing, organizing, and connecting ideas without giving up ownership of your files.
YOUR NOTES, YOUR FILES
Every note is a plain .md file in a vault you control. Start with storage on your iPhone or iPad, use iCloud Drive, or open a folder through the system document picker. Local and iCloud vaults work without an account.
ZENNOTES CLOUD
Connect an optional ZenNotes Cloud plan to:
• Sync a vault across ZenNotes desktop and mobile
• Sync notes and attachments
• Create manual and automatic daily backups
• Restore a full vault or a single note from a backup
• Publish notes to the web and manage their public links
Cloud never replaces the free local-first workflow. Use it only when you want hosted sync, backup, or publishing.
WRITE IN MARKDOWN
Use a focused editor with headings, lists, tasks, tables, code, links, wikilinks, tags, callouts, footnotes, and frontmatter. A mobile formatting bar keeps common actions close to the keyboard, and a pinch resizes the text to your eyes.
RICH, OFFLINE PREVIEW
Render KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, JSXGraph, function plots, tables, callouts, and more directly on your device.
ORGANIZE YOUR WAY
Pin your go-to notes and folders to the top, swipe rows to act on them, create and rename nested folders, browse tags, search the full vault, manage tasks, create periodic notes, and work with table databases stored as CSV.
CAPTURE QUICKLY
Create a quick note from the app or send text and links to ZenNotes from the iOS share sheet.
PRIVACY BY DEFAULT
ZenNotes has no advertising or tracking. Local and iCloud notes stay in the storage you choose. When you enable ZenNotes Cloud, the account identity, connected-device information, and vault content needed for the Cloud features you use are sent to the ZenNotes service. Payment details are handled by Stripe.
ZenNotes is open source. Your vault remains useful outside the app because it is made of ordinary files.
more ZenNotes 1.9.2 is the catch-up release: everything the app core learned recently arrives on iPhone and iPad at once.
• Atlas — your vault as a map. Open it from the command palette: pinch to zoom, drag to pan, tap a note to focus it, tap again to open it.
• Find in note. A search button on the keyboard toolbar opens find-and-replace inside the open note — the keyboard stays up and matches highlight as you type.
• Strikethrough joins the formatting row, working on a selection or as a toggle at the cursor.
• Block links: [[Note^block-id]] jumps to the exact block, not just the note.
• One task filter shared by the list, the calendar, and the board.
• A new Layout setting lets iPads keep the desktop layout (or big phones keep the phone layout).
• About now links to ZenNotes on GitHub, and the two mismatched Done buttons became one.
• Cloud: delete a linked vault from your device, clearer sync status, large attachments stream straight to storage, and if a vault's settings change on two devices, ZenNotes asks which side wins.
No new permissions, services, or data collection. Local-first storage and iCloud Drive continue to work with or without a ZenNotes Cloud account.
1.9.2 1d ago
ZenNotes 1.9.1 fixes the remaining dark background that could appear around Apple's rounded keyboard on newer iOS versions.
When the keyboard opens, the exposed area underneath it now matches your active ZenNotes light or dark theme instead of appearing as a separate black block.
The keyboard remains Apple's system keyboard. This update adds no new permissions, services, or data collection changes.
1.9.1 2d ago
Two visual distractions are gone in ZenNotes 1.9.
• The ensō inside the round navigation button now has a clean, truly transparent background — no more faint gray rectangle above the brushstroke
• On newer iOS versions, the native keyboard is edge-to-edge again instead of appearing as a rounded panel over a black block
The App Store icon is unchanged, and the keyboard remains Apple's system keyboard. This release adds no new permissions, services, or data collection.
Local-first remains the default. Local storage and iCloud Drive work as before, with or without a ZenNotes Cloud account.
1.9 2d ago
The gestures you expect from a notes app now work all over ZenNotes.
