Show HN: OpenKnowledge โ open source AI-first alternative to Obsidian/Notion
Introducing OpenKnowledge: The AI-Native Evolution of Note-Taking
OpenKnowledge is positioned as a powerful, open-source, and AI-centric alternative to platforms like Notion or Obsidian. It functions as a local-first WYSIWYG markdown editor designed specifically to serve as an LLM Wiki.
Core Philosophy: A beautiful, local-first environment that blends the simplicity of a markdown editor with the power of modern AI harnesses like Claude and Codex.
๐ Key Capabilities
OpenKnowledge isn't just a text editor; it is a comprehensive ecosystem for knowledge management.
Primary Highlights
- True WYSIWYG Experience: Editing your markdown files feels as fluid as working in a Google Doc or a Notion page.
- AI Collaboration: Deep integration with
Claude,Codex, andCursordesktop applications for real-time, collaborative editing. - Agentic Infrastructure:
- Compatible with any harness or agent via MCP (Model Context Protocol) or CLI (e.g.,
OpenCode). - Includes built-in skills and agentic search, making it ideal for knowledge graphs and agent second brains.
- Compatible with any harness or agent via MCP (Model Context Protocol) or CLI (e.g.,
- Seamless Synchronization: Utilizes
gitandGitHubunder the hood to provide no-code team sharing and automatic syncing. - Rich Content: Supports embeddable HTML and advanced components, perfect for creating visualized reports or detailed engineering specifications.
- Flexible Interfaces:
- Desktop App: Features a built-in TUI (Terminal User Interface).
- Web UI: Available for those who prefer a browser-based experience.
The Knowledge Logic
The efficiency of an AI-native wiki can be represented by the relationship between raw data (), AI processing (), and synthesized knowledge ():
๐ ๏ธ Technical Architecture & Workflow
The following diagram illustrates how OpenKnowledge bridges the gap between local files and AI agents:
๐ฆ Installation Guide
Depending on your operating system, choose the appropriate method below:
For macOS Users
- Download the official desktop application.
- Open the
.dmgfile. - Drag OpenKnowledge into your
Applicationsfolder. - Launch and begin.
For Linux, Windows, and Intel Mac
You can run the editor as a local web application via the CLI.
Requirement: Node.js 24+
# Install the package globally
npm install -g @inkeep/open-knowledge
# Navigate to your project directory
cd your-project
# Initialize the project and connect Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex
ok init
# Launch the web editor and open it in your default browser
ok start --open
๐ Repository Statistics & Details
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary Language | TypeScript (97.8%) |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Stars | |
| Forks | |
| Latest Release | v0.19.2 (June 26, 2026) |
| Official Site | openknowledge.ai |
๐ค Contributing & Community
The project is open for public contributions. The workflow for submitting changes is as follows:
- Create a public Pull Request (PR) on GitHub.
- Automation mirrors the PR into the internal monorepo.
- The team reviews and merges the changes.
Connect with the community:
- ๐ (Twitter)
- Discord
Note: If you find this tool useful, please consider โญ๏ธ starring the repository to support the developers!