Darkwrite
by Darkwrite · Offline, local-first notes app for macOS, open source under AGPLv3
25.8 — BenchRank score out of 100
Screenshots of Darkwrite
Homepage Pricing page
Overview
Darkwrite is a note-taking app for macOS that keeps all notes on the device, so it runs offline and needs no account. It provides an editor, a customisable interface, included or custom themes and fonts, PDF export with custom fonts and colours, and one-click backup into an archive that restores on another device. The source is public under AGPLv3.
- Best for
- macOS users who want a local, offline notebook with no account, no sync service and no AI features.
- Pricing
- No prices are shown; the site states the software is free and open source with no paywalls and no licence verification.
- Runs on
- macOSWindowsLinuxSelf-hosted
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Notes stored on the device; works offline with no account
- Free and open source under AGPLv3, with no ads or tracking
- One-click backup to an archive, restored on a new device
- Custom themes and fonts, plus PDF export with custom colours
Trade-offs
- Only a macOS download is offered; Flatpak support is only planned
- Sync and collaboration are on the roadmap, not available today
- User documentation is still listed as in development
- Small single-maintainer project, 250+ GitHub stars
How this score is made up
Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.
- MCP support
- 0 out of 100
- API quality
- 0 out of 100
- Documentation
- 0 out of 100
- Agent friendliness
- 60 out of 100
- Pricing transparency
- 35 out of 100
- Changelog
- 80 out of 100
- Marketing site structure
- 60 out of 100
- Operational trust
- 25 out of 100
Measured, but not part of the score
Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.
- Openness
- 65 out of 100
- Maintenance
- 100 out of 100
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