• Swipe right on a note or folder in Browse to pin it to the top
• Swipe left on a note to archive or delete it
• Flick left or right in a note to move through your list, pinned first
• Pull down in Browse to fetch iCloud changes and shared captures
• Pinch in a note to make the text bigger or smaller
• Rotating to landscape now keeps the phone layout instead of flipping to a desktop one
• iPads — iPad mini included — keep the full layout fullscreen, and switch to the phone layout in Split View
Swipes, flicks, pinches, and pulls all coexist with scrolling and long-press, so the right gesture wins and interrupted ones snap back harmlessly.
Local-first remains the default. Local storage and iCloud Drive work as before, with or without a ZenNotes Cloud account.
1.8 4d ago
Organizing your notes is now much easier to find.
• Create folders straight from Browse — including folders inside folders
• Long-press a note to rename, move, archive, or delete it; long-press a folder to rename or delete it
• Rename a folder from your iPhone or iPad for the first time
• Picking a destination folder no longer buries the list under the keyboard
• The Tags screen explains how tags are made, and new vaults start with one
• The welcome note now covers organizing with tags and folders
The organizing tools that were buried are now obvious, while nested folder creation and folder rename are new on mobile.
1.7 Aug 14
ZenNotes Cloud is now available on iPhone and iPad.
• Sync notes and attachments with ZenNotes desktop
• Create manual or automatic daily backups
• Restore a full vault or one note from a backup date
• Publish, update, and unpublish notes from mobile
• See sync status, storage use, backups, and public notes in one place
• Keep account credentials protected in the iOS Keychain
• Notes pulled by a sync appear immediately
• See a note's published status in the editor and sidebar
• Read the actual reason when Cloud declines a request, not a generic error
Also in 1.6: editor stability fixes, and — with a hardware keyboard — better vim motions on wrapped lines, pane shortcuts that win over editor chords, and kanban tab switching.
Cloud is optional. Local vaults and iCloud Drive continue to work without an account or subscription.
1.6 Aug 14
New in ZenNotes 1.5
Attachments open where they should, your vault catches up on what changed while you were away, and a checklist no longer has to be a task.
• Attachments open in the right app — tapping a .zip, .docx, or other non-previewable file now opens the share sheet, so it can go straight to the app that handles it, or Quick Look. Images and PDFs still open in place.
• Deleting an attachment can no longer lose it — the restore record is now written before the file moves, so if anything goes wrong the attachment stays exactly where it was. Restoring from Trash is safer too.
• See what changed while you were away — reopening the app now refreshes your settings, attachments, databases, comments, and the note you have open, not just the note list. A vault edited on your Mac looks right the moment you come back, and unsaved edits on this device are never overwritten.
• Not every checkbox is a task — a packing list or a README checklist no longer has to show up in Tasks. Add "tasks: false" to a note's frontmatter to opt it out, or long-press a folder in the sidebar and choose "Exclude from Tasks". The setting travels with the vault, so a folder you excluded on your Mac stays excluded here.
• Choose how notes open — Edit or Read, your call, and switching to Preview keeps the spot you were editing.
• Nested lists finally look nested — every level steps a full tab width, with indent guides down the page.
• Database cells can find and link your notes — start typing in a cell and pick the note you mean.
• Self-hosted vaults: full attachment management — duplicate, delete, restore and purge attachments on your own ZenNotes server, not just local vaults. Needs server 2.24 or newer.
• Rendering fixes — callout titles keep their links, math, and color; display math renders inside table cells; frontmatter survives editing intact; favorites keep their custom icons and colors; and the sidebar stops fighting your scroll.
• The About screen now shows the version you're actually running.
iOS 15 is now the minimum. No device loses support — iOS 15 runs on everything iOS 14 did.
Same rules as always: plain markdown files in a folder you own, no account, no server, nothing tracked.
1.5 Aug 9
New in ZenNotes 1.4
Tasks grow up: an in-progress state, subtask progress, and the full task menu under your finger — plus diagrams that draw while you write.
