Questions
Straight answers, no fluff.
Which note-taking apps keep your data on your own computer?
Obsidian, Logseq, and NotePlan all do, and so does Pikos. Notion, Todoist, and TickTick keep it on their servers. If local storage is what you're after, the question that usually narrows it is whether you need tasks and a calendar too, because that's where the local options thin out.
Is there a notes app that works without an account?
Several. Obsidian and Logseq don't need one, and neither does Pikos: no sign-up, no email, no login screen. Your notes are a file on your drive. Most of the cloud-based ones need an account before you can type a word.
Can I take notes on my calendar events?
In Pikos, yes. Connect iCloud, Google Calendar, or any CalDAV server and your events turn up as pages you can write on, tag, and search. It only reads the calendar, so nothing you write goes back to it.
How to connect a calendar →What is Pikos?
A desktop app where a note, a task, and a calendar event are the same page. It runs on your computer, with no account and no subscription.
Is Pikos free?
The desktop app is a free download with no trial period and no feature limits. A Mac App Store version (with iCloud sync) and an iPhone app are planned, each a one-time purchase. No subscription.
What platforms does it run on?
macOS and Linux today. There's no phone app yet.
Does it work offline?
Your notes, tasks, and calendar all work fully offline. Two things use the network and both are visible: an update check at launch, which you can turn off in Settings, and calendar sync, which does nothing until you connect a calendar.
Where is my data stored?
As a single file on your drive. You can back it up, copy it, or export it anytime. Pikos doesn't send your data anywhere on its own, and the network features it has are opt-in and off until you turn them on. Calendar sync is the one that exists today, and it only reads.
Can it replace Obsidian?
Depends on your workflow. If you mostly write and link notes, Obsidian is purpose-built for that. If you also need task management and a calendar without plugins, Pikos does all three natively.
Can it replace TickTick or Todoist?
For personal task management with notes, yes. Pikos has priorities, statuses, folders, scheduling, and a calendar view. It doesn't have team features or cross-platform sync yet.
Does it have a calendar?
Yes, built into the app, showing one to seven days or a month. Drag tasks onto it to schedule them, click a slot to create a new event, and see your week alongside your notes. It can also pull in the calendar you already use, read-only.
Can an AI assistant use my notes?
Yes, if you want it to. The Pikos command line tool includes an MCP server, so an assistant can search, read, create, and update your pages. Pikos itself sends nothing anywhere and needs no account. A cloud assistant like Claude sends what it reads to its provider, the same as anything you share with it, while a model running on your own computer keeps everything there. Deleting only moves a page to the trash, so nothing an assistant does is one-way.
Set up the CLI and MCP server →Does Pikos collect any data?
No telemetry, no analytics inside the app, no personal data. The only default network request is an update check, and you can disable it in Settings.
Can I see how the app works under the hood?
Yes. The complete code is published on GitHub. Anyone can read it and verify what the app actually does. You're free to read and run it, but can't redistribute it commercially.
Read why the code is public →Is Pikos open source?
No, it's source-available. The code is public so anyone can check what the app does, and you can build and run it for yourself. What the licence stops is selling Pikos or a copy of it. Every version becomes open source under Apache 2.0 four years after it's released.
Isn't a database file a kind of lock-in?
It's a fair question. Pikos keeps your workspace in one SQLite file, not a folder of Markdown, so if plain files are your line, Obsidian is the better pick. SQLite is an open, documented format that any SQLite tool can read, and the US Library of Congress lists it as a recommended format for keeping data long term. The schema is in the public code. And Pikos exports everything to Markdown, CSV, and calendar files whenever you like, so leaving takes one export.
What happens if Pikos stops being developed?
The version you have keeps working. There's no server to switch off and no account to expire, and your data is a file on your computer that you can export at any time.
What happens if Pikos goes away →How do I back up my data?
Copy the data file, or use the built-in export. Since it lives on your drive, Time Machine and any backup tool automatically include it.
Does it support Markdown?
The editor is rich text, not plain Markdown files. But you can paste Markdown and it converts automatically. Headings, lists, checkboxes, code blocks, all supported.
Can I import from another app?
Yes. Pikos reads Obsidian vaults directly, and CSV exports from Todoist and TickTick are auto-detected. Step-by-step guides cover each one.
Read the import guides →Will there be mobile apps?
An iPhone app is planned. Desktop comes first.
Will there be sync?
iCloud sync is planned for the Mac App Store version (one-time purchase). The free download stays on your device only. The iPhone app will be a separate one-time purchase. Sync uses Apple's infrastructure. Your data won't touch Pikos servers.
What makes it different?
Plenty of apps now do notes, tasks, and a calendar. In Pikos they're one page: a note you can tick off and put on a day, with nothing to set up. It runs on your computer with no account, the desktop app is free, and there's no subscription.
See how it compares →