Notes apps are databases. Your mind isn’t.

Folium is a personal knowledge app for thinking on digital paper.

Catch a thought in a few words.
Make time for it in your week.
Turn it into a connected note when it matters.

Your notes stay as Markdown files on your device.

Try free for 14 days See it in action no card, no signup — just download

Available for macOS · Windows · Linux
Mobile companions are in development.
Public preview · 14 days free · No key required.

Ink illustration of a pin board of small paper scraps; one scrap floats down and becomes a banded card on a shelf

One thought. A useful next step.

Capture first. Decide what to do with it when you have room to think.

Folium Board with short thoughts on Minimo scraps — **1. Catch it.** Write a few words. No title, tags or folder to choose.

A writing task placed into Folium’s weekly planner — **2. Make time, if it needs doing.** Give the scrap a time block. Its todos stay connected.

A developed idea about leaving room in the week, in Folium’s note editor — **3. Keep it, if it is worth developing.** Write the idea in your own words and connect it to a note you already have.

Actual app screens with example notes. Select an image to view it full size. Planning and writing are two paths: each thought takes the one it needs.

Four kinds of paper. Use what you need.

A scrap to catch, a card to understand, a flashcard to remember, a sheet to think.

Minimo · Catch this

A few words, caught in time

No title. No tags. No decisions. A thought survives because catching it takes seconds. Start a line with - and it becomes a todo on its own.

Quarto · Understand this

One idea, in your own words

A calm editor with live preview and Zen Mode. A 700-character limit keeps each thought focused. Paste long text, code or a link to capture it in Resources; continue your writing on a linked page.

Octavo · Remember this

The tiny flashcard

120 characters a side. Always attached to the Quarto it came from. Review shuffles a deck and lets you flip through. No algorithms. No streaks. No guilt.

Folio · Think here

The big sketch sheet

Some thinking isn’t prose. A Folio is a big Excalidraw sheet. It embeds, editable, inside any card. It also holds cards as blocks on the canvas.

Supported languages

Choose your language in Settings. The interface and editors work in all nine languages, including right-to-left Arabic. English is the default.

Language packs work offline. Your notes keep the language you write them in.

Four house rules

Your work stays yours. Here is what that means in practice.

Local-first

Notes are Markdown, plans are JSON, and sketches are Excalidraw files in a folder you own. You can back up and export your work.

No telemetry

No usage analytics or crash reporting. Network access covers updates, license verification, optional sync and resources you choose to open. See our privacy policy.

Sync is optional

Keep notes locally or choose a folder managed by your file-sync service. Built-in cloud sign-in is being prepared for launch. Export ZIP backups before moving notes.

Never locked

Trial over? Your notes still open, read, search and export. A card box doesn’t repossess its cards.

How it compares

A card box is a simple idea with serious staying power. Here is how Folium stacks up against the tools you already know.

What matters	Folium	Obsidian	Notion
Price	Free preview; planned price $34.90 once	Free app; optional paid Sync	Free individual plan; paid plans available
Starting point	Capture, plan and connect in one workflow	Linked Markdown notes; extend with plugins	Pages, databases and templates
Storage	Local files you own	Local Markdown files	Cloud workspace with export
Offline	Local notes work offline during the preview	Local notes work offline	Pages can be downloaded for offline use
Sync	Local folders; cloud sign-in coming later	Paid Sync or your own setup	Included cloud sync
Phone	Companion in development: capture, plan and read	Mobile note editing	Mobile page editing

Checked September 2026. Obsidian plans · Notion plans · Notion offline

For people who think in small notes

Keep a writing idea, make sense of something you read, or give a task a place in your week. Folium gives you a starting point without a system to build first.

Long documents and team databases can stay in the tools you already use. Folium is your personal place to catch, connect and return to ideas.

Try Folium before launch.

The public preview is ready to explore. Purchases are not open yet.

Free 14-day preview

Planned launch price: $34.90 once, for up to 4 devices. No payment or license key is needed to try the preview.

Try the preview Installation guide

14-day free trial: every feature, no account
No account, payment or license key required
macOS, Windows and Linux desktop downloads
Reading, search and export remain available after the trial
Purchases will open after launch
Local notes and ZIP backups; cloud connections are still being prepared

Questions

Why no subscription?

You pay once for the purchased version, including its updates. Future major versions may be sold separately. There is no recurring Folium subscription, and your files remain yours.

Where does my data live?

In a folder on your device. Notes are Markdown files, plans are JSON and drawings are Excalidraw files. If you choose a folder managed by a file-sync service, that service also holds a copy. Folium has no server holding your notes.

How does sync work in the preview?

Keep your notes in a local folder, or choose a folder managed by your existing file-sync service. Built-in Google Drive and GitHub sign-in are being prepared for launch. Use ZIP backups before moving notes and avoid editing the same note on two devices at once.

What about mobile?

iOS and Android companions are in development and are not yet available to download here. The intended phone experience is Minimo capture and editing, Planner placement, and read-only cards and search. The full desk belongs on desktops and tablets. Check the download page for current availability.

Do I need a license key for the preview?

No. The 14-day preview starts on your first launch and works offline. Purchases and license activation are not open yet. Reading, searching and exporting your notes remain available after the preview ends.

How do I move my notes or recover a file?

Start with a backup. Our getting-started guide explains moving existing notes into Folium and finding deleted or conflicting copies. There is no automatic Notion or Obsidian importer.

What happens when the free trial ends?

Writing pauses when the 14-day preview ends but nothing is taken away: reading, searching and exporting your notes keeps working forever. Purchases are not open yet. This preview has no payment or subscription to cancel.