Features
A notes app that
takes extensions.
The extension system that made VS Code dominant, pointed at your knowledge: AI assistants, a PDF workshop, themes, and more, installed from an open marketplace through a curated, security-first catalog.
The inheritance
Extensions made VS Code
unstoppable. Now notes get them.
The world's most popular code editor did not win on the editor alone; it won because anyone could extend it. NoteX Desktop is built on that same engine, so it inherits the real thing: a battle-tested extension host, not a plugin API bolted onto a web app.
Extensions install from Open VSX, the open, vendor-neutral marketplace run by the Eclipse Foundation. AI assistants, PDF tooling, diagram renderers, themes: the pieces your workflow needs, added without waiting for us to build them.
The curated AI catalog: one click to install, running natively in minutes.
Security first
Curated, not chaotic.
An extension system in a notes app raises an obvious question: what stops a rogue extension from reading everything? NoteX answers with a deny-by-default allow-list. Out of the box, only the curated catalog installs: vetted add-ons, one click each. Everything else is blocked until you, or your organization's admins, approve it.
Enterprises manage their own allow-list, which turns the extension system from a risk conversation into a rollout decision.
The security modelAlready in the box
Built-ins that would be
paid add-ons anywhere else.
📄 PDFX
A full PDF viewer plus a 40-tool workshop: merge, split, compress, redact, fill, sign, annotate. Ships with the app.
PDF toolbox →🧜 Mermaid everywhere
Nine diagram kinds render in notes, and AI chat responses can draw diagrams too, thanks to the bundled Mermaid extension.
Block editor →🎨 Eight themes
NoteX Dark and Light, Notion Style, Obsidian Night, Ocean Deep, Sepia Warm, Minimal, and High Contrast. Your notes, your mood.
For the power users
The engine's developer views (File Explorer, Search, Source Control) exist behind a toggle, off by default. Writers never see them; engineers flip them on and get a notes app that lives comfortably next to a git repository. That is the extension philosophy in one setting: capability on demand, calm by default.
Frequently asked questions
Which extensions are available today?
The curated catalog focuses on AI: Claude Code (Anthropic), Codex (OpenAI), and Continue. Built-ins include the PDFX toolbox, Mermaid diagrams, and eight themes. The allow-list grows as add-ons are vetted.
Can I install any VS Code extension?
Technically the engine could run most of them, but NoteX ships deny-by-default: only allow-listed extensions install. That is deliberate; a notes app holds sensitive content, and its extension surface should be curated. Organizations can approve additional extensions for their teams.
What is Open VSX?
The open, vendor-neutral marketplace for VS Code-compatible extensions, operated by the Eclipse Foundation. NoteX uses it instead of the proprietary Microsoft marketplace.
Do extensions work on the web app?
No, the extension system is a desktop capability. The web workspace has its own built-in integrations, including NoteX AI and the public API.
Do AI extensions cost extra from NoteX?
No. They install free; you bring your own account with the AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, or others). NoteX does not resell or mark up AI.
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