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sheshbabu/zen

Self-hosted notes app in a single Go binary, storing notes as Markdown files alongside a local SQLite database with full-text search.

Open-source alternative to:NotionEvernote

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What is it?

Zen is a self-hosted notes app that runs as a single Go binary or through Docker Compose. Notes are kept as standard Markdown files with a local SQLite database, so the data stays portable and under your control. It is designed for low resource usage.

Notes are organized with flexible tags rather than rigid folders. Full-text search uses BM25 ranking, and the editor supports tables, code blocks, task lists and highlights. Other features include templates, pinned notes, archiving, soft delete, bulk actions, version history, and internal note links with a side panel preview.

Some features are marked experimental: a JSON Canvas view for arranging notes and images, semantic search and similar-image lookup through a companion project, and an MCP server for searching and reading notes.

Key features

  • 01Runs as a single Go binary or via Docker Compose
  • 02Notes stored as standard Markdown files with a local SQLite database
  • 03Full-text search with BM25 ranking
  • 04Tag-based organization instead of folders
  • 05Version history, archiving and soft delete
  • 06Import and export for data portability

Use cases

  • Keeping a personal notes library on a home server or VPS
  • Running a private, low-overhead notes app without a cloud account
  • Working with Markdown notes that stay readable outside the app

Quick start

  1. 1

    Build from source

    make build
  2. 2

    Run the app with default configuration for local development

    make dev

Things to know

  • Maintainer states it is a personal project and may not review pull requests or respond to issues.
  • Experimental features like semantic search and MCP are still in progress.
  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, which requires source sharing for modified network-served versions.

Topics

#notes#markdown#sqlite#self-hosted#full-text-search#golang#mcp-server#preact

FAQ

What is zen?
Self-hosted notes app in a single Go binary, storing notes as Markdown files alongside a local SQLite database with full-text search. Zen is a self-hosted notes app that runs as a single Go binary or through Docker Compose. Notes are kept as standard Markdown files with a local SQLite database, so the data stays portable and under your control. It is designed for low resource usage.
Is zen free to use? What license does it have?
zen is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is zen still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to zen was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use zen for?
Keeping a personal notes library on a home server or VPS Running a private, low-overhead notes app without a cloud account Working with Markdown notes that stay readable outside the app
How do I install zen?
Build from source: make build Run the app with default configuration for local development: make dev
Where can I get zen?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/sheshbabu/zen

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