Kavya — local-first writing app for Markdown Kavya

A local-first writing app for people who think in Markdown.
Your vault is a folder. Every note is a .md file.

Download on the Mac App Store

For You

Kavya adapts to how you write — not the other way around.

Developer writing in Kavya Writer journaling with Kavya Knowledge worker using Kavya

Writers & Authors

Organize chapters, scenes, and drafts in nested groups. Set word count goals. Export to PDF or DOCX when your manuscript is ready.

Bloggers & Creators

Write in Markdown, preview instantly, export to HTML. Schedule Board helps you plan your content calendar.

Students & Researchers

Drop PDFs and EPUBs into your vault. Take notes alongside your sources. Wikilinks connect ideas across subjects.

Developers & Makers

You already think in Markdown. YAML frontmatter, wikilinks, plain files. It just works with git.

Knowledge Workers

Capture meeting notes, project briefs, and ideas. AI chat helps you draft, summarize, and brainstorm.

Journal Keepers

Daily notes with one shortcut. Your journal stays on your disk — private, portable, yours.

Elegant

Three-panel layout. Your library, your sheets, your editor.

The Familiar

Your library on the left, sheets in the middle, the editor on the right. Three panels, zero learning curve.

Plain Markdown

No proprietary format. Every sheet is a .md file with YAML frontmatter. Edit with Kavya, Obsidian, VS Code, or vim.

Zero Lock-in

Your vault is an ordinary folder on disk. Groups are directories. Tags are in YAML. Take your files anywhere, anytime.

Creative

Focus on your writing in a productive state of flow.

Nested Groups

Unlimited folder hierarchy mapped to real directories on disk. Drag-and-drop to reorder or nest. Blue line for reorder, green highlight for nesting.

Markdown Editor

CodeMirror 6 with syntax highlighting, smart typography (curly quotes, em dashes, ellipsis), list continuation, and smart HTML paste. Fast and accessible.

Focus & Typewriter

Focus mode dims everything except the current paragraph. Typewriter mode keeps the active line centered. Zen mode hides all panels for distraction-free writing.

Split View

Edit two sheets side by side. Or view a Markdown preview next to your source. Perfect for referencing notes while writing.

Tags & Keywords

Tag sheets with colored keywords. Filter by tag across the entire vault. Tags are stored in YAML frontmatter, so they work everywhere.

Dark & Light

Switch between dark and light themes with one click. Your eyes will thank you during late-night writing sessions.

AI Chat

Multi-model AI chat: Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude Code CLI. The AI sees your current document and can suggest edits, insert text, or rewrite sections. Streaming responses.

Schedule Board

Kanban columns: Inbox, Today, Week, Month, Someday. Calendar view for date-based planning. Drag sheets between columns. Share to Apple Notes or iCloud.

Outline & Navigate

Outline panel shows all headings. Click to jump. Drag to reorder sections. Quick switcher (Cmd+O) fuzzy-searches any sheet. Wikilinks connect your notes.

Writing Goals

Set word count targets per sheet. An animated progress ring tracks your progress. Live statistics: words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time.

Export Anywhere

Export to Markdown, HTML, PDF, or DOCX. Formatted with proper headings, lists, and code blocks. Copy to clipboard or save to file.

Reference Files

Drop PDFs, EPUBs, and images into any group. Read them without leaving the app. EPUB reader with page navigation. Reference files stay separate from your notes.

Fair

Start writing in seconds. No account. No credit card.
Fall in love first. Unlock later.

Starter Full Version
Sheets Up to 100 Unlimited
Support development
Early adopter price lock
Price Free $9.99

All features included in both versions. One-time purchase, no subscription.

Download on the Mac App Store

Quick

Keyboard-first design. Every action from the keyboard.

Quick Switcher

Cmd+O to fuzzy-search and jump to any sheet. Faster than clicking.

Command Palette

Cmd+Shift+P to find and run any command. Every feature at your fingertips.

Wikilinks

Type [[ to link between sheets. Autocomplete, clickable, instant navigation.