team-reflect/reflect-open

What it solves

Reflect provides a local-first, plain-file note-taking system that avoids locking user data into proprietary databases. It solves the problem of organizing fragmented thoughts, people, and projects using a networked thought approach (wiki links) while allowing users to maintain full ownership of their notes as Markdown files.

How it works

The app operates on a "graph"—a folder of Markdown files on the user's device. It layers search, backlinks, and AI capabilities on top of these files without altering the underlying format. Users can sync their files via iCloud or Git/GitHub. For AI features, users provide their own API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or OpenRouter) to query their notes, and can mark specific notes as private to exclude them from AI processing.

Who it’s for

It is designed for Mac and iPhone users who want a networked note-taking experience with local data ownership, version control via Git, and optional AI-powered synthesis of their personal knowledge base.

Highlights

• Local-first Markdown: Notes are stored as plain files, making them compatible with any Markdown editor.
• Networked Thought: Supports [[wiki links]] and automatic backlinks to connect ideas.
• AI Integration: "Ask your notes" feature allows querying personal data with citations, using user-provided LLM keys.
• Flexible Sync: Supports iCloud Drive for seamless Apple device sync and Git/GitHub for versioned backups.
• Privacy Controls: Ability to explicitly mark notes as private to prevent them from being sent to external AI services.
• Integrated Capture: Includes a Chrome extension for saving links, text, and screenshots directly into notes.