# Ornata

> Ornata is a free, local-first Markdown notes app for macOS and Windows. Notes are plain .md files in a folder you own — no account, no proprietary database — and an MCP server and command line so the AI agents you already use can work on the vault, only as far as you allow.

Ornata is built on the principle that notes should outlive the app: plain Markdown files, real folders, and frontmatter preserved verbatim. The vault can be opened in Finder or File Explorer, edited in any text editor, and shared with tools like Obsidian and git.

## Pages

- [Home](https://ornata.app): Product overview, feature walkthroughs, and FAQ
- [Docs](https://ornata.app/docs): How to use every part of the app, including MCP, the command line, and shortcuts
- [简体中文 / Chinese](https://ornata.app/zh): 中文首页、文档(/zh/docs)与更新日志(/zh/updates)
- [Updates](https://ornata.app/updates): Release notes for every version
- [Download 0.9.0 (Apple Silicon DMG)](https://download.ornata.app/products/ornata-markd/releases/0.9.0/darwin-aarch64/Ornata_0.9.0_aarch64.dmg): Latest signed and notarized build
- [Download 0.9.0 (Windows 64-bit installer)](https://download.ornata.app/products/ornata-markd/releases/0.9.0/windows-x86_64/Ornata_0.9.0_x64-setup.exe): Not yet code-signed; SmartScreen may warn

## Key facts

- Platform: macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon), Windows 10+ (64-bit; Ctrl replaces ⌘)
- Format: plain .md files in real folders; wikilinks are stored as standard Markdown links
- Storage: any folder the user chooses, on their computer; syncs via iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or git
- Pricing: free
- Account: not required
- AI: Ornata has no built-in model or cloud service; bring your own agent through MCP or the command line
- Compatibility: works on the same plain-Markdown vault as Obsidian; preserves external frontmatter
- Linking: backlinks and unlinked mentions per note; a link graph tab (folder regions, search, link direction) and a local graph under each note
- Workspace: open tabs, plus split view — up to four notes side by side, each pane with its own header, draggable dividers, ⌘1–⌘4 to jump between panes; focus mode; back/forward through visited notes; headings fold; @ inserts a link to a daily note
- Search: ⌘K command palette searches titles and content, and finds titles from shorthand (e.g. "prjroad" → "project roadmap")
- Agents: Ornata serves MCP, so outside agents (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop) can search, read, and edit notes. Connect from MCP Settings; HTTP on localhost (http://127.0.0.1:13200/mcp, with a bearer token shown in MCP Settings) or stdio (the command "ornata mcp", works with the app closed). Access is set per vault in Settings (off, read only, read & write, full) and the agent cannot raise it. The same tools are a command line: ornata search, read, tasks, backlinks, daily, journal add, capture, create, append
- Export: PDF with a heading bookmark outline and paper/margin settings, standalone HTML, or the Markdown file itself
- Extras: LaTeX math (KaTeX), Mermaid diagrams, full-text search, vault-wide open tasks
- Updates: signed update feed; the macOS build is Developer ID signed and notarized (the Windows installer is not yet code-signed)
- Languages: English, Simplified Chinese
- License: MIT

## Questions

- **How much does Ornata cost?**
  Ornata is free to download and use — no account, no subscription. The macOS build is signed with an Apple Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple.
- **Where are my notes stored?**
  On your computer, 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 or File Explorer at any time.
- **Is there sync?**
  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.
- **Does it work with Obsidian?**
  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.
- **Is there a graph view?**
  Yes. The link graph opens as a tab beside your notes: folders form soft colored regions, hovering a note traces its links and their direction, and you can search, drag, and zoom. Any note can also show its own local graph beneath the text.
- **Can I view two notes side by side?**
  Yes. ⌘-click a link, press ⌘↵ on a result in the command palette, or choose Open to the side from a tab or a file's menu. You can have up to four panes, each with its own header and history arrows. Drag a divider to resize, or close a pane when you're done.
- **Can I export my notes?**
  They're already Markdown files, so there's nothing to export to keep them. To share, export a note as a PDF — with a bookmark outline built from its headings, plus your choice of paper size and margins — or as standalone HTML. Each export offers Show in Finder when it's done.
- **Is the macOS download signed?**
  Yes. Production downloads are signed with an Apple Developer ID certificate, notarized by Apple, and distributed through Ornata’s signed update feed.
- **Is there a Windows version?**
  Yes — a 64-bit installer for Windows 10 and later, with the same plain-Markdown vaults and the same update feed. It is newer than the Mac app, so expect rougher edges, and the installer is not yet code-signed: Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run (choose More info, then Run anyway). On Windows, Ctrl takes the place of ⌘, and PDF export goes through the system print dialog. Linux is not available yet.
- **Can I use Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor with my notes?**
  Yes. Ornata speaks MCP. Open MCP Settings from the plug in the status bar, press Connect, and add it to your agent with the one line shown there — it includes the access token the server requires. Agents that only run commands can start ornata mcp instead, which works even when Ornata is closed. The same tools are available in a terminal as ornata search, ornata journal add, ornata tasks, and more.
- **What can an outside agent do to my notes?**
  Only what you allow, per vault, in Settings: off, read only (the default), read & write, or full access. Read only lists, reads, and searches. Read & write can also create, edit, append, and tick tasks, and every edit keeps the previous version in the note's history. Full access adds rename, move, and delete, and deleted notes go to the Trash. It is set only in Ornata — an agent's own configuration can only lower it — and the server only listens on your computer’s localhost and requires an access token. An agent that can also run shell commands has your file access anyway, so give those the level you'd trust them with.
- **How do updates work?**
  Ornata automatically checks its signed update feed. When a release is available, you can download it with visible progress and restart to install it. The macOS build is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple.
- **Which interface languages are supported?**
  English and Simplified Chinese are built in. You can switch languages from Settings without changing the language of your notes.