Drag and drop
Import by dragging.
Drag a .md file into the app and it becomes a note. Headings and checklists stay as they were.
Try it in the demo
Keep your notes on your own server.
A self-hosted notes app that is as easy as sticky notes and links notes together like a wiki. Every note is a plain Markdown file on your own server.
No sign-up. The demo runs entirely in your browser.
- Plain Markdown files
- No tracking
- 8,200+ Docker pulls
- Free and open source
Features
What it does
Write
Autosave.
There is no save button. Type / to insert headings, checklists, tables or maps, and [[ to link to another note. Every version is kept, so you can go back to an earlier one.
Journal
One page per day.
Write about your day, pick a mood, and browse the days on a calendar. You can link the notes and to-dos you worked on, or lock a day so only you can open it.
Search
Press Ctrl K.
Search covers the text of every note, to-do and collection, and the matches are highlighted.
Locked notes
Lock a note.
Locked notes are encrypted on disk. You open them with your PIN or your fingerprint.
Themes
Light and dark.
A warm paper look for the day and a dark graphite one for the evening.
More
Also in Papyra
Live collaboration
Edit shared notes together, cursors and all.
Version history
Every change is kept and you can restore any of them.
Slash commands, links
Type / for any block, [[ to link a note.
Pictures, maps, any link
Drop files in, or paste a map, video or page link.
Share and comment
Share a note, @mention, reply in threads.
Passkeys and 2FA
Fingerprint sign-in, authenticator codes, SSO.
Encrypted backups
Push your notes to a private Git repo, sealed.
Smart collections
Tags and filters that sort themselves.
To-dos
Checklists that live beside your notes.
A journal
A page a day, with moods, a calendar and lockable days.
Installable
Install it as an app on a phone, tablet or laptop.
Several accounts
Separate, private accounts on one server.
Import
Bring your notes over
Google Keep
Import your Takeout archive. Checklists, labels, colours and pins come with it.
Obsidian
Upload your vault. Links, frontmatter and attachments arrive intact.
Any Markdown
Drag the files into the app.
You can import again later; Papyra won’t create duplicate notes. How importing works
Privacy
Your notes stay on your server.
Your notes never leave your server unless you share one, back it up to Git, or email yourself a sign-in alert. The only other thing Papyra sends anywhere is a daily check for a newer version, and you can turn that off.
Things Papyra never collects:
- Your IP address
- Your notes
- Usernames or emails
- Server name
- Usage events
- Crash reports
- Cookies
- An account with us
I run a home lab. Keeping my own data alive is hard enough, and I have no interest in storing yours.
Locked notes
Encrypted on disk. You open them with your PIN or your fingerprint.
Sign-in options
Passkeys, authenticator codes and SSO, and you can sign out other devices.
Email alerts
Add your SMTP server and Papyra emails you about new sign-ins, password changes and failed backups.
No third-party requests
No CDNs or trackers. Even the fonts are served from your own server.
Backups
Your notes are just files.
Everything is a folder of Markdown on your server. Here are four ways to keep a copy somewhere else.
Git sync
Papyra commits and pushes your notes to a private repo on a schedule. You can encrypt them first so GitHub can’t read them. It never force-pushes, so the history stays intact.
Export
Download everything as a zip whenever you like.
Encrypted archives
An encrypted backup that needs your password to open.
Or copy the folder
rsync, snapshots and NAS backups all work, because it is only files.
Roadmap
What’s done and what’s next
- Coming soon
Desktop app
Windows, macOS and Linux, connecting to your server.
- Coming soon
Mobile app
iOS and Android, with offline support.
The journal
A page for each day, with moods, a calendar, photos, voice notes and days you can lock. Import from Day One.
v1.1.0Agents can edit notes
Scripts and AI agents using an API key can edit a live note while you have it open.
Installable app
Install it on your phone. Edits made offline sync when you reconnect.
Locked notes, encrypted at rest
Vault notes are encrypted on disk, not just hidden on screen.
Pictures, PDFs and video
Drop files into a note. PDFs preview in place, and iPhone photos work too.
Live collaboration
Edit a shared note together, with live cursors, presence and your own undo. Comment threads on any text.
v0.2.0Passkeys and two-step sign-in
Sign in with a fingerprint. Every account can use authenticator codes.
Sharing, mentions, notifications
@mention someone to share a note. A tray shows what changed.
Import from Google Keep and Obsidian
Bring your notes across. Importing again never duplicates a note.
Backlinks, focus mode and SSO
See every note that links to this one, and write with nothing else on screen.
v0.1.0
Install
Install with Docker
Download one compose file, run one command and open the site in your browser. The first account you create becomes the admin.
- Runs on amd64 and arm64: a NAS, a Raspberry Pi or a VPS
- One container, one volume
- No account with us and no licence key
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lyfie-org/papyra/main/docker-compose.hub.yml
docker compose -f docker-compose.hub.yml up -d
# then open http://localhost:8080Open source
Contributing
Papyra is free software under the GPL, and the code is on GitHub. Bug reports, ideas and pull requests are all welcome.
Starring it on GitHub is an easy way to support the project, and it helps other people find it.
Questions
FAQ
What is Papyra?
A free, open-source, self-hosted note-taking app. It is as simple as Google Keep, links notes like a wiki, and keeps every note as a plain Markdown file on your own server.
Is Papyra really private?
Yes. Papyra has no tracking, analytics or crash reports, and its interface makes no third-party requests, and even its fonts come from your server. The server makes one request of its own: a daily check for a newer version, which I also use as a count of installs to stay motivated. It is optional. Set PAPYRA_UPDATE_CHECK_ENABLED=false and it never calls out (details at papyra.app/docs/update-check). Your notes only leave your server if you share one, set up a Git backup, or configure email alerts. Locked notes are encrypted on disk.
Is Papyra free?
Yes. It is open source under the GNU GPL v3.0, with no paid tier, no licence key and no account with us.
Can I move my notes from Google Keep or Obsidian?
Yes. Import a Google Keep Takeout archive (checklists, labels, colours and pins come with it) or upload an Obsidian vault with its links and attachments. A Day One journal comes in as days of the journal. You can also drag any Markdown file into the app.
What do I need to run it?
Docker. Papyra is one container with one volume, and runs on amd64 and arm64, so a NAS, a Raspberry Pi or a small VPS all work. Installing takes one command.
Does it work offline and on my phone?
Yes. Papyra installs as an app on phones, tablets and computers, opens without a connection, and syncs offline edits when you are back. Native desktop and mobile apps are planned.
What happens to my notes if I stop using Papyra?
Nothing happens to them. They are ordinary Markdown files in a folder you own, and any text editor can open them.