• Mark a task in progress — a task can now be "doing", not just done or not done. Write "- [/]" in any note, or long-press a task and choose "Mark in progress". The editor, the Tasks list, the kanban board, and the calendars all show the same half-filled box, and it's the same plain-text marker ZenNotes desktop reads and writes.
• Long-press a task for the full menu — mark done or in progress, set due today/tomorrow/next week, set a priority, forward the task to another note, or delete it. It's the same menu desktop opens with right-click, now a press away in the list, the board, and the calendar.
• Parent tasks show their progress — indent tasks beneath a task and the parent counts how many subtasks are done, following your list's structure. And archiving a note now retires its tasks, so finished work stops crowding Today.
• Kanban keeps your arrangement — cards stay in the order you dragged them when you leave the board and come back, and a card moved onto Today is due today, not tomorrow.
• Diagrams draw while you write — a mermaid block renders right in the editor as soon as you move past it, matching your theme. Launch stays light: the diagram engine still loads only when a diagram actually appears.
• Type "->" and get "→" — text replacements, on by default and yours to edit in Settings > Editor > Text replacements. Add your own pairs; they only fire while typing.
• Safer self-hosted databases — a flaky connection to your own ZenNotes server can no longer be mistaken for "this database has no schema" (which could overwrite the real one). Errors now surface as errors, and databases work even against older servers.
• Also: editor tab size is configurable, heading labels stay readable at every width, and vim motions follow wrapped lines.
1.4 Aug 5
New in ZenNotes 1.3
The app remembers where you were, launches get faster, and renames get smarter.
• Pick up where you left off — reopening ZenNotes now brings back the note (or view) that was on screen when you left. If you left from the Home screen, you get Home. Switching between apps or coming back the next day no longer means finding your note again.
• Renames keep your title in step — if a note starts with a "# Heading", renaming the note updates that heading to match. An existing heading is rewritten, never invented — delete the heading and no rename will put it back. Turn it off any time in Settings ("Sync title heading on rename").
• Faster launch — the diagram engine no longer loads at startup. It loads the first time a diagram actually appears, so opening the app and jotting a note got noticeably lighter.
• Renamed system folders — vaults that relocate their built-in folders (a feature of ZenNotes desktop 2.20 — your inbox can live in a folder named "01 - Entry", for example) now work correctly on iPhone and iPad. A shared iCloud vault files notes the same way on your Mac and your phone.
• Fixes — moving kanban cards quickly no longer loses a move, opening a daily note no longer switches the calendar panel on everywhere, and buttons no longer squish their labels in tight rows.
Same rules as always: plain markdown files in a folder you own, no account, no server, nothing tracked.
1.3 Aug 1
New in ZenNotes 1.2
Vaults grow up, links become blocks, notes become tasks, and your self-hosted server comes to your pocket.
• Vaults, all in one place — tap the vault name at the top of the drawer (or ••• → Vaults) to see every vault you have: on your iPhone, in iCloud Drive, in a Files folder, or on a server. Tap to switch; tap ⋯ to rename a vault, move it between your iPhone and iCloud, or delete it.
• New vaults, anywhere — creating a vault now asks where it should live: iCloud, on your iPhone, or any folder you choose in the Files app.
• A calmer first open — new installs pick where notes live up front and start with a short welcome note instead of a wall of samples. An empty vault's Home offers the ways to begin: a new note, a note from a template, or a database.
• Remote vaults — connect the app to your self-hosted ZenNotes server (••• → Vaults → Add Remote Vault…) and browse, edit, search, and manage that vault live from your phone. Saved servers reconnect with one tap and are restored on launch; switch back to a local vault any time.
• Paste a link, get a block — paste a URL onto an empty line and choose Embed or Bookmark. Bookmarks become rich cards with the page's title, description, and preview image, fetched on device. Vimeo plays inline; YouTube shows a poster card that opens the video.
