ZeroNote: One Notes App for Everything

ZeroNote is an open-source, offline-first unified app that replaces your password manager, bookmark manager, notes app, and 2FA authenticator with a single encrypted note-taking system powered by smart tags, where everything is stored locally on your device with zero-knowledge encryption and optional peer-to-peer or S3 sync.

Stop juggling multiple apps. One password manager. One bookmark manager. One notes app. One cloud service. One subscription. One privacy concern after another.

ZeroNote simplifies your digital life with a single, intelligent note system that becomes whatever you need—password vault, bookmark organizer, document storage, or personal knowledge base. Everything is just a note with smart tags.

Why ZeroNote?

Your Data, Your Control

In a world where companies control your passwords, notes, and bookmarks—ZeroNote puts you back in charge.

• Offline-First: Works completely without internet. Your data lives on your device, not someone's cloud.
• P2P Sync: Share between your devices directly using peer-to-peer—no servers, no middlemen.
• S3 Backup: Want cloud backup? Use your own S3 storage. Not theirs.
• Zero-Knowledge Encryption: Even if someone gets your backup, they can't read it without your master password.

The only person who should hold your data is you.

One App, Infinite Possibilities

Stop switching between apps. Everything you need in one place:

• 🔐 Password Manager with 2FA/TOTP support
• 🔖 Bookmark Manager with rich previews
• 📝 Note-Taking with markdown
• 💳 Crypto Wallet Tracker with address detection
• 📎 Document Storage with attachments
• 🌐 URL Manager with media embeds

All powered by smart tags. Just type #@password=, #@bookmark=, or #@cryptoaddress= and ZeroNote does the rest.

✨ Key Features

Core Features

• 📝 Unified Notes: Everything is just a note with smart tags
• 🔐 Client-Side Encryption: All notes encrypted with your master password using AES
• 📱 Offline-First: Works completely offline, all data stored locally in IndexedDB
• 🏷️ Smart Tags: Use #@password=, #@bookmark=, etc. to auto-organize
• 🔍 Powerful Search: Instant search across all notes, titles, and content
• 🔄 Secure P2P: Direct device-to-device sync using WebRTC—no cloud needed

Rich Content

• 📄 Markdown Support: Full markdown rendering with syntax highlighting for code blocks
• 📎 File Attachments: Attach images, PDFs, documents to any note with drag-and-drop
• 🔗 Media References: Auto-extract and display YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit links
• 🎨 Beautiful Reading Mode: Distraction-free reading view with edit button
• ✏️ Split-Screen Editor: Real-time preview while editing with markdown syntax

Security & Passwords

• 🔑 Password Manager: Store credentials securely with structured fields
• 🔄 Real-time 2FA: Generate TOTP codes from #@totp= tags with countdown timer
• 🌐 Domain Support: Track associated domains for each password
• 👁️ Clean Display: Monospace fonts for passwords and codes

Organization

• 🎯 Type Detection: Auto-detect note types (password, bookmark, note)
• 📊 Statistics: View insights about your notes, tags, and vault
• 🔖 Bookmark Manager: Save URLs with one-click "Open in new tab"
• 📁 Smart Filtering: Filter notes by type and tags

Data Management

• 💾 Backup & Restore: Export/import encrypted JSON backups with attachments
• 🔄 Device Sync: Peer-to-peer sync between devices using WebRTC (no cloud!)
• ☁️ S3/MinIO Sync: Securely sync your notes to any S3-compatible storage (AWS S3, MinIO, etc.)
• 📥 Download Attachments: Download any attached file with a click
• 🗑️ Soft Delete & Auto-Purge: Notes can be recovered before permanent deletion. Deleted notes are automatically purged from your device after 7 days for privacy and storage efficiency.

🚀 Getting Started

1. Deploy Your Instance (Recommended)

Fork this repository and deploy to Vercel/Netlify for free. This gives you control over updates.

Or run with Docker:

docker run -d --name ZeroNote -p 8000:8000 ghcr.io/besoeasy/zeronote:main

2. Set Up Your Vault

1. Create Master Password: Choose a strong password on first launch
2. Create Your First Note: Click the + button
3. Add Smart Tags: Type #@title=My First Note to start

3. Start Organizing

Everything is a note. Just add tags to make it special:

Store a password:

#@title=Gmail
#@email=user@example.com
#@password=SecurePass123
#@totp=JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP

Save a bookmark:

#@title=Great Article
#@bookmark=https://example.com

My notes about this article...

