Who Reflect Open is for#
Mac writers building a personal knowledge base
Daily notes and wiki links make it natural to capture thoughts and connect them over time. Notes stay in plain `.md` files, so the archive is portable and not tied to any service. The app opens to today's note, making daily capture the default behavior.
Skip if:
You need cross-platform access from Windows or Android, or you prefer a web-based app so notes are accessible from any browser.
Developers integrating AI agents with their notes
The `reflect` CLI exposes `reflect today`, `reflect search`, and `reflect show` for scripting and agent use. The project documents agent conventions in `AGENTS.md`. AI queries run through your own API keys, so the graph can serve as a local knowledge store for agent workflows.
Skip if:
Your AI workflow requires a hosted API endpoint or real-time collaboration with teammates; Reflect Open is a single-user, local-first app.
Reflect subscribers moving away from the paid service
Reflect Open was built by the same team as the paid Reflect app and replicates its core workflow: daily notes, wiki links, backlinks, and AI queries. Users already familiar with Reflect's interface and keyboard shortcuts will find the transition low-friction.
Skip if:
You rely on Reflect-specific features not yet ported to Reflect Open, or you need the production-grade sync and polish of the paid app.
Researchers who want selective AI access over private notes
The `private: true` frontmatter flag excludes individual notes from AI queries and all external services. This lets researchers keep sensitive notes fully local while still querying the rest of their graph through a self-provided AI key.
Skip if:
Your privacy requirement is that no notes ever reach any external service at all; in that case, the AI query feature should remain unused, which removes a key differentiator.
The problem it solves#
Most notes apps turn your writing into a proprietary asset. Notes live in their database, formatted for their editor, accessible only through their app. When the price rises or the company shuts down, your archive depends on them.
The daily-notes and backlink workflow is genuinely useful for building a personal knowledge base, but paid apps like Reflect, Evernote, and Notion charge monthly subscriptions and store your content in their cloud by default. Plain-text alternatives like Apple Notes lack backlinks and structured daily capture. If you want this workflow without the subscription or the cloud dependency, you have historically had no good option.
How it solves it#
Daily notes with plain-file storage
The app opens to today's note, and all capture defaults there. Notes are stored as plain `.md` files in a folder structure: `daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md` for daily notes and `notes/some-title.md` for other notes. The files remain usable in any Markdown editor, independent of the app.
Wiki links and backlinks
Type `[[` to link to any note by title. Each note shows what links back to it, so you can navigate the graph bidirectionally. This is the core mechanism for building a connected knowledge base from daily captures.
Local search and optional semantic search
`⌘K` searches notes, backlinks, and tags across your entire graph. Optional semantic search can be enabled locally without sending content to an external service. Search runs against the same plain files on disk.
AI queries over your own API keys
`⌘J` queries your notes through provider keys you supply: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or OpenRouter. Answers cite the source notes. A `private: true` frontmatter flag excludes individual notes from AI context entirely, so sensitive notes stay out of any external call.
Browser capture via Chrome extension
The Reflect Capture extension saves the current page, selected text, screenshots, and optional full-page text from Chrome directly into your daily note. Available from the Chrome Web Store.
iCloud and git sync
For cross-device sync on Apple hardware, place the graph inside an iCloud-synced folder. For versioned backup or non-iCloud sync, connect GitHub or any SSH git remote from within the app. Git sync stores the Markdown graph in a repository you control.
Strengths and trade-offs#
Strengths
- MIT license with no account or subscriptionThe app is MIT-licensed and free to use, fork, and modify. It requires no Reflect account, no cloud registration, and no ongoing payment. Unlike paid apps like Reflect, Evernote, and Notion, there is no tier that removes features or access after a trial period.
- Bring-your-own-key AI with per-note privacy controlsAI queries run through API keys you provide (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or OpenRouter), so notes are sent only to services you choose. The `private: true` frontmatter flag lets you mark specific notes as off-limits for all AI and external services, giving per-note control over what leaves the device.
- Notes stay usable outside the appThe graph is a plain folder of `.md` files. You can read, edit, and back up notes with any Markdown editor, version them with git, or process them with scripts. Switching apps or losing access to Reflect Open does not mean losing your notes.
- CLI for scripting and AI agentsThe `reflect` CLI exposes `reflect today`, `reflect search`, and `reflect show`, which let scripts and AI agents read and write to the graph. The project includes an `AGENTS.md` file documenting agent conventions, reflecting a deliberate design for programmatic access.
Trade-offs
- -Mac and iPhone only; Windows and Android out of scopeThe app targets Apple hardware. Windows and Android are explicitly out of scope in the current roadmap. Users on other platforms cannot use Reflect Open, and cross-platform teams would need separate tooling for non-Apple members.
