Yes, it supports LaTeX math blocks via KaTeX.

No, notes are plain .md files on your disk. Encryption was never the goal.

Definitely, yes. I’m trying to tackle them one by one.

You can now open a note in a separate window. This has been added in v1.1.6, along with other fixes and feature additions.

Great! Thanks for the feedback.

All 3 enhancements noted. Will be implemented in next release.

Update: The line shortcuts and line numbers will be in the next release. The side-by-side/split view requires a significant architecture refactor, so that one will take longer - it’s on the roadmap but not for the immediate next release.

I’m thinking about the mobile app in terms of how already. But it’s definitely on the roadmap.

Obsidian’s default editor is barebones, you need plugins to get a usable experience. HelixNotes gives you rich editing out of the box: formatting toolbar, slash commands, source mode toggle. No setup. It’s also not Electron. Rust + Tauri 2.0 & Svelte fraction of the RAM, launches instantly. Same philosophy though: local .md files, no cloud, no lock-in. If Obsidian works for you, no reason to switch.

Fixed in v1.1.0

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Just shipped v1.1.0 based on what was reported here today:

• Obsidian wiki link import fix
• macOS Cmd key shortcuts (was showing Ctrl)
• Frontmatter no longer modified on notes you don’t edit
• KaTeX math support
• Daily Notes
• Tag management (single + batch)
• View mode toggle + focus mode improvements
• Source mode search
• Notebook delete confirmation
• Collapsible sidebar tags

AI is optional, disabled by default, and doesn’t even show in the UI unless you enable it. The app works fully offline with zero AI involvement.

Thanks! No Patreon yet, but I’ll set something up. For now, the best support is feedback and bug reports.

The import dialog warns you to make a backup before running as it modifies files in place. That said, the frontmatter overwrite on just viewing a note is a valid bug. I’ll fix that, notes should only be modified when you actually edit them.

Appreciate the honest feedback, doesn’t come over negatively at all, this is exactly what helps improve the app.

• Obsidian wiki links not converting properly during import: that’s a bug, will be fixed in the next release.
• View mode, math support, frontmatter behavior, and the other UX points: all noted and will be considered. So far I’ve focused on features I use personally, but if something makes sense, improves the app, and keeps it focused without bloat, I just implement it.
• The LockFile bug and empty graph view: I haven’t seen this behavior yet but I’ll look into it.

HelixNotes isn’t trying to be a replacement for Obsidian. It was a replacement for Obsidian for me, but different people have different needs. Thanks for taking the time.

Great feedback.

1. Daily notes - not there yet but it’s a straightforward feature to add. I’ll put it on the roadmap.
2. Templates - same, noted.
3. Sync conflicts - fair point. HelixNotes watches the filesystem for external changes, but conflict resolution when two devices edit the same note is a real problem with any file-based sync. Syncthing handles this better than most (it creates conflict copies instead of overwriting), but it’s not perfect.

If you end up trying it and want to contribute, open issues on Codeberg for what you’d like to see. Contributions are very welcome.

Thanks! Latency was one of the main reasons I went with Tauri instead of Electron. HelixNotes launches instantly and stays light. Give it a try.

Not at this stage. It’s something I’m considering but the priority is getting the core experience right first.

Different use case. HelixNotes is for people who want a clean, simple note-taking app that works out of the box - not a customizable text processing pipeline. If Vim snippets work for you, stick with that. Not every tool needs to be for everyone.

Good question. “No sync” means no built-in cloud sync - not that sync is impossible. Your notes are plain .md files in a folder, so you can sync them with Syncthing, Nextcloud, rsync, Git, or anything else you already use. The app watches the filesystem for external changes and picks them up automatically.

The philosophy is: I don’t decide where your files go. You do.

As for contributions - absolutely welcome. PRs won’t be rejected on principle. If you want to work on a self-hosted sync feature, open an issue on Codeberg and let’s discuss the approach first. I’d love to see it.

Built with Tauri on Linux, available as AppImage, AUR, and APT package. Thought it was relevant for Linux users looking for a native note-taking app.

Not yet, but it’s on the roadmap. The app is still young, right now I’m focused on getting the desktop experience solid based on feedback before shifting to mobile.