Your knowledge,
on a serious engine.
NoteX is a Notion-style workspace built like a code editor. Notes are files you own, extensions add what you need, AI plugs in natively, and everything opens in a blink. On your desktop and in the browser.
Free to start · Windows desktop & web · Your files, on your disk
Launch Plan Q3
Goal: ship Search v2 to every workspace by the end of Q3, with the docs and runbook ready on day one.
This week
Rollout
const results = await search(query, { rank: "semantic", // new in v2 });
Summarize this week and draft the beta announcement.
Done. Two of three tasks are complete; analytics wiring remains. Here is the draft:
Why NoteX exists
Notes apps made you choose.
NoteX refuses to.
A beautiful editor, and files you own
Blocks, slash commands, callouts, diagrams, and math, saved as open files on your disk. Grep them, git them, back them up, take them anywhere.
Files you own →A notes app that takes extensions
Built on the engine behind the world's most popular code editor, so it inherits the thing that made it great: an extension system, with a curated catalog.
Extensions →AI that is native, not bolted on
Claude and ChatGPT work inside NoteX as add-ons, and any AI agent works on your notes through a Notion-style API and MCP. Your knowledge, readable by your tools.
AI integration →The editor
Write in blocks.
Think in structure.
Type / and drop in anything: to-dos, callouts, toggles, tables, columns, code with syntax highlighting, LaTeX equations, and nine kinds of diagrams including mind maps. Markdown shortcuts work as you type, and a floating toolbar handles the rest.
Arabic and English mix naturally: every block sets its own direction automatically.
Inside the block editorProduct Spec: Search v2
Ranking
Results blend keyword and semantic scores, weighted by recency.
Beta feedback: meaning matched intent better than exact words in 7 of 9 test queries.
Files you own
Your second brain,
not somebody's database.
Every note is an open file on your disk: a clean JSON format, or plain Markdown if you prefer. They sync when you want, stay local when you don't, and leave with you the day you choose to go.
Each note even carries its own icon inside the file, and NoteX shows it right in Windows Explorer. A folder of notes finally looks like your knowledge, not a wall of identical icons.
How file ownership worksReal files, each with its own face. Icons travel with the file when you copy or share it.
AI, done right
Your AI works inside NoteX.
NoteX works inside your AI.
On desktop, Claude Code and Codex run as native add-ons with your notes as their working files. On web, the NoteX AI sidebar searches your workspace and proposes edits you approve. And through the API and MCP, any agent can read and write your knowledge base.
Find every open action item across the Atlas Labs wiki and put them in one list.
I searched 42 pages and found 9 open items across 4 notes. Proposing a new page:
AI proposes, you apply. Nothing touches a page without your click.
Smaller context, better answers
AI reads structured NoteX files with a fraction of the tokens a PDF or Word file burns. In our internal benchmarks, the same content can be up to 50x smaller as a note, so agents read more of your knowledge, answer faster, and cost less.
Illustrative comparison from our internal benchmarks: one 40-page product spec in three formats.
The API and MCP serverWorkspaces & servers
Multiple workspaces.
You pick where they live.
Keep work and personal notes in separate workspaces, share team notes while private ones stay yours, and keep a Local workspace that never leaves the device. Point the desktop app at Lisan's cloud or at your own self-hosted server, and switch between saved servers any time.
Workspaces and serversThe Change Server menu, recreated. Your notes sync where you say, or not at all.
Extensions
The first notes app
with a real extension story.
NoteX installs extensions from Open VSX, the open marketplace, through a curated, security-first catalog: AI assistants, the PDFX toolbox, diagram tools, and eight built-in themes. A deny-by-default allow-list keeps the surface safe, and teams can approve their own list.
Browse the extension storyDatabases · web
When notes grow up,
they become databases.
On NoteX web, turn any list into a database with table, board, calendar, timeline, and gallery views. Sixteen property types including relations, rollups, and formulas, with filters, sorts, and saved views per team. Live cursors and comments come standard.
Databases and viewsThe same rows as a table, a calendar, or a timeline. One database, many lenses.
Coming from Notion?
Bring everything.
Keep it linked.
Connect your Notion account and import pages or your entire workspace with the hierarchy preserved. On NoteX web, imported pages can stay linked: pull updates from Notion, push your NoteX edits back, and get flagged when both sides change.
Notion import and syncEverything in the box
A complete knowledge platform,
not just an editor.
Block editor
25+ block types, slash commands, markdown shortcuts, multi-cursor, and per-block RTL.
Explore →AI integration
Claude Code and Codex as native add-ons, an AI sidebar on web, MCP for every agent.
Explore →Files you own
Open .notex and Markdown files on your disk. Export everything, any time.
Explore →Extensions
Open VSX marketplace with a curated, security-first catalog.
Explore →Databases
Tables, boards, calendars, timelines, relations, rollups, and formulas on web.
Explore →Workspaces & servers
Multiple workspaces, a never-synced Local space, and your choice of server.
Explore →Collaboration
Live cursors, comments, and shared pages with view, comment, or edit rights.
Explore →Notion import & sync
Import with hierarchy intact; keep pages linked two-way on web.
Explore →API & MCP
A Notion-style REST API with scoped keys, plus a 10-tool MCP server.
Explore →Speed
Opens in under a second in our internal benchmarks. Notes in kilobytes.
Explore →File icons
Every note shows its own icon in Windows Explorer. Icons travel with the file.
Explore →PDF toolbox
View, annotate, sign, merge, split, redact: 40+ PDF tools built in.
Explore →Frequently asked questions
What exactly is NoteX?
NoteX is a knowledge platform with two surfaces: a Windows desktop app built on the VS Code engine (the open-source core of Visual Studio Code) rebuilt for Notion-style notes, and a real-time web workspace at lisan.org/notex. One brand, one account, your choice of surface.
Do I really own my notes?
Yes. On desktop, every note is a file on your disk in an open JSON format (or plain Markdown), organized in real folders. You can export everything as Markdown in one command, sync to a server you choose, or keep notes local-only. See files you own.
How does AI work with NoteX?
Three ways: AI add-ons like Claude Code and Codex run natively inside the desktop app; the web app has an AI sidebar that searches your workspace and proposes edits you approve; and the Notion-style REST API plus MCP server let any AI agent read and write your notes with scoped keys. See AI integration.
Can I use my own server?
On desktop, yes. Point NoteX at Lisan Cloud or any self-hosted Supabase-compatible server, save several servers, and switch between them. A Local workspace that never syncs is always available. See workspaces and servers.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The desktop app is free to download and works with local files without an account. The web workspace is free to start. Teams and enterprises can talk to us about advanced needs.
Can I import from Notion?
Yes. Connect your Notion account, browse your pages inside NoteX, and import single pages or the whole workspace with hierarchy preserved. On web, imported pages can stay linked with two-way sync. See Notion import and sync.
What platforms does NoteX run on?
The web app runs in any modern browser. The desktop app is Windows today, with macOS in the works. Desktop updates arrive automatically from Lisan's own update infrastructure.
Your notes deserve a better engine.
A Notion-style block editor on the engine behind the world's most popular code editor. Notes stay files you own, extensions add what you need, and AI plugs in natively. Free to start, on web and desktop.
Free to start · Your files, your disk · Windows desktop & web