Move ideas around like objects, not rows.
Notes live on a board. Drag them, resize them, bring them forward, rename them, tint them, or delete and undo without breaking your flow.
Local-first notes, loose by design
Your desktop can be a thinking surface again.
Note Canvas is a native macOS workspace for people who think in fragments: floating notes, sticky reminders, markdown snippets, images, checklists, bookmarks, drawings, and separate workspaces that stay messy in a useful way.
Workspace style
Freeform
Drag, stack, resize, and color-code notes instead of sorting everything into rigid lists.
Native shell
macOS first
Built as a desktop app with keyboard shortcuts, local persistence, and a custom login callback.
Formats
Notes, Post-It notes, images
Keep rough notes, checklist cards, bookmark previews, drawing notes, and image references on the same canvas.
Sync model
Optional
Work locally by default, then sign in with Google when you want your workspace state backed up.
Post-It mode
Keep quick reminders visible without turning your board into a document editor.
Workspace sync
Switch boards, keep titles and layout, and optionally sync the whole state through the companion server.
What it does well
Organized enough to trust, loose enough to think.
The app is not trying to be a team wiki or another tab-heavy document tool. It is for personal boards, scratch space, visual grouping, and quick spatial memory.
Mix rough text, markdown, images, and sticky notes.
Some thoughts need structure, others need speed. Note Canvas supports both, including markdown preview and image notes on the same canvas.
Stay local until you want backup and sync.
Workspaces are saved on-device first. Google login and sync stay optional, which keeps the app usable even when you just want a fast private board.
Explore note types
Six note formats for different kinds of work.
Some thoughts need structure, others need speed. Choose the format that fits the job, then jump into the dedicated page for regular notes, Post-It notes, images, checklists, bookmarks, or drawings.
Write longer thoughts directly on the board.
Use titled, color-coded notes for working text, markdown snippets, plans, and rough drafts that need room.
View regular notes page
Keep reminders loud, fast, and visible.
Use sticky-note style cards for short prompts, temporary nudges, and anything that should stay hard to ignore.
View Post-It notes page
Pin screenshots, photos, and references beside text.
Keep visual material on the same canvas as your notes instead of scattering it across folders and browser tabs.
View image notes page
Turn action items into movable list cards.
Use checklists for shopping, launch prep, packing, or any short sequence where visible progress matters.
View checklist notes page
Paste a link and keep a readable preview card.
Bookmark notes pull available page details into the board so saved links stay readable and useful.
View bookmark notes page
Sketch diagrams and wireframes without leaving the app.
Open a full drawing surface for boxes, arrows, flows, and quick visual thinking, then keep the result as a board thumbnail.
View drawing notes pageBuilt for daily use
Small actions stay small.
New note, new Post-It note, image insert, checklist, bookmark, drawing, workspace switch, and autosave all happen with very little ceremony. The app feels closer to moving paper around a desk than maintaining a database.
- Separate workspaces keep topics apart without hiding the spatial layout that helps you remember things.
- Autosave and local persistence keep the board resilient even before you sign in.
- Markdown preview, checklist notes, bookmark notes, and drawing notes let rough notes become clearer without leaving the app.
Companion server
A simple sync layer, not a product maze.
The Quarkus backend handles Google authentication, JWT-backed sessions, and workspace sync. The desktop app is the product, and the server exists to support it.
- Google sign-in is used only when you want account-backed syncing.
- The same workspace model carries note position, sizing, titles, colors, image state, and richer note types.
- The app still makes sense as a local-first desktop tool, which is the right default for this category.
macOS desktop app
Built for people who think better with a board than a sidebar.
Use it as a personal planning wall, a temporary project surface, or a place to collect notes that are too spatial for a linear editor.