Zen

Zen is an open-source, self-hosted note-taking web application that stores content as Markdown files within a local SQLite database, ensuring that user data remains under the owner's direct control.

The software is deployed as a single Go binary or via Docker Compose, making it suitable for installation on home servers or personal workstations. It provides a web interface for creating and managing notes, focusing on low resource usage and offline access. The system avoids rigid folder hierarchies in favor of a more fluid organization method based on metadata and tags.

Key features

• Storage of notes in standard Markdown files and a local SQLite database
• Organization via flexible tags instead of folder structures
• Full-text search utilizing BM25 ranking
• Support for Markdown tables, code blocks, task lists, and highlights
• Data import and export for portability
• Note templates and pinned notes
• Archive and soft delete functionality
• Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for searching and reading notes
• Automated backups via Zen Backup

The application is built using Go and Preact, maintaining a minimal dependency footprint to ensure stability and speed. It includes experimental features such as a Canvas for the spatial organization of notes and images, which are stored using the JSON Canvas format. Zen Intelligence provides additional experimental capabilities for semantic search and identifying similar images. The inclusion of an MCP server allows the notes to be integrated with other AI tools or external agents for searching and listing content.

Zen is a lightweight, private note-taking solution for users who prefer Markdown and local data ownership.