Local-first · End-to-end encrypted

One calm place for your notes

Arkana keeps everything as plain Markdown on your PC, with passwords and keys encrypted. Sync across devices through a server that can never read your data.

Download for Windows Create a free account

Prefer to stay offline? Local vaults need no account.

Account
Fortinet Support Portal
Password••••••••••••
Used for FortiGate firmware and TAC cases. Renews March 2027.
Noteswrite in MarkdownIdeasraw to doneTasksdue dates and repeats Accountswith encrypted secretsSnippetscode and configsContactspeople and companies Notebooksprojects and clients

Organized without the bloat

Spaces, collections and six item types. Nothing else to configure, nothing to learn.

Plain Markdown files

Your vault is a folder. Open it in any editor, back it up with anything, and leave whenever you like.

Typed items

Notes, ideas, tasks, accounts, snippets and contacts, each with just the fields that matter.

Secrets stay secret

Passwords and keys are encrypted with your passphrase and hidden until you reveal them. The clipboard clears itself.

Zero-knowledge sync

Everything, titles included, is encrypted on your device first. The server stores ciphertext only.

Works offline

Unlock and read your notes with no connection. Changes sync when you are back online.

Recovery key

Forget your passphrase and your offline recovery key still gets you back in.

The server never sees your notes

Type something. This is what a server would store: AES-256-GCM ciphertext, produced by your browser right now with a throwaway key that is discarded when you leave this page.

…
0bit AES-GCM encryption
0plaintext notes on the server
0separate credentials: login and vault
0of your data exportable as Markdown

Up and running in minutes

No setup wizard maze. Three steps.

Download Arkana

Install the Windows app, or run the portable build from any folder.

Create an account

Sign up here with your email, and add two-step sign-in with any authenticator app.

Choose your passphrase

Set it in the app. It never leaves your device, and you get a recovery key as a backup.

Stay local, or sync everywhere

Same app, same files. Move between the two whenever you like.

Local vault

A folder on your PC. No account.

  • Notes are plain Markdown, readable anywhere
  • Secrets encrypted with your passphrase
  • Nothing leaves your machine
  • Back up with OneDrive, Syncthing or Git

Synced vault

An account on the Arkana server.

  • End-to-end encrypted, including titles
  • Sync across all your devices
  • Offline reading from an encrypted cache
  • Export everything back to Markdown

Start in a minute

Download Arkana for Windows, create an account if you want sync, and choose your passphrase.

Checking for the latest version…

Windows may show a SmartScreen warning for new apps. Check the SHA-256 above against your download before running it.

Questions

Short, honest answers.

Can you read my notes?

No. In a synced vault, everything is encrypted on your device with a key derived from your passphrase before it is uploaded. The server only ever holds ciphertext and wrapped keys.

What if I forget my passphrase?

Use the recovery key shown once when you set up your vault. Without both, the data cannot be recovered. That is the price of the server not being able to read it.

Do I need an account?

Only to sync. A local vault is just a folder on your PC and needs no account or internet connection.

Why a password and a passphrase?

Your login password and two-step code get you into your account. Your vault passphrase decrypts your data, and it never leaves your device. Keeping them separate means a stolen login still cannot read anything.

Can I leave with my data?

Yes. Export a synced vault to a folder of Markdown files at any time, and open it in any editor.