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MindForger

Open-source Markdown notebook that links related notes for you

FreeNote-TakingChecked Oct 9, 2026
Visit mindforger.com

What is MindForger?

MindForger is a free, open-source desktop notebook and Markdown editor for Linux, macOS and Windows. It splits Markdown files into notes, shows related notes from the whole workspace while you read or write, and turns mentions of other notes into links automatically. Notes stay as plain Markdown files on disk, and an optional assistant called Wingman can run a language model locally through Ollama.

MindForger is free to use. See every plan

Good for

  • People who keep private notes as Markdown files on their own disk
  • Keyboard-driven users who want IDE-style restructuring of notes
  • Running an AI assistant over notes with a local Ollama model
  • Linux users: packages cover Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch and more

Worth knowing

  • Desktop only: the site lists Linux, macOS and Windows with no mobile or web app, and leaves syncing to Git or a cloud drive of your choice.
  • The macOS app is not signed or notarized by Apple: after each .dmg install Gatekeeper blocks it until it is allowed by hand, and it has left the official Homebrew cask repository.
  • The macOS .dmg is built for Intel and runs on Apple Silicon through Rosetta 2; the Windows installer is for 64-bit x64 only.
  • Wingman needs a language model set up first: Ollama installed locally, or a remote provider, which the docs warn sends your text to a third party.

Key features

Associations
While a note is being read or written, MindForger lists related notes from the whole workspace. Associations are computed locally, with no cloud service or language model needed.
Autolinking
Names of notebooks and notes mentioned in the text become links in the preview automatically. Generated links are shown in green and hand-written ones in blue.
Wingman assistant
An optional assistant that summarizes, explains, translates, rewrites and fixes grammar. It runs open-weight models locally through Ollama, or sends text to OpenRouter or OpenAI.
Organizers and knowledge graph
Kanban boards and Eisenhower matrix views sort notebooks and notes by their tags, and a force-directed graph shows notebooks, notes and tags with their relationships.
Markdown editor with refactoring
The editor has live preview, syntax highlighting, offline KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams and spell check. Notes can be cloned, promoted, demoted, moved and extracted from the keyboard.
Plain Markdown workspaces
Notes are GitHub Flavored Markdown files on disk. MindForger opens its own workspace, any Markdown directory or a single file, and exports notebooks to HTML or Markdown.

MindForger pricing

Starts at
Free
Free plan
Free, open-source software under the GNU GPL (version 2 on GitHub). The site says it costs nothing to download and use, with no account and no subscription.
Free trial
None listed
MindForger$0The full desktop app for Linux, macOS and Windows, including the Wingman assistant, which uses a local Ollama model or a remote OpenRouter or OpenAI model.

Read from mindforger.com on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with MindForger before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Works with

MindForger alternatives

All MindForger alternatives comparedAll note-taking apps

Common questions

Is MindForger free?

Yes. MindForger is free to use. Free, open-source software under the GNU GPL (version 2 on GitHub). The site says it costs nothing to download and use, with no account and no subscription.

How much does MindForger cost?

MindForger lists one plan. MindForger: $0. Prices were read from mindforger.com on Oct 9, 2026.

What platforms does MindForger work on?

MindForger is available on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Does MindForger have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. MindForger is listed for Linux, macOS and Windows.

Does MindForger have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. MindForger is listed for Linux, macOS and Windows.

Is MindForger open source?

Yes. MindForger is open source, according to its own site.

What does MindForger integrate with?

MindForger's listing names Ollama, OpenRouter and OpenAI. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes MindForger?

MindForger is made by Martin Dvorak. It dates from 2018.

What are the alternatives to MindForger?

The closest alternatives to MindForger in our directory are Obsidian, Logseq, QOwnNotes, Zim and Joplin. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with MindForger.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026.