Lychee
Lychee: A free, open-source Markdown notes app for offline desktop writing. Ranked #160 of 214 in Note-Taking Apps by our editors (3.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free local Markdown notes on desktop.
At a glance
- Editor score3.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFree local Markdown notes on desktop
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Offline accessYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free, open-source app with no account or cloud dependency
- Works offline on macOS, Windows, and Linux
- Rich Markdown, search, nesting, images, and SQLite storage
Where it doesn't
- No mobile apps
- No sharing or real-time collaboration
- No integrations or AI features
Our verdict on Lychee
Lychee is a free, open-source note-taking app for people who want a focused writing environment on the desktop. It stores notes locally in SQLite and works offline on macOS, Windows, and Linux, making it suited to personal knowledge bases, drafts, reference notes, and other writing that does not depend on cloud access. The MIT-licensed app does not require an account and is presented without tracking or paywalls.
The Free plan costs $0 forever and includes local-first note storage, offline use, rich-text formatting, slash commands, Markdown support, and search. Its writing and organization tools extend to bold, italic, code, links, images, tabs, keyboard shortcuts, trash and restore, and heading-based navigation within long notes. Drag-and-drop reordering and nesting provide a practical structure for notebooks, while slash commands offer a menu for inserting note blocks. These features give Lychee useful depth for focused individual writing without adding a paid-tier decision.
Lychee’s desktop scope is also its clearest boundary. It supports macOS, Windows, and Linux, but has no mobile apps, integrations, sharing, or real-time collaboration. That makes it a strong fit for users who prefer local files, offline access, and a private-feeling writing workflow, but a poor fit for distributed teams or people who need notes available across mobile and connected services. Choose Lychee for straightforward personal Markdown notes on a desktop; choose a broader platform when collaboration, integrations, or mobile access are central requirements.
Your product? Our editors can test Lychee in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $99/mo →
Lychee pricing
Lychee fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Offline access | Yes |
| Supported platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Note sharing | Not verified |
| Real-time collaboration | Not verified |
| Storage limit | Not verified |
| Integrations | Not verified |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | lycheenote.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Lychee
- Microsoft OneNoteA broad, collaborative note system with strong Microsoft integration and a capable free option.9.3
- NotionA flexible workspace for teams that want notes and knowledge bases alongside databases and collaboration.9.2
- EvernoteA broad note-taking workspace for organizing information, tasks, calendars, and documents.9.0
Also Ranked In
Lychee is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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