Ornata is a local-first Markdown notes app for macOS. It keeps the editor fast, the interface quiet, and every note as a plain .md file in a folder you own. No proprietary database. No account required. Just a precise place to write.
Apple Silicon · macOS 12+
The quarter is about speed and focus — make writing feel instant, then let AssistantPi help only when it is invited.
Details live in the Release notes. See also the app architecture
Most notes apps grow into systems you have to maintain. Ornata stays an instrument: quick to open, quiet while you write, and honest about where your files live.
Plain files, real folders
Choose any folder. Ornata writes ordinary Markdown into real directories, preserves frontmatter from other tools, and notices external edits when you return.
Product principles.md
A professional editor
Write with clean typography, language-aware code, internal links, pasted images, and a magnetic outline for long notes. The file on disk stays readable everywhere.
Product principles
Every note stays readable outside Ornata. Connect ideas with standard Markdown links, not private metadata.
const note = "yours.md";
await write(note);
Fast by default
Search titles and content, jump between notes, or run an action from ⌘K. Todos and bookmarks stay close without turning the editor into a project-management suite.
AssistantPi · available now
AssistantPi connects to Pi on your Mac, uses the model you configure, and starts in read-only mode. The open note and your selection provide context; every broader permission is your decision.
Product / Roadmap
Ship the editor pass, verify updates, then publish.
Turn this into a concise release plan.
## A tighter release plan
1. Finish the editor pass
2. Verify signed updates
3. Publish the release notes
FAQ
Storage, compatibility, updates, and exactly what AssistantPi can access.
Ornata is free to download and use — no account, no subscription. Production builds are signed with an Apple Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple.
On your Mac, as plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. The core editor needs no account or proprietary database, and you can open the folder in Finder at any time.
Not built in yet. Because notes are just files in a folder, you can sync them today with iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or git. Native sync is on the roadmap.
Yes. Ornata uses the same plain-Markdown vault with real folders, and preserves frontmatter from other tools. Point Ornata and Obsidian at the same folder and both just work.
Yes. Production downloads are signed with an Apple Developer ID certificate, notarized by Apple, and distributed through Ornata’s signed update feed.
macOS first. Ornata is built on Tauri, which is cross-platform, so other platforms may follow — but macOS is where it's polished today.
Install and configure Pi on your Mac, then Ornata connects to that local Pi process. You keep control of the model and provider in Pi, while Ornata supplies permission-controlled tools for notes, todos, and bookmarks. The open note is attached automatically, and selected note text can be included for precise context.
Read only is the default. Read & write can create and update content but cannot run shell commands or perform destructive structured actions. Full Access enables every Pi tool, including shell commands, plus complete Ornata CRUD. You choose the mode in the composer before sending.
The Pi process and your Ornata files run locally. If the model configured in Pi is remote, the prompt and attached context are sent to that model provider under its terms. Fully local or offline behavior depends on the model setup you choose in Pi.
Ornata automatically checks its signed update feed. When a release is available, you can download it with visible progress and restart to install it. Production builds are Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple.
English and Simplified Chinese are built in. You can switch languages from Settings without changing the language of your notes.
