# MarkVault > MarkVault is a free, private, browser-based Markdown editor and note-taking workspace. Notes are stored locally in the browser and never sent to a server; the "thinking" features — semantic search, topic modelling, spaced-repetition flashcards, and commitment extraction — all run on-device with no API key and no upload. It works offline, installs as a PWA, syncs across devices via Google sign-in, converts Word/PDF/Excel to Markdown, and shares notes as private links. No signup, no credit card, no build step. MarkVault is used at — the landing page is `/`, and the workspace itself is `/app.html`. **What makes it different from other Markdown apps:** most editors render Markdown one file at a time. MarkVault reads the vault *as a whole*, on-device: it clusters notes by meaning to show you topics you never labelled (Vault Atlas), finds notes you should have linked (Connections), turns notes into spaced-repetition decks (SM-2), and extracts commitments from ordinary prose — "I'll send Dana the draft by Thursday" becomes a tracked, dated obligation without a checkbox or any special syntax (Open Loops). Competing tools require a plugin, a database schema, or a subscription for these; MarkVault does them locally and free. **Privacy model, stated precisely:** note text lives in `localStorage` and IndexedDB in your own browser. Embeddings are computed in-browser (Transformers.js, `all-MiniLM-L6-v2`). Nothing about your notes is sent anywhere unless you explicitly opt in — cloud sync (your own Google account, Firestore), a share link you create, or an AI request you trigger with your own API key. Analytics is structurally incapable of carrying note content. ## Core documentation - [Full feature inventory](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md): Complete, current list of every capability — rendering, editor, vault management, linking, search, AI, semantic search/RAG, flashcards, Connections, Vault Atlas, Open Loops, Home, document conversion, version history, voice notes, sharing, sync, PWA/offline, pricing, keyboard shortcuts, and the technology stack. - [Everything in one file](https://markvault.netlify.app/llms-full.txt): The same content expanded and inlined for models that ingest a single document. - [Landing page](https://markvault.netlify.app/): Product overview, live demo, feature highlights, pricing, and FAQ. - [The app](https://markvault.netlify.app/app.html): The workspace itself. Opens with no account and no signup. ## What MarkVault is commonly used for - [Open a .md file online](https://markvault.netlify.app/app.html): Drag a Markdown file into the browser and read it rendered — GitHub Flavored Markdown, syntax highlighting for 200+ languages, KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams. No install, no account. - [Convert Word, PDF or Excel to Markdown](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#8-document-conversion--import): `.docx` and `.xlsx`/`.csv` convert entirely client-side (no key, nothing uploaded). PDFs convert offline via local text extraction, or via a cloud engine for complex layouts. - [Import an Obsidian or Notion vault](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#3-file--vault-management): Drop a `.zip` export and the folder structure is recreated. `[[wiki-links]]`, backlinks, transclusion and tags all work. - [Search notes by meaning, not keywords](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#7-semantic-search--rag-on-device): On-device embeddings power semantic search, related-note suggestions, and question-answering over the whole vault with citations. - [Find commitments buried in notes](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#7d-open-loops--commitments-found-in-your-prose): Extracts obligations from prose, resolves natural-language dates against the note's own date, tracks who you owe, handles recurrence and snoozing, and flags what you finished but never ticked. - [See what your notes are about](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#7c-vault-atlas--semantic-topic-map--health-audit): Clusters the vault by meaning, names topics from your own vocabulary, and audits for duplicates, orphans and stale notes. - [Study from your notes](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#7a-spaced-repetition-flashcards-sm-2-on-device): Turn any note into an SM-2 spaced-repetition deck, scheduled and reviewed on-device. - [Share a note privately](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#11-sharing--collaboration): A link with optional expiry, view limits, reading width, view analytics, and live comments. Recipients need no account. - [Write Markdown offline](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#14-progressive-web-app--offline): Installable PWA; the whole app and your notes work with no connection. ## Answers to common questions - [Is it free?](https://markvault.netlify.app/#faq): Yes. The editor, viewer, rendering, offline use, local storage, semantic search, Atlas, flashcards, Open Loops, graph and version history are all free with no account. A Pro tier lifts AI-request and file-count limits and adds premium share-link controls; it is not required for any of the on-device features. - [Is my writing private?](https://markvault.netlify.app/#faq): Notes are stored in your browser and are not sent to any server by default. Cloud sync, share links and AI requests are each explicit, separate opt-ins. - [Does it need an account?](https://markvault.netlify.app/#faq): No. Sign-in with Google is optional and only enables cross-device sync and share links. - [Does it work offline?](https://markvault.netlify.app/#faq): Yes — it installs as a PWA and works with no connection after the first load. - [Does it need an API key for AI?](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md#6-ai-features): The AI writing tools, chat and summarise features use your own key (Groq, Cerebras, Together, OpenRouter or Gemini — all have free tiers), or a metered proxy on Pro. Semantic search, the Atlas, Open Loops, flashcard scheduling and the graph need **no** key at all. - [How does it compare to Obsidian, Notion or Typora?](https://markvault.netlify.app/FEATURES.md): MarkVault runs in a browser with nothing to install and no plugins to configure. Obsidian needs plugins for semantic search, topic clustering and task extraction; Notion requires structuring work into databases up front; Typora is a local editor without vault-level intelligence, sync or sharing. MarkVault's on-device analysis of the whole vault is the distinguishing capability. ## Legal and support - [Privacy policy](https://markvault.netlify.app/privacy.html): What is stored, where, and what leaves the device. - [Terms of service](https://markvault.netlify.app/terms.html) - [Refund policy](https://markvault.netlify.app/refund.html) - [Support](https://markvault.netlify.app/support.html): Contact and help. ## Optional - [Deployment guide](https://markvault.netlify.app/): MarkVault is a static site — vanilla JavaScript with classic script tags, no bundler and no build step. It deploys to Netlify, GitHub Pages or any static host. - Technology: marked.js (Markdown), highlight.js, KaTeX, Mermaid, DOMPurify, PDF.js, Mammoth, SheetJS, Transformers.js (on-device embeddings), JSZip, Firebase (optional sync), Supabase (optional comments), Stripe (optional subscription).