The Octarine Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Octarine 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.
Octarine
The Insider’s Guide
Local Markdown notes app with daily notes, views and optional AI
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Octarine’s own pages.
Made by Rajat Kulkarni · 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 Octarine’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Octarine’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
2.8
GPA, above 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Octarine is a desktop note-taking app for Mac, Windows and Linux that stores notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. It has a WYSIWYG editor, daily and weekly notes, wikilinks with backlinks and a graph view. The core app is free; a one-time Pro license adds properties, filtered views, note sharing and AI tools that run on your own API key or a local model. It is built by a single developer and is not open source.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Octarine, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for Markdown notes on a desktop with the extras built in
Octarine is a desktop Markdown notes app with daily notes, backlinks, a graph and quick capture built in, saving plain files in your own folder, and the core app is free.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $79 one-time purchase.
- 3
There is a free plan
Personal: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, 4 themes and txt export. The vendor says the core features will always be free.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
macOS, Windows and Linux, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Markdown files you keep
Notes are plain Markdown files in a workspace folder you pick, and core note-taking works offline. Files sync through any file-sync service or the built-in Git sync to GitHub or GitLab.
- 6
Daily Desk
Daily and weekly notes are part of the free plan, and unfinished tasks from yesterday's note can be moved into today's without copying.
- 7
Links, backlinks and graph
Wikilinks can point at a note or a single heading and carry an alias. Backlinks and mentions are listed in their own sheet, and a graph view maps the workspace.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 72 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
The plain part of Octarine you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Octarine at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $79 one-time purchase
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day trial of Pro features included with the download
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, Browser extension
- Made by
- Rajat Kulkarni
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for Markdown notes on a desktop with the extras built in
Octarine is a desktop Markdown notes app with daily notes, backlinks, a graph and quick capture built in, saving plain files in your own folder, and the core app is free. But properties, views, sharing and the AI are in a $79 one-time Pro license, the AI needs your own key, there's no phone app you can just download, sync is yours to arrange, and the docs say Pro's price goes up over time.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Pro is $79 once, on 3 devices at a time, with every later Pro feature included. A year of the middle note app here is $72 and two years is $144, so this lands between the two. The docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, and the AI still needs your own API key. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Personal is free with no cap on anything: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates and Mermaid diagrams, and the vendor says the core features will always be free. You also get 7 days of Pro with the download. |
| Features | C | Wikilinks to a note or a heading, backlinks, a graph, quick capture, and a Daily Desk that rolls yesterday's tasks into today. The gap the listing names is sync: no service of its own, so you arrange it with a file-sync folder or Git sync. Properties, views, sharing and AI all sit behind Pro. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: a normal install, no account, you edit the formatted page directly, and the main features are there without hunting for plugins. Nothing to set up before you write. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Computers only: Mac, Windows and Linux, with a browser clipper and Git sync to GitHub or GitLab. On phones there's just an iOS beta on TestFlight for eligible Pro users, no Android app is listed, and there's no web version. |
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 Octarine is for
- Fits if you want local Markdown files with linking and daily notes without installing plugins
- Works for people who want AI over their notes on their own key or a local model, paid for once
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you need your notes on your phone today, as there's only a TestFlight beta for iOS and no Android app
- Pricey if all you want from Pro is PDF export or more themes, at $79
- Not for you if open source matters, because it's built by one developer and the code isn't open
- Watch out: there's no sync service of its own, so you set up a file-sync folder or Git
- Watch out: the price is early-access, and the docs say it rises as Pro features are added
Good to know
Good for
- Writers who want Markdown notes kept as local files
- People who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Those who want linking, daily notes and views built in, not added as plugins
Worth knowing
- Properties, filtered views, note types, focus mode, note sharing and every AI feature need the $79 Pro license.
- There is no public phone app: an iOS beta runs on TestFlight for eligible Pro users, and no Android app is listed.
- AI features need your own API key or a local model, and syncing relies on a file-sync service or the built-in Git sync.
- Pricing is early-access: the docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, while earlier buyers keep all future Pro features.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$79 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
Octarine has a free plan. Paid plans start at $79 one-time purchase.
The docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, and the AI still needs your own API key.
Personal
$0
WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, Mermaid diagrams, 4 themes and txt export.
Pro
$79
one-time purchase
Adds properties, filtered views, note types, focus mode, note sharing, AI tools, 30+ themes and PDF, HTML and DOCX export. One key works on 3 devices at a time.
The free plan
Personal: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, 4 themes and txt export. The vendor says the core features will always be free.
Trying it first
7-day trial of Pro features included with the download
Read from octarine.app on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux and Browser extension
Local Markdown notes app with daily notes, views and optional AI. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, one-time purchase, AI features, notes, Markdown, linked notes, daily notes.
Wikilinks to a note or a heading, backlinks, a graph, quick capture, and a Daily Desk that rolls yesterday's tasks into today.
- Markdown files you keep
- Notes are plain Markdown files in a workspace folder you pick, and core note-taking works offline. Files sync through any file-sync service or the built-in Git sync to GitHub or GitLab.
- Daily Desk
- Daily and weekly notes are part of the free plan, and unfinished tasks from yesterday's note can be moved into today's without copying.
- Links, backlinks and graph
- Wikilinks can point at a note or a single heading and carry an alias. Backlinks and mentions are listed in their own sheet, and a graph view maps the workspace.
- Properties and Views
- On Pro, Note Types start new notes with a set of properties, and Views filter, sort and group notes by any property in a table or kanban layout.
- Quick Capture and Inbox
- A Spotlight-style window opens over any app to take down a thought, which lands in an Inbox to be sorted into notes later.
- Ask Octarine and Writing Assistant
- On Pro, a chat over your notes can create, update and move notes, and an assistant rewrites text inline. Both need your own API key or a local LLM.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Browser extension
What it works with
- GitHub
- GitLab
- iCloud
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
- Google Drive
- Syncthing
Octarine is made by Rajat Kulkarni.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
72/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Octarine's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 100 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Octarine’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 48 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
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
The plain part of Octarine you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $79, paid once.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, GitLab and iCloud among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Octarine’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
Obsidian, Logseq, Bear, NotePlan and UpNote
The 5 tools Octarine is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Only Obsidian lists iOS and Android apps.
- Octarine can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Only Octarine lists a browser extension.
- Only Logseq lists a web app.
- Only Logseq lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.6GPA
Bear
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tags and links.
- Only Octarine lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Bear lists an iOS app.
- Octarine can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
NotePlan
Free trial · from $8.33/mo
Markdown notes, tasks and calendar in one daily note.
- Octarine has a free plan. NotePlan does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Octarine lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Octarine lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
UpNote
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Cross-platform notes app with a lifetime purchase option.
- Only UpNote lists iOS and Android apps.
- Octarine also covers daily notes.
- UpNote also covers web clipper and templates.
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 Octarine free?
Octarine has a free plan. Personal: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, 4 themes and txt export.
How much does Octarine cost?
Octarine lists 2 plans. Personal: $0.
What platforms does Octarine work on?
Octarine is available on macOS, Windows and Linux. It also has a browser extension.
Does Octarine have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Octarine is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Octarine have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Octarine is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Octarine open source?
Octarine is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Octarine integrate with?
Octarine's listing names GitHub, GitLab, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and Syncthing.
Does Octarine have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day trial of Pro features included with the download.
Who makes Octarine?
Octarine is made by Rajat Kulkarni.
What are the alternatives to Octarine?
The closest alternatives to Octarine in our directory are Obsidian, Logseq, Bear, NotePlan and UpNote.
How does Octarine compare with other note-taking apps?
Octarine's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
Could I make my own version of Octarine?
The plain part of Octarine you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes and daily notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Octarine’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 Octarine's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-24.
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 Rajat Kulkarni. Prices change, so check octarine.app before you buy.
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
- Octarine, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/octarine
- 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, "Octarine: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/octarine
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/octarine/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Octarine, 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 Octarine’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. Octarine is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Rajat Kulkarni. Prices and plans change: check octarine.app before you buy.