Track crypto wallet:

#@title=Bitcoin Wallet
#@cryptoaddress=1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa

Main BTC wallet for savings

👉 See TAGS.md for all available tags

🔐 How It Works

Privacy by Design

1. You create a master password (never sent anywhere)
2. Your device encrypts all notes with AES encryption
3. Everything stays local in IndexedDB on your device
4. Optional P2P sync connects devices directly (WebRTC)
5. Optional S3 backup uses your own storage (not ours)

Result: Your data never touches our servers. We can't read it. We can't lose it. We can't sell it.

Smart Tags System

Tags automatically transform your notes:

Tag	What It Does	Example
#@title=	Sets note title	#@title=My Bank Account
#@email=	Creates email field	#@email=user@example.com
#@username=	Creates username field	#@username=john_doe
#@password=	Password with show/hide	#@password=SecurePass123
#@totp=	2FA code generator	#@totp=JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP
#@bookmark=	Saved link	#@bookmark=https://example.com
#@cryptoaddress=	Crypto wallet lookup	#@cryptoaddress=1A1zP1e...
#@apikey=	API key storage	#@apikey=sk_live_abc123
#@secret=	Hidden text field	#@secret=TopSecretInfo

See all 19+ tags →

Sync Options

Option 1: P2P Sync (No Server)

• Create a room with code like "happydog123"
• Other devices join with same code
• Direct device-to-device sync via WebRTC
• Works across different WiFi networks

Option 2: S3 Backup (Your Cloud)

• Configure your S3 endpoint (AWS, MinIO, etc.)
• One-click upload/download
• Full encryption before upload
• You control the storage

Option 3: Offline Only

• Don't sync at all
• Use export/import for backups
• Maximum privacy

Option 4: Nostr Sync (Relays)

• Requires a NIP-07 browser extension (e.g., Alby, nos2x)
• One-button Sync: pulls remote, resolves conflicts, and pushes newer notes
• Uses kind:30078 App Data events (won’t appear as articles)
• Per-note events with optional attachment chunking for large files

💡 Use Cases

Replace 4+ Apps with One:

• ✅ Password Manager (Bitwarden, 1Password)
• ✅ Bookmark Manager (Raindrop, Pocket)
• ✅ Note-Taking (Notion, Evernote)
• ✅ 2FA App (Authy, Google Authenticator)
• ✅ Crypto Wallet Tracker
• ✅ Document Storage

Perfect For:

• 🔐 Storing passwords with 2FA codes
• 🔖 Organizing bookmarks with notes
• 📝 Technical documentation with code blocks
• 🔑 API keys and secrets
• 📄 Personal knowledge base
• 🌐 URL collections with metadata

🙋 FAQ

Q: Is my data safe?
A: Yes. Everything is encrypted on your device before storage. Your master password never leaves your device. Even if someone steals your device or backup, they can't decrypt it without your password.

Q: What if I forget my master password?
A: There's no recovery. This is by design for zero-knowledge security. Your password is the encryption key—without it, data cannot be decrypted.

Q: Can I use this on mobile?
A: Yes! It's a web app that works on any device with a browser. Install it as a PWA for app-like experience.

Q: Do I need internet?
A: No. ZeroNote works 100% offline. Internet is only needed for optional P2P sync or S3 backup.

Q: Where is my data stored?
A: In your browser's IndexedDB. It never leaves your device unless you explicitly sync via P2P or S3.

Q: Is it really free?
A: Yes. Open source (MIT license). Deploy your own instance for free on Vercel/Netlify.

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions!

• 🐛 Report bugs
• 💡 Suggest features
• 🔧 Submit pull requests
• ⭐ Star the repo if you find it useful!

📊 Comparison with Other Apps

Below is a detailed comparison of ZeroNote with other popular note-taking and password management apps:

Feature / App	ZeroNote	Bitwarden	Joplin	Notion	Obsidian
Client-Side Encryption	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Zero-Knowledge	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Offline-First	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Smart Tag System	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Markdown Support	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
File Attachments	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Media Embeds	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Password Manager	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
2FA/TOTP Support	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Bookmark Manager	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
P2P Device Sync	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
S3/MinIO Sync	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Cloud Sync	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Mobile Support	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Open Source	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
No Tracking/Analytics	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Free to Self-Host	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Rich Statistics	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Split-Screen Editor	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Distraction-Free Mode	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Works Without Server	✅	❌	✅	❌	✅
Works on Web	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Self-Hosted	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Unlimited Usage	✅	✅*	✅	❌*	✅

Legend:

• ✅ = Supported / Available
• ❌ = Not Supported / Not Available
• ✅* = Unlimited for self-hosted/community version
• ❌* = Usage limits on free plan

ZeroNote stands out for its unified approach (notes, passwords, bookmarks, and more in one place), strong privacy, offline-first design, and unique peer-to-peer sync with optional S3/MinIO cloud backup. For a full breakdown of tag-based features, see TAGS.md.