Productivity
OpenKnowledge
A free, local-first Notion and Obsidian alternative built for AI agents
What it is
OpenKnowledge is a free, open-source markdown editor and knowledge wiki built by Inkeep. It stores your notes as plain markdown files on your own machine, uses an embedded model for semantic search and auto-tagging without sending anything to the cloud, and ships native MCP servers so agents like Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read and edit your notes directly. It's pitched as a local-first alternative to Notion and Obsidian, built for a world where AI agents are also reading your notes.
- Price
- Free
- free tier available
- Free tier
- Yes
- no card required
- Rating
- ★ null
- 0 reviews
- Platforms
- 4
- macOS · Web
What you get free vs paid
Verdict
Pros
- Completely free and open source under GPL-3.0, no account or subscription
- Local-first: your markdown files stay on your machine unless you choose otherwise
- Native MCP servers let Claude, Cursor, and Codex read and edit your notes directly
- Notion-like WYSIWYG editing without the hosted lock-in
Cons
- The native desktop app only runs on Apple Silicon Macs right now
- Windows, Linux, and Intel Mac users have to run it as a local web app via the CLI, which needs Node.js 24+
- Plugin and template ecosystem is much smaller than Obsidian's, since the project is new
If you already point coding agents at a folder of markdown notes, OpenKnowledge is worth trying since it's free either way and the native MCP support is the real differentiator over Notion or Obsidian.
Capabilities
Core features
- Local markdown storage you fully own
- Embedded model for semantic search and auto-tagging, no cloud calls
- Native MCP servers for direct AI agent read/write access
- Notion-like WYSIWYG block editor
- Works with Claude, Cursor, Codex, and other MCP-compatible agents
- No account or cloud sync required
All platforms
AI stacks & blueprints
Best AI Tools for Students
View blueprint ▸Free tools, discount blueprints, and study tools curated to support college work and research on a budget.
Community tips
Open-source IPTV dashboard with 4,000+ free channels + auto-detected live sports — self-host your own streaming site on Netlify in 10 minutes.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!
▸ Field report
Leave a review
Common questions
Is OpenKnowledge free?
OpenKnowledge offers a free tier you can use without paying. Browse QuestLoops for verified ways to get more out of it for free.
What is OpenKnowledge used for?
A free, local-first Notion and Obsidian alternative built for AI agents It falls under the Productivity category.
What are the best alternatives to OpenKnowledge?
You can compare OpenKnowledge side-by-side with similar Productivity on QuestLoops to weigh free-tier limits, pricing, and tradeoffs before deciding.
Community workarounds
Risk & ToSSome methods may violate a vendor's Terms of Service and can stop working at any time. Use at your own risk — content is provided for educational purposes only.
▸ Crowdsourced discoveries
Open-source IPTV dashboard with 4,000+ free channels + auto-detected live sports — self-host your own streaming site on Netlify in 10 minutes.