• Task files — a note can now be a task: tag it #task and its frontmatter carries status, due date, and priority. Create one from the new "+ New task" button in the Tasks view. Inline checkboxes in that note become its subtasks.
• More expressive tasks — a cancelled status (- [-]), color-coded task metadata in the editor, and tasks filed under a note's "## Tasks" heading when it has one.
• Nested tags — tags like #project/compiler group into a collapsible tree in the sidebar and the Tags view. Turn it off in Settings if you prefer the flat list.
• Typst math — pick Typst as an alternative to KaTeX in Settings → Editor. Formulas compile and render entirely on device.
• Smarter editing — previously used tags are suggested as you type #, and brackets and quotes can auto-close (configurable in Settings → Editor).
• Database filters — filter table rows by multiple fields with all/any (AND and OR) logic.
• Files — a new Files entry in the vault drawer opens your asset list: sort by name, usage, type, size, or date, and tap "used in" to jump straight to the notes that reference a file.
• All commands — the ••• menu gains an "All commands…" entry, so everything the command palette can do is reachable by touch.
• Fixes and polish — switching vaults now always lands you on Home, plus fixes across the editor, outline, templates, and calendar, including a crash fix for the database Filter button.
Same rules as always: plain markdown files in a folder you own, no account, no server, nothing tracked.
1.2 Jul 28
New in ZenNotes 1.1
Links become blocks, notes become tasks, and the renderer keeps pace with ZenNotes desktop.
• Paste a link, get a block — paste a URL onto an empty line and choose Embed or Bookmark. Bookmarks become rich cards with the page's title, description, and preview image, fetched on device. Vimeo plays inline; YouTube shows a poster card that opens the video.
• Task files — a note can now be a task: tag it #task and its frontmatter carries status, due date, and priority. Create one from the new "+ New task" button in the Tasks view. Inline checkboxes in that note become its subtasks.
• More expressive tasks — a cancelled status (- [-]), color-coded task metadata in the editor, and tasks filed under a note's "## Tasks" heading when it has one.
• Nested tags — tags like #project/compiler group into a collapsible tree in the sidebar and the Tags view. Turn it off in Settings if you prefer the flat list.
• Typst math — pick Typst as an alternative to KaTeX in Settings → Editor. Formulas compile and render entirely on device.
• Smarter editing — previously used tags are suggested as you type #, and brackets and quotes can auto-close (configurable in Settings → Editor).
• Database filters — filter table rows by multiple fields with all/any (AND and OR) logic.
• Assets — sort the asset list by name, usage, type, size, or date, and tap "used in" to jump straight to the notes that reference a file.
• Fixes and polish across the editor, outline, templates, and calendar — including a crash fix for the database Filter button.
Same rules as always: plain markdown files in a folder you own, no account, no server, nothing tracked.
1.1 Jul 24
ZenNotes 1.9.2 is the catch-up release: everything the app core learned recently arrives on iPhone and iPad at once.
• Atlas — your vault as a map. Open it from the command palette: pinch to zoom, drag to pan, tap a note to focus it, tap again to open it.
• Find in note. A search button on the keyboard toolbar opens find-and-replace inside the open note — the keyboard stays up and matches highlight as you type.
• Strikethrough joins the formatting row, working on a selection or as a toggle at the cursor.
• Block links: [[Note^block-id]] jumps to the exact block, not just the note.
• One task filter shared by the list, the calendar, and the board.
• A new Layout setting lets iPads keep the desktop layout (or big phones keep the phone layout).
• About now links to ZenNotes on GitHub, and the two mismatched Done buttons became one.
• Cloud: delete a linked vault from your device, clearer sync status, large attachments stream straight to storage, and if a vault's settings change on two devices, ZenNotes asks which side wins.
No new permissions, services, or data collection. Local-first storage and iCloud Drive continue to work with or without a ZenNotes Cloud account.
more Version 1.9.2 1d ago
Data Not Collected The developer does not collect any data from this app.