A minimalist, offline-first markdown note-taking app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- Offline-first - No cloud, no account, no internet required
- Markdown-based - Notes stored as plain
.mdfiles you own - WYSIWYG editing - Rich text editing that saves as markdown
- Preview mode - Open any
.mdfile via drag-and-drop or "Open With" without a notes folder - Markdown source mode - Toggle to view and edit raw markdown (
Cmd+Shift+M) - Syntax highlighting - 20 languages with GitHub-inspired color scheme
- Mermaid diagrams - Render flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more in fenced code blocks
- KaTeX math - Render block
$$...$$math equations - Typeset PDF export - Real typesetting via an embedded Typst engine: page size, margins, typography, and correct bidirectional (Hebrew/Arabic) layout
- Wikilinks - Type
[[to link between notes with autocomplete - Slash commands - Type
/to quickly insert headings, lists, code blocks, diagrams, and more - Focus mode - Distraction-free writing with animated sidebar/toolbar fade (
Cmd+Shift+Enter) - Edit with Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, OpenCode, or Ollama - Use your local CLI to edit notes with AI (including fully offline via Ollama)
- Works with other AI agents - Detects external file changes
- Folders - Opt-in collapsible folder tree with drag-and-drop to organize notes
- Keyboard optimized - Lots of shortcuts and a command palette
- Customizable - Theme, typography, page width, and RTL text direction
- Git integration - Optional version control with push/pull for multi-device sync
- Lightweight - 35 MB
.deb, with no bundled browser engine (uses the system webview)
Homebrew (Recommended)
brew tap erictli/tap
brew install --cask erictli/tap/scratchManual Download
- Download the latest
.dmgfrom Releases - Open the DMG and drag Scratch to Applications
- Open Scratch from Applications
Download the latest .exe installer from Releases and run it. WebView2 will be downloaded automatically if needed.
Download the latest .AppImage or .deb from Releases.
Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, Rust 1.70+
macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools · Windows: WebView2 Runtime (pre-installed on Windows 11)
git clone https://github.com/erictli/scratch.git
cd scratch
npm install
npm run tauri dev # Development
npm run tauri build # Production buildScratch is designed to be usable without a mouse. Here are the essentials to get started:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd+N |
New note |
Cmd+D |
Duplicate note |
Delete |
Delete note |
Cmd+Backspace |
Delete note |
Cmd+P |
Command palette |
Cmd+K |
Add/edit link |
Cmd+F |
Find in note |
Cmd+Shift+C |
Copy & Export menu |
Cmd+Shift+M |
Toggle Markdown source |
Cmd+Shift+Enter |
Toggle Focus mode |
Cmd+Shift+F |
Search notes |
Cmd+R |
Reload current note |
Cmd+, |
Open settings |
Cmd+\ |
Toggle sidebar |
Cmd+B/I |
Bold/Italic |
Cmd+=/-/0 |
Zoom in/out/reset |
↑/↓ |
Navigate notes |
Note: On Windows, use Ctrl instead of Cmd for all shortcuts.
Many more shortcuts and features are available in the app—explore via the command palette (Cmd+P / Ctrl+P) or view the full reference in Settings → Shortcuts.
Two paths, side by side in the export menu:
- Print as PDF - hands the note to the system print dialog. Page size and margins come from that dialog (on Linux the webview ignores CSS page rules entirely).
- Export PDF (typeset) - compiles the note with an embedded Typst engine. Page size, margins, font size, line spacing, direction, and page numbers are configured in Settings and applied deterministically on every platform.
Typeset export supports headings, emphasis, strikethrough, inline and fenced code with
syntax highlighting, ordered/unordered/nested lists, task lists, tables with alignment,
blockquotes, footnotes, links, reference links, images, thematic breaks, and inline
($...$) and display ($$...$$) math in LaTeX syntax. YAML frontmatter is omitted from
the output. Each block is typeset in its own text direction, so notes that mix Hebrew or
Arabic with English render correctly in both.
Known limitations:
- Task list checkboxes render as
☐/☑glyphs, not interactive form fields. - Wikilinks (
[[Note]]) become plain text - there is no target to link to in a PDF. - Remote images (
http(s):,data:) are not fetched; missing or remote images fall back to their alt text. - Nested blockquotes render as indented text inside a single quote block.
- Display math inside a list item is placed below the item rather than inline with it.
- Mirrored characters typed as literal text (for example
∋) are mirrored by the Unicode bidi algorithm inside right-to-left paragraphs. Write them as math ($\ni$) to keep the typed direction. - Copying formulas out of the produced PDF can yield garbled characters; the rendered output is unaffected.
Tauri · React · TipTap · Tailwind CSS · Tantivy
Scratch is mostly stable and intentionally minimal, so I'm no longer monitoring issues and PRs regularly. You're welcome to open them, but I can't guarantee I'll get to everything, and it may take a while when I do.
What makes Scratch special is its minimal feature set and focus on user experience. We're not trying to build Obsidian or Notion, so not every feature will be a fit. If you want to make major changes or take Scratch in a new direction, you should fork it – it's MIT licensed.
If you open a PR: keep it small and focused, and try to address any CodeRabbit comments. I generally won't go back and forth with review comments – if I merge, I'll make any additional changes directly.
MIT