Koru for Windows
An offline notes app for Windows that keeps your notes on your PC
Koru is a free, open-source notes app for Windows that works fully offline. Every note, document and image lives on your PC, so you can write, search and organize with no connection and no account. When your devices can reach each other, Koru syncs between them directly, and no server stores your data.
What makes Koru an offline notes app?
Most note apps keep the real copy of your notes on a server and cache some of it on your computer. Koru works the other way round. Your workspace is stored on your PC, every document is always there, and there is no offline mode to switch on and nothing to download first.
Koru saves as you type. There is no save button, and closing the window loses nothing. The network is used only to sync with your other devices, and only if you link them.
What can you do with Koru on Windows?
- Write documents with headings, lists, checklists, tables, code blocks, images and attachments.
- Nest pages in a tree, tag them with #tags and find anything with full-text search.
- Keep separate profiles for work, school and personal notes, each with its own workspaces.
- Save named versions of a document and compare them later.
- Dictate instead of typing with Koru Voice, which recognizes speech on your PC.
- Open PowerShell, Command Prompt or Git Bash as a tab next to your notes.
- Export to Markdown or TextBundle, or save a whole workspace as one backup file, at any time.
How do I install Koru on Windows?
Koru for Windows is one zip file. There is no installer, and you do not need administrator rights.
- Download Koru for Windows from this page.
- Extract the zip to any folder you like, such as Documents or a second drive.
- Open
koru.exe. Koru starts on a Welcome page, with no account to create.
Your notes are not kept in that folder. They live in Koru’s store under your Windows user profile (%LOCALAPPDATA%\Koru), so you can move or delete the program folder without touching anything you wrote. Updates replace the program and leave your notes where they are.
Can I bring my notes from OneNote or Evernote?
Yes. Koru imports OneNote notebooks from .one, .onepkg or zipped exports without a Microsoft account, and Evernote notebooks from .enex exports with their tags, checklists and attachments. Notion exports, Google Docs, Markdown and TextBundle files come across too. Every import except Google Docs runs offline, on your PC.
Does Koru sync between my PC and my other devices?
Yes, if you want it to. Link another computer with a QR code or a short link code and Koru keeps your workspaces in step directly between the two. On the same network they connect to each other directly. When they cannot, Koru’s relay passes the encrypted traffic along, and you can switch the relay off on any device. No server stores your notes.
Your notes sync wherever your devices can reach each other. Attached files and images sync between devices on the same network; between devices on different networks they will need Koru Cloud, an optional paid service that is coming soon and keeps an always-on copy for when your devices are not online together.
How private is Koru?
Koru needs no account. It sends no usage data unless you agree on that device, and even then it reports which features are used and how the app runs, never your documents, their names or anything you type. The app is open source under the MPL-2.0 license, so anyone can read the code and check.
What doesn’t Koru do yet?
Koru is young, and some things are still on the roadmap:
- Pen and handwriting. Koru is for typed notes. If you write with a stylus, OneNote is the better fit for now.
- Working with other people. Shared editing is on the roadmap, not in the app.
- Phone apps. The iPhone and Android apps are in development and not in the stores yet.
Missing something you rely on? Tell us at hello@koru.do.
Questions
Is Koru free on Windows?
Yes. There is no account, no trial and no ads. Koru Cloud, an optional paid sync service, is coming soon from $9.99 a month, but your notes never depend on it.
Does Koru work without an internet connection?
Completely. Everything you write is stored on your PC, so you can open, edit and search every note offline. A connection is only used to sync with your other devices.
Do I need administrator rights to install Koru?
No. Koru for Windows is a zip file you extract and run, with no installer and no registry changes, so it works on a PC where you cannot install software. Check your organization’s policy first if it is a work computer.
Which versions of Windows does Koru run on?
Koru runs on 64-bit Windows on Intel and AMD processors, and needs graphics that support DirectX 12 or Vulkan, which almost every PC from the last decade has. There is no build for Windows on ARM yet.
Where does Koru keep my notes?
In Koru’s store under your Windows user profile, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Koru. To keep a copy somewhere else, use Export Backup on a workspace, which writes everything to one .koru file you can import again.
Is Koru a good OneNote alternative for Windows?
If you take typed notes and want them offline and on your own PC, yes: Koru imports your OneNote notebooks without a Microsoft account. If you write by hand with a pen, OneNote is still the better choice.
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