Knowledge Base
Local-first knowledge base: Markdown, bidirectional links, full-text search, AI Q&A, all data under your control.
Knowledge Base is an excellent free, local-first knowledge base for individuals who prioritize privacy, speed, and offline access. It outshines Obsidian with built-in AI Q&A, task management, and full-text search, and beats Notion on data ownership. However, the lack of mobile apps, real-time collaboration, and Linux support limits its use for teams. If you need a zero-cost, offline-capable PKM with AI, this is a strong pick.
- Personal knowledge management enthusiasts who value data privacy and offline access
- Developers and writers comfortable with Markdown who want a fast, native desktop app
- Project managers needing lightweight task tracking with reminders and multiple views
- Users looking for a free, local-first alternative to Notion or Obsidian with built-in AI Q&A
- Teams requiring real-time collaboration and shared workspaces
- Users who need mobile access on iOS or Android (no mobile apps yet)
- Those dependent on native database-like views (e.g., Notion databases with relational filtering)
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Skip Knowledge Base if you need real-time team collaboration, mobile apps (iOS/Android), or a fully managed cloud sync service without self-hosting a WebDAV server.
AI Q&A requires you to bring your own API key (OpenAI, DeepSeek, Claude, or Ollama); there are no free built-in AI models.
Knowledge Base is completely free with no subscriptions, limits, or paywalled features. This is unmatched among feature-rich knowledge bases — Notion's free tier has block limits, Obsidian's sync costs $5/month, and any AI Q&A tool typically charges. Ideal for individuals, students, and budget-conscious users.
In short
Knowledge Base — Local-first knowledge base: Markdown, bidirectional links, full-text search, AI Q&A, all data under your control. Best for Personal knowledge management enthusiasts who value data privacy and offline access, Developers and writers comfortable with Markdown who want a fast, native desktop app, Project managers needing lightweight task tracking with reminders and multiple views. Free to use.
Viability Score
How likely is Knowledge Base to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 4 signals — momentum (how recently it shipped), wrapper dependency, revenue model, and web presence.
Last calculated: July 2026
How we score →Key Features
- WYSIWYG Markdown editor (Tiptap) with slash menu, code highlighting, tables, todos
- Bidirectional links using [[note]] syntax with backlinks panel
- Knowledge graph visualization (force-directed, node navigation)
- Full-text search via SQLite FTS5 (Chinese tokenization, weighted titles, snippet highlighting)
- AI Q&A using keyword retrieval + window RAG (compatible with OpenAI, DeepSeek, Claude, Ollama)
- Tag and folder dual-dimensional organization (nested folders, multi-select tags)
- Daily notes with rich-text templates
- Multi-device sync via WebDAV (ZIP snapshot, timed push, AES-256-GCM encryption)
- Task management: list, board, calendar views with urgency, due dates, system notifications
- Note encryption: vault + hidden note PIN
- Import .md, .txt, .pdf, .docx (auto-detect encoding)
- Custom data directory, export Markdown
- Offline-first: full functionality without internet
- Lightweight: ~50 MB memory, ~1 sec startup (Tauri native)
- Free forever: no subscription, no limits
About Knowledge Base
Knowledge Base is a free, local-first desktop knowledge management application built with Tauri 2.x, React 19, Rust, and SQLite. It features a WYSIWYG Markdown editor (Tiptap), bidirectional links, a force-directed knowledge graph, full-text search via SQLite FTS5 (millisecond response, supports Chinese), and AI Q&A using keyword retrieval plus window RAG (compatible with OpenAI, DeepSeek, Claude, Ollama). You organize notes with tags and infinite nested folders, create daily notes using rich-text templates, track tasks with list/board/calendar views and system reminders, and sync across devices via WebDAV with AES-256-GCM encryption. All data stays local — no cloud dependency, no subscription, no limits. It runs on Windows 10+ (x64) and macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon and Intel); Linux support is planned. For teams needing real-time collaboration or mobile access, it is not suitable.
Behind the Verdict
Knowledge Base nails the core promise of a local-first knowledge base: your data stays on your machine, works offline, and costs nothing. The editor is smooth, the search is instant, and the AI Q&A (while requiring your own API key) works without embedding or indexing delays. The task management with multiple views and reminders adds practical project tracking without needing another tool. For a free tool, it delivers surprising depth. Weaknesses: no mobile apps, no real-time collaboration, Linux support is only planned, and AI depends on external API keys. For solo users, developers, or writers comfortable with Markdown, it's a fantastic Obsidian alternative without the plugin hassle. For teams or mobile-first users, look elsewhere.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Knowledge Base actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You create a daily note using a project template, add tasks with due dates in board view, and link to relevant code snippets via [[note]].
Outcome: Your project progress is visible at a glance, reminders ensure no deadline slips, and your knowledge graph connects notes for later reference.
You write notes with bidirectional links, use tags to categorize subtopics, and search instantly with FTS5 to find past ideas. You then ask the AI Q&A a question about your collected knowledge.
Outcome: You get a coherent answer synthesized from your own notes, with citations to the source notes, without ever uploading anything to the cloud.
Use Cases
- Take daily work logs and quickly generate meeting minutes using templates
- Build a personal knowledge network with bidirectional links and explore theme connections via knowledge graph
- Instantly locate any content across thousands of notes with full-text search
- Query your local knowledge base using AI without uploading data or needing internet
- Manage personal projects with task reminders and board/calendar views
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-07-15
Limitations
- Desktop only (Windows/macOS).
- No mobile apps.
- No real-time collaboration.
- AI Q&A requires your own API key (OpenAI compatible or local Ollama); no built-in model.
- Multi-device sync needs a self-hosted WebDAV server; no official cloud sync.
- Linux support is planned but not released.
as of 2026-07-18
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Knowledge Base tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0
Ideal for
Solo users, students, developers, and privacy-conscious individuals who want a full-featured knowledge base with no cost or limits.
What this tier adds
Starting and only tier — all features included, no subscriptions, no paywalls.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Knowledge Base's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Knowledge Base is completely free with no subscriptions, limits, or paywalled features. This is unmatched among feature-rich knowledge bases — Notion's free tier has block limits, Obsidian's sync costs $5/month, and any AI Q&A tool typically charges. Ideal for individuals, students, and budget-conscious users.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Knowledge Base — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
Solo user: download and install (1 minute), create a notes folder (1 minute). If you want AI Q&A, get an API key from OpenAI/DeepSeek/etc. and paste it in settings (5 minutes). WebDAV sync takes 5–10 minutes to set up a server (like 坚果云). First value (write a note, search, see graph) within 2 minutes.
Switching to or from Knowledge Base
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From Obsidian: import .md files directly; Knowledge Base uses Markdown natively. You may need to adjust plugin-based features manually.
- →From Notion: export as Markdown/CSV, then import the .md files. Notion databases with relational filtering are not fully replicated.
- ↗To Obsidian: export notes as Markdown files (built-in export). Bidirectional links in [[note]] syntax are compatible.
- ↗To Notion: export Markdown and import into Notion manually. Some formatting may need adjustment.
Integrations
Resources & Guides
- Resourcekb.ruoyi.plus
Home · Knowledge Base
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快速开始 · Knowledge Base
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Markdown 编辑 · Knowledge Base
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- Resourcekb.ruoyi.plus
双向链接 · Knowledge Base
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- Resourcekb.ruoyi.plus
知识图谱 · Knowledge Base
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全文搜索 · Knowledge Base
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AI 问答 · Knowledge Base
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标签与文件夹 · Knowledge Base
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模板与每日笔记 · Knowledge Base
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多设备同步（WebDAV） · Knowledge Base
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Official links
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