Most note-taking apps require an account and store your notes on a server you do not control. Multi-Toolkit Notes works differently: everything is stored in IndexedDB in your browser. Your notes are private by architecture — not by policy — because they never leave your device.
What is IndexedDB and why does it matter?
IndexedDB is a database built directly into every modern browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all include it. Unlike localStorage (which stores only small strings), IndexedDB handles large amounts of structured data, supports indexes for fast lookup, and persists across browser restarts without any server.
For a notes app, this means your data lives in the same place as your browsing data — under your direct control. You can clear it, back it up (export is on the roadmap), and it will never be sold, indexed, or accessed by a third party, because it never travels over the network. The app stores note content, folders, pinned state, and timestamps all locally in a structured IndexedDB database.
There is one important trade-off: notes are tied to the browser and device where you created them. If you open the app in a different browser or on a different device, those notes are not there. This is the price of true local-first storage. For notes you want on all your devices, a syncing service is the right tool. For notes you want to keep private and local, IndexedDB is the right tool.
Organising notes with folders and pins
The sidebar has three built-in views: All Notes (every note across all folders), Pinned (notes you have marked for quick access), and Trash (soft-deleted notes you can restore before they are gone). You can create as many custom folders as you need and move notes between them.
Pinning is useful for notes you open repeatedly — a reference document, a running log, or a code snippet collection. Pinned notes always appear in the Pinned view regardless of which folder they are in. Soft delete means you never lose a note accidentally: deleting a note moves it to Trash, where it stays until you explicitly empty it.
Rich text and checklist modes
Notes support two editing modes. Rich text mode is for prose — paragraphs, headings, bold, italic, and links. It is the default and works like a simple document editor.
Checklist mode converts the note into an interactive task list. Each item has a checkbox and can be reordered by dragging. Check an item to mark it complete. This mode is useful for project task lists, shopping lists, or any note where the order and completion state of items matters more than the prose content.
Switch between modes from the editor toolbar inside any open note. The content is preserved when switching — checklist items convert to paragraph text in rich text mode and back to list items when you return to checklist mode.
Real-time search across all notes
The search bar at the top of the app filters notes in real time as you type. The search runs entirely in the browser against your local IndexedDB records — there is no server query, no network round-trip. Even with hundreds of notes, results appear instantly.
Search matches against note titles and content. Use it to find a specific code snippet, recall a reference you saved last month, or locate a note by keyword when you cannot remember which folder you put it in.
Is it really private?
No network request carries your note content. The app makes no API calls for creating, reading, updating, or deleting notes — all of those operations go directly to IndexedDB. If you open the browser developer tools and watch the Network tab while typing a note, you will see no outgoing requests related to your content.
The only network activity is loading the app itself on first visit (JavaScript, CSS, fonts). After the initial load, the app can create and read notes offline without any connection.
Try the private, offline-first online notepad — no account required:
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