# nvALT review (2026): is it any good? > Free keyboard-driven Mac notes app with plain-text Markdown files Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. nvALT is a free Mac notes app forked from Notational Velocity. One search field filters the note list as you type, and a title that matches nothing becomes a new note. Notes are plain text files with a Markdown preview, and it can sync with Simplenote. The author is building nvUltra as its successor. - **Category:** Note-Taking Apps - **Made by:** Brett Terpstra - **Website:** https://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt/ - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use Windows, a phone or a browser, as it is Mac only. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, nvALT is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** NvALT is free, with no paid plans listed. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | nvALT | $0 | Free download; the project page says it is free and shows no paid tier. | Read from https://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with nvALT before buying. ## Key features - **Search-first note entry:** One field searches and creates: typing filters the list, and a title with no match becomes a new note on Return. - **Plain-text files:** New libraries are a folder of Markdown files, and tags are written to them as Finder tags. - **Apex Markdown preview:** Previews combine CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown, MultiMarkdown and Kramdown syntax, with themes for editor and preview. - **Web clipping:** Safari extension ships inside the app; Chrome, Brave, Firefox and Zen extensions are installed separately. - **Simplenote sync:** Sync runs through Simplenote and is set up in the Synchronization tab of the notes settings. ## Good for - Mac users who want fast, keyboard-only capture into plain text files - People moving from Notational Velocity who want Markdown preview ## Worth knowing - nvALT 3 requires macOS 12 or later; there is no Windows, mobile or web version. - Sync is through Simplenote only, and the app warns if notes sit in Dropbox while Simplenote sync is on. - A first launch of a new major version opens with default settings, so sync and notes folder must be chosen again. - The author describes nvUltra as the app he is building to follow nvALT. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. nvALT is a free Mac notes app where one search field filters your notes and creates a new one when nothing matches. It runs on a Mac only, syncs only through Simplenote, and its author says he is building nvUltra to replace it. - **Value for money: A.** Free, with no paid plan listed on its project page. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no paid tier and no cap shown on the project page. - **Features: C.** Search-first entry, plain-text files, Markdown preview, web clipping and Simplenote sync. The listing's gaps: sync is Simplenote only and the author points to a successor. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record. You download it and start typing in the search field. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Mac only, needing macOS 12 or later. No Windows, mobile or web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from nvALT's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among note-taking apps - nvALT's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 88 of the 169 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 38. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 114 of 169) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). - nvALT has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/note-taking ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** nvALT is free, so making your own would save you nothing. - You could make: Notes, Markdown and web clipper: an app builder makes these well. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. - You could not: It plugs into other products, Simplenote, Marked and Safari among them. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Simplenote, Marked, Safari, Chrome, Firefox **Tags:** Notes, Markdown, Keyboard-first, Local-first, Web clipper ## Alternatives - [FSNotes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fsnotes): Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fsnotes-vs-nvalt) - [Notenik](https://toolgpa.com/tools/notenik): Free Mac notes app with Markdown, custom fields and outlining. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/notenik-vs-nvalt) - [Simplenote](https://toolgpa.com/tools/simplenote): Free plain-text notes that sync across every major platform. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nvalt-vs-simplenote) - [Bear](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bear): Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tags and links. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bear-vs-nvalt) - [Tot](https://toolgpa.com/tools/tot): Seven-note text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nvalt-vs-tot) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/nvalt Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).