The Blinko Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Blinko in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Blinko
The Insider’s Guide
AI-assisted card notes, self-hosted or on Blinko Cloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Blinko’s own pages.
Made by Blinko · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Blinko’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Blinko’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Blinko is an AI-assisted note-taking app for capturing short thoughts and growing them into lasting notes. Quick captures, called Blinks, sit beside permanent Notes, and AI can expand or polish text and answer questions from what you have saved. It comes as a free open-source edition you host yourself and as Blinko Cloud, a hosted service with a free plan and paid plans that add storage and blog publishing features.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Blinko, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Plain notes on Blinko Cloud are sign up and go, but the AI, which is the point of it, wants your own OpenAI key or an Ollama model wired in.
- 1
Best for quick thoughts with AI search, on your own server
Blinko is a notes app where quick Blinks archive themselves, the keepers become Notes, and an AI answers questions from what you saved.
- 2
Paid plans start at $5.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $5.99 per month, billed monthly (Blinko Cloud Pro).
- 3
There is a free plan
Blinko Cloud Free: 100 MB of managed storage, a personal blog, nested tags, folders and full-text search, with AI through your own API key. The self-hosted open-source edition is also free.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.
- 5
Blinks and Notes
A Blink is a quick capture for short-lived thoughts and is archived automatically after a period. A Note is permanent, with rich formatting, and a Blink can be turned into one.
- 6
AI search and chat over your notes
Retrieval-augmented search answers natural-language questions from your own notes, and a chat lets you ask what you recorded and follow up on a topic.
- 7
AI writing with your own provider
Selected text can be expanded or polished, and AI can tag notes or process new ones automatically. Providers include OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and local Ollama models.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 22 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Blinko you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Blinko at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $5.99 per month, billed monthly (Blinko Cloud Pro)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, Android
- Made by
- Blinko
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for quick thoughts with AI search, on your own server
Blinko is a notes app where quick Blinks archive themselves, the keepers become Notes, and an AI answers questions from what you saved. You can host it yourself for free or use Blinko Cloud, with 100 MB free and Pro at $5.99 a month. The AI needs your own API key or a local model, there's no iPhone app yet, Android is an APK download, and the desktop apps are preview builds.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Blinko Cloud Pro is $5.99 a month, sitting right on this category's $6 middle, and billed monthly only, so there's no yearly discount to take. It buys 10 GB, a custom domain and the developer API. The open-source edition is free if you have a server for it. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Two free routes, and one person could live on either. Cloud Free gives 100 MB of managed storage with a personal blog, nested tags, folders and full-text search; the self-hosted edition is limited only by your own hardware. 100 MB goes quickly once you attach things. |
| Features | C | Quick Blinks that archive themselves beside permanent Notes, AI that answers from your own notes, text expanded or reworded, a blog, share links with a password and an expiry. But the listing names two gaps: the AI only works if you bring an API key or a local model, and the desktop apps are preview builds. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Plain notes on Blinko Cloud are sign up and go, but the AI, which is the point of it, wants your own OpenAI key or an Ollama model wired in. Hosting it yourself means Docker and PostgreSQL. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux and Android, with webhooks, S3 storage and a plugin marketplace. No iPhone app yet, only a Coming soon, the Android build is an APK download, and the developer API is on the paid Cloud plans. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Blinko is for
- Fits if you want AI search over your notes using an API key you already pay for
- Works for people who'd run their notes on their own server with Docker
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're on an iPhone, as there's no iOS app yet, only a Coming soon
- Not for you if you want AI that works out of the box, because you bring the key or the model
- Tight if you attach a lot on the free Cloud plan, with 100 MB of storage, and paid plans bill monthly only
- Watch out: the desktop apps are preview builds and Android is an APK download, not a store app
- Watch out: custom domains, the CLI, the developer API and secure sharing are paid Cloud features, and self-hosting leaves backups to you
Good to know
Good for
- Capturing short thoughts quickly and sorting them out later
- AI search over your own notes using your own API key
- Self-hosters who want their notes on their own server
- Publishing selected notes as a personal blog
Worth knowing
- Blinko Cloud Free includes 100 MB of managed storage; Pro has 10 GB and Pro Plus 25 GB. Cloud plans are billed monthly.
- Custom domains, premium blog themes, the CLI, the developer API and secure sharing are listed under the paid Cloud plans.
- There is no iOS app yet (marked Coming soon), Android is an APK download and the desktop apps are described as preview builds.
- AI features need your own API key or a local model, and self-hosting leaves updates, backups and security to you.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$5.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Blinko has a free plan. Paid plans start at $5.99 per month, billed monthly (Blinko Cloud Pro).
The open-source edition is free if you have a server for it.
Open Source (self-hosted)
$0
The open-source edition on your own server. Storage is limited only by your infrastructure, and you manage updates, backups, security and AI providers.
Blinko Cloud Free
$0
Hosted Blinko with 100 MB of managed storage, a personal blog, bring-your-own-key AI, nested tags, folders and full-text search.
