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Koru for Mac

A private notes app for Mac that works offline

Koru is a free, open-source notes app for Mac that keeps your notes on your Mac and works fully offline. It needs no Apple ID and no account. If you also use a Windows PC, Koru syncs between your computers directly, peer to peer, and no server stores your notes.

Download for macOS0.1.2 · 146 MBOther platforms Release notes

Why use Koru on a Mac?

Your Mac already has Apple Notes, and it is good. Koru is for a different set of needs:

  • Your notes stay on your Mac, not in iCloud or another company’s cloud. Everything works with no connection.
  • It works across Mac and Windows. If your work machine is a PC, the same workspace syncs between them.
  • Open source. The app is MPL-2.0 on GitHub, so you can read what it does with your notes.
  • Built for writing and code. Headings, checklists, tables, code blocks with syntax coloring, images and attachments, nested pages and #tags.
  • Your shell and your agents beside your notes. Open a terminal as a tab next to the document you are working from, or a coding agent you have installed, such as Claude Code, Codex or OpenCode.

How do I install Koru on a Mac?

  1. Download Koru for macOS from this page.
  2. Open the downloaded disk image and drag Koru to Applications.
  3. Open Koru. It starts on a Welcome page, with no account to create.

Koru runs on Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 12 Monterey or later. There is no build for Intel Macs.

Download for macOS0.1.2 · 146 MBOther platforms Release notes

Can I move my notes into Koru?

Yes. Koru imports Notion exports, Evernote .enex files, OneNote notebooks, Google Docs, Markdown files and TextBundle. Craft exports TextBundle, which Koru reads offline, like every import except Google Docs.

Does Koru sync with my other computers?

Yes. Link another Mac or a Windows PC with a QR code or a link code, and Koru keeps your workspaces in step directly between them, end-to-end encrypted. On the same network they connect directly; otherwise Koru’s relay passes the encrypted traffic along, and you can turn the relay off.

Attached files and images sync between computers on the same network; between different networks they will need Koru Cloud, which is coming soon.

Can I dictate on a Mac?

Yes. Hold Cmd+Shift+D and talk, and Koru Voice turns your speech into text in your document, recognized on your Mac with no audio sent anywhere. On a Mac, dictation works inside Koru; dictating into other apps is Windows only for now.

What doesn’t Koru do on Apple devices yet?

  • No iPhone or iPad app yet. Both are in development. If you capture most notes on your phone, Apple Notes is the better fit for now.
  • No sharing or collaboration yet. Working with other people is on the roadmap.
  • No Apple Pencil or handwriting. Koru is for typed notes.

Tell us what you need at hello@koru.do.

Download for macOS0.1.2 · 146 MBOther platforms Release notes

Questions

Is Koru free on Mac?

Yes, with no account, no trial and no ads. Koru Cloud, an optional paid sync service, is coming soon from $9.99 a month; you never need it to use your notes.

Does Koru work on Intel Macs?

No. Koru for Mac is built for Apple silicon, M1 or later, and needs macOS 12 Monterey or later.

Does Koru use iCloud?

No. Your notes are stored by Koru on your Mac, and sync goes directly between your own devices, not through iCloud or any other cloud storage.

Can I use Koru on my Mac and my Windows PC?

Yes. Koru runs on macOS and Windows, and keeps one workspace in step across them when you link the devices.

Is there a Koru app for iPhone?

Not yet. The iOS app is in development and not in the App Store.

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