- -iOS is TestFlight beta, not a production App Store releaseThe iPhone app is available through Apple's TestFlight beta program, not the App Store. Beta apps can be removed from TestFlight with less notice than production releases, and stability is not guaranteed at the same level as the Mac app.
- -Building from source requires Rust, pnpm, and Xcode CLTThe source build requires a Rust toolchain, Node.js with pnpm 10, and Xcode Command Line Tools on macOS. This is a higher bar than a Docker one-liner. The pre-built DMG avoids this, but users who need custom modifications face a non-trivial setup.
Reflect Open vs alternatives#
Reflect Open vs Reflect
Reflect Open is the open-source rewrite of Reflect (reflect.app), the paid Mac notes app built by the same team. Both apps share the daily-notes and wiki-links workflow. The primary difference is ownership and cost: Reflect Open is MIT-licensed with no account or subscription, while Reflect charges a monthly fee, stores sync data in the Reflect cloud, and bundles AI through a Reflect subscription.
| Feature | Reflect Open | Reflect |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Price | Free | Paid subscription |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Sync | iCloud or git | Reflect cloud |
| AI access | Bring your own key | Reflect AI (subscription) |
| iOS | TestFlight beta | App Store |
Reflect Open is the better choice when you want full data ownership: notes are plain .md files synced over iCloud or a git remote you control. Reflect is worth choosing when you want a production-ready experience with managed cloud sync, a stable App Store iOS app, and AI included in the subscription fee.
Reflect Open vs Evernote
Evernote is a proprietary cloud notes service built around notebooks, rich-text editing, and web clipping. Reflect Open centers on a Markdown-native, daily-notes-and-backlinks workflow with files stored locally rather than in a vendor cloud.
| Feature | Reflect Open | Evernote |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Price | Free | Paid subscription |
| Storage | Local Markdown files | Evernote cloud |
| Note format | Plain .md | Proprietary rich text |
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web |
Reflect Open is the better fit if your workflow centers on Markdown, daily captures, and wiki-link navigation. Evernote is worth considering when you need multi-platform access including Windows and Android, rich-text formatting, or a web client the current Reflect Open scope does not support.
Reflect Open vs Notion
Notion is a proprietary cloud workspace combining notes, databases, and project tracking. Reflect Open is a narrower tool: Markdown notes with daily capture, wiki links, and local-first storage rather than structured databases or team collaboration.
| Feature | Reflect Open | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Price | Free | Paid subscription |
| Storage | Local Markdown files | Notion cloud |
| Collaboration | Single user | Team workspaces |
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web |
Reflect Open suits individual writers and researchers who want a personal knowledge graph in plain files with no cloud dependency. Notion is the better choice when you need shared team workspaces, relational databases, or access from non-Apple platforms.
Quick start#
Install the Mac app by downloading a signed DMG from GitHub Releases, or build from source using Rust, pnpm 10, and Xcode Command Line Tools.
```bash
git clone https://github.com/team-reflect/reflect-open.git
cd reflect-open
corepack enable
pnpm install
pnpm tauri build
```What it's built on#
- Languages
- JavaScriptRustSwiftTypeScript
- Frameworks
- React
FAQ#
Is Reflect Open the same app as reflect.app?
No, but they share the same team and design philosophy. reflect.app is the paid commercial product with cloud sync, a subscription model, and a production iOS app. Reflect Open is the MIT-licensed open-source rewrite: same daily-notes and wiki-links workflow, but notes stored as plain Markdown files with no required account or subscription. The two apps are not interchangeable, and Reflect Open does not connect to a Reflect account.
How do I sync notes between my Mac and iPhone?
Place your graph inside an iCloud Drive folder (for example, iCloud Drive/ReflectGraph). The Mac app and the iOS TestFlight app share the same plain-file graph and read from the same folder. For non-iCloud sync, you can connect a GitHub repository or any SSH git remote from within the Mac app.
Does Reflect Open require an AI API key?
No. AI queries are optional. If you configure a key from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or OpenRouter, the ⌘J command queries your notes through that provider. Without a key, the app works as a plain-text notes tool with local search, wiki links, and backlinks. Notes with private: true frontmatter are excluded from AI context regardless of which key is configured.
Can I build Reflect Open from source?
Yes. The repo is a pnpm/Turborepo monorepo. Building from source requires a recent stable Rust toolchain, Node.js with pnpm 10, and Xcode Command Line Tools on macOS. Run git clone, corepack enable, pnpm install, and pnpm tauri build. Pre-built signed and notarized DMGs for Apple silicon and Intel are available from GitHub Releases if you prefer not to build.
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