Blinko Cloud Pro
$5.99
per month, billed monthly
10 GB of managed storage, premium blog themes, a custom domain, no Blinko branding, the Blinko CLI, developer API and secure sharing.
Blinko Cloud Pro Plus
$10.99
per month, billed monthly
25 GB of managed storage with everything in Pro, for larger note and attachment libraries.
The free plan
Blinko Cloud Free: 100 MB of managed storage, a personal blog, nested tags, folders and full-text search, with AI through your own API key. The self-hosted open-source edition is also free.
Read from blinko.space on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android
AI-assisted card notes, self-hosted or on Blinko Cloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, AI features, AI search, notes, Markdown.
But the listing names two gaps: the AI only works if you bring an API key or a local model, and the desktop apps are preview builds.
- Blinks and Notes
- A Blink is a quick capture for short-lived thoughts and is archived automatically after a period. A Note is permanent, with rich formatting, and a Blink can be turned into one.
- AI search and chat over your notes
- Retrieval-augmented search answers natural-language questions from your own notes, and a chat lets you ask what you recorded and follow up on a topic.
- AI writing with your own provider
- Selected text can be expanded or polished, and AI can tag notes or process new ones automatically. Providers include OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and local Ollama models.
- Personal blog and share links
- On Blinko Cloud a note can be published to a personal blog. Share links can carry an expiry time and a password, and shared notes are read-only.
- Self-hosting with Docker
- The open-source edition runs in Docker with a PostgreSQL database, so notes stay on your own server. S3 storage, webhooks, SSO and scheduled backups can be configured.
- Apps and plugins
- Desktop apps add a quick-note window and a text-selection toolbar, the Android app accepts content shared from other apps, and a plugin marketplace adds extras.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Gemini
- DeepSeek
- Ollama
- OpenRouter
- S3
Blinko is made by Blinko.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Blinko's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 86 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $5.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 35 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 27 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Blinko’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 147
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 147
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 86 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Blinko is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Blinko you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 98 of the 147 other note-taking apps grade higher. It costs $71.88 a year. Blinko is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Notes and Markdown: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Blinko’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Memos, NoteGen, SiYuan, Trilium Notes and flatnotes
The 5 tools Blinko is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Memos
Free
Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes.
- Only Blinko lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only Memos lists a browser extension.
- Blinko also covers AI search.
- 3.2GPA
NoteGen
Free
Open-source Markdown notes app that organizes captures with AI.
- Only Blinko lists a web app.
- Only NoteGen lists an iOS app.
- Only NoteGen lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
SiYuan
Free plan · from $64 one-time
Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks.
- Only SiYuan lists an iOS app.
- Only SiYuan lists a browser extension.
- SiYuan is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Trilium Notes
Free
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base.
- Only Blinko lists an Android app.
- Only Trilium Notes lists a browser extension.
- Blinko also covers AI search.
- 2.6GPA
flatnotes
Free
Self-hosted notes web app on a flat folder of Markdown files.
- Only Blinko lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Blinko also covers AI search.
- flatnotes also covers linked notes.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Blinko free?
Blinko has a free plan. Blinko Cloud Free: 100 MB of managed storage, a personal blog, nested tags, folders and full-text search, with AI through your own API key.
How much does Blinko cost?
Blinko lists 4 plans. Open Source (self-hosted): $0.
What platforms does Blinko work on?
Blinko is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.
Does Blinko have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Blinko is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.
Is Blinko open source?
Yes. Blinko is open source, according to its own site.
Does Blinko have an API?
Yes. Blinko offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Blinko integrate with?
Blinko's listing names OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, Ollama, OpenRouter, S3 and WeChat.
Who makes Blinko?
Blinko is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Blinko?
The closest alternatives to Blinko in our directory are Memos, NoteGen, SiYuan, Trilium Notes and flatnotes.
How does Blinko compare with other note-taking apps?
Blinko's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
Is Blinko good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Blinko C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $5.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 35 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Blinko?
To replace Blinko you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Blinko’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Blinko's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-29.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Blinko. Prices change, so check blinko.space before you buy.
- blinko.space/en
- blinko.space/en/pricing
- blinko.space/en/open-source
- blinko.space/en/download
- blinko.space/terms-and-conditions
- docs.blinko.space/en/introduction
- docs.blinko.space/llms.txt
- docs.blinko.space/en/install.md
- docs.blinko.space/en/how-to-use/blinko-or-note.md
- docs.blinko.space/en/how-to-use/ai/ai-setting.md
- docs.blinko.space/en/how-to-use/share-your-note.md
- raw.githubusercontent.com/blinko-space/blinko/main/README.md
- github.com/blinko-space/blinko
- github.com/blinkospace/blinko/releases/tag/1.8.8
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Blinko, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/blinko
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Blinko: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/blinko
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/blinko/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Blinko, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Blinko’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Blinko is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Blinko. Prices and plans change: check blinko.space before you buy.