NoteMax

Overview

NoteMax is a note app for writing that grows into books. Notes live on your device, open instantly, and work offline.

Notes become chapters with numbered subtopics, and a book downloads as Word, PDF or EPUB. Optional sync goes through your own Google Drive, sealed with a passphrase so Google can't read it.

Key Features

• A clean editor with headings, lists, to-dos, code, pictures and video. Type / for blocks or use Markdown shortcuts.
• Books with chapters and subtopics. Read or write a whole book on one page.
• Links between notes that survive renames, with backlinks and a graph of how pages connect.
• Drawing boards powered by Excalidraw, and code pages that run Python or JavaScript in the app.
• Live shared notes, end-to-end encrypted.
• Version history, a trash you can restore from, and downloads as Markdown, HTML, Word, PDF or EPUB.

How It's Built

React, Tiptap and Yjs run in the browser. Tauri wraps the same app for the desktop.

• Storage: every note is a Yjs document saved as an append-only log, so devices can edit offline and merge later without losing text
• Plugins: each feature is a plugin, built with the same API that outside plugins use
• Desktop: keeps notes in one file on disk, sits in the tray, and opens quick capture from any app
• Web: a static app on Cloudflare Pages that installs on a phone or computer and works offline

Interesting Challenges

• Merging edits: a note edited on two devices keeps both changes, and NoteMax asks which to keep when they conflict
• Speed at scale: startup, typing and switching pages are tested with 5,000 notes
• Private sync: there is no server that sees your notes. Sync and backups are encrypted before they leave the device

Screenshots