A native macOS app built for speed and privacy. No embedded browser. Full offline database. Your knowledge, always accessible.
Onelist Desktop is currently available for macOS 13 (Ventura) and later. Native apps for iOS (iPhone/iPad), Windows, and Android are in active development and coming soon.
A native macOS app with deep system integration.
Unlike Electron apps that bundle a full Chromium browser, Onelist Desktop uses the native macOS WebView. This means 3x smaller app size (~85MB vs 150-300MB), lower memory usage, and better battery life.
Your entries live in a local PostgreSQL database, not just a cache. This means instant offline access, fast full-text search, and complete data ownership. Your knowledge never waits for the network.
Launch the app and get to your entries quickly. The embedded server initializes your full offline database, so every feature works immediately - no network dependency, no loading spinners for core functionality.
Scroll through thousands of entries with butter-smooth 60fps performance. Native rendering means your GPU does the heavy lifting, not a JavaScript engine. No jank, no stutter, just fluid motion.
Uses ~250MB of RAM including the local database - roughly half of what Electron apps need. Background sync is optimized to minimize battery drain. Your MacBook stays cool and responsive.
Respects system preferences for dark mode, accent colors, and accessibility settings. Uses native macOS controls, animations, and behaviors. Supports Handoff, Universal Clipboard, and other Continuity features.
Metric Onelist Desktop Electron App
---------------------------------------------------------
App size ~85 MB 150-300+ MB
Memory usage ~250 MB 300-500+ MB
Embedded browser None (native WebView) Full Chromium
Local database Full PostgreSQL Usually cloud-only
Offline capability 100% functional Limited/none
Battery impact Minimal Significant
Your data lives on your device. The cloud is just for sync.
All your entries, tags, and metadata are stored in a local PostgreSQL instance on your Mac (running on a custom port to avoid conflicts with development databases). This isn't a cache - it's the primary data store. Fast queries, full-text search, complete control.
Create, edit, search, and organize your entries with or without an internet connection. On a plane? In the subway? Off the grid? Onelist Desktop works exactly the same.
When you're back online, changes sync automatically in the background. No manual steps required. The app detects connectivity and handles everything seamlessly.
Edited the same entry on two devices while offline? Onelist automatically resolves conflicts using last-write-wins with vector clocks for accurate ordering. Your changes are never lost - previous versions are preserved in history.
Every change is persisted locally before any sync attempt. Even if your internet drops mid-sync, your data is safe. Version history is maintained locally too, so you can always recover previous versions.
While the app is running, data is unencrypted locally to enable full-text search, Spotlight indexing, and agent access. When you lock the app or quit, the database connection closes and macOS FileVault protects your data at rest. Sync is always E2E encrypted.
User Action Local Database Cloud (when available)
─────────── ────────────── ──────────────────────
1. Create entry ────────────► 2. Save to PostgreSQL
(immediate)
│
3. Queue for sync ─────────────► 4. Upload to cloud
│ (background)
5. Mark synced ◄─────────────────
│
6. Edit offline ────────────► 7. Save to PostgreSQL
(still works!)
│
8. Queue for sync ─────────────► [No connection]
│
9. Retry when online ──────────► 10. Upload changes
(automatic)
Capture thoughts instantly from anywhere on your Mac.
Press Ctrl+Cmd+N from any application and the Quick Capture window appears instantly. No need to switch to Onelist first. The hotkey is customizable in preferences if you prefer a different combination.
Working in Safari and find something worth remembering? Editing code in VS Code and have a thought? In a Zoom call and need to note something? Quick Capture works from anywhere - it's always just a hotkey away.
The Quick Capture window is intentionally minimal - title field, content area, tag input, and save. It appears as a floating panel that doesn't disrupt your workflow. Capture and get back to what you were doing.
Press Ctrl+Cmd+V to instantly create an entry from your clipboard contents. URL detected? Offer to create a web clip. Image copied? Attach it as an asset. Code snippet? Auto-apply formatting.
Press Cmd+Enter or click Save, and your entry is stored instantly in the local database. No waiting for network. No spinner. The window closes and you can immediately get back to work.
Your entries are always one click away in the macOS menu bar. Optional - hide it in preferences if you prefer.
The Onelist icon lives in your menu bar, always visible and ready. Click it to instantly access your entries without opening the full app window. Perfect for quick lookups and captures.
Type in the search field and results appear instantly as you type. Find that piece of information without breaking your flow. Press Enter to open the entry in the main app, or just read the preview.
See your most recently created and edited entries at a glance. Often, the thing you're looking for is something you worked on recently. Click any entry to jump straight to it.
Click "+ New Entry" to open Quick Capture directly from the menu bar dropdown. It's the fastest way to capture a thought when you're already looking at the menu bar.
See at a glance whether your entries are synced. Green checkmark means everything's up to date. Orange means syncing in progress. Red means there's a conflict or error that needs your attention.
Search your Onelist entries from macOS Spotlight, system-wide.
Press Cmd+Space, type your search, and see Onelist entries right alongside files, apps, and web results. Your personal knowledge base becomes part of the macOS search experience.
Spotlight shows a preview of your entry content, including tags and last modified date. Often you can find what you need without even opening the full entry - just read the preview in Spotlight.
Press Enter on a Spotlight result to open Onelist Desktop directly to that specific entry. No intermediate steps, no searching again - you're taken right where you need to be.
Your personal knowledge base becomes as accessible as any file on your Mac. No need to remember which app something is in - if it's in Onelist, Spotlight will find it.
Onelist Desktop uses Apple's Core Spotlight API to index your entries. When you create or update an entry, it's automatically added to the Spotlight index. You control what gets indexed - title and tags by default, with optional full-text content indexing for comprehensive search.
Keep your entries in sync across all your devices.
Always know the state of your data. The sync status is visible in the menu bar, the main window status bar, and on individual entries. Green means synced. Orange means pending. Red means attention needed.
Sync happens in the background without interrupting your work. New entries from other devices appear automatically. Changes you make are uploaded silently. You focus on your work; Onelist handles the rest.
Most conflicts are resolved automatically using last-write-wins with accurate vector clock ordering. Your changes are never lost - previous versions are preserved in history. A manual conflict UI is coming soon for edge cases.
Devices on the same network discover each other automatically via Bonjour/mDNS. Sync directly between your Mac and other Onelist endpoints without going through the cloud - faster and works even without internet.
All sync traffic is encrypted before it leaves your device. The server only sees encrypted blobs. Even if our servers were compromised, your data remains secure. Learn more on our E2EE Sync page.
Status Icon Meaning ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Synced [checkmark] All entries are up to date with the cloud Syncing [arrows] Upload/download in progress Pending [clock] Changes queued, waiting for connection Offline [cloud-off] No internet connection (working locally) Conflict [warning] Manual resolution needed Error [x-circle] Sync failed - click for details
A powerful editor with full Markdown support and instant local save.
A full-featured WYSIWYG editor with toolbar for formatting, tables, code blocks, and more. Spell check and grammar check work through macOS system services. Everything you need to write and organize your knowledge.
Write in Markdown and see a live preview as you type. Split view shows source on the left, rendered output on the right. Or toggle to preview-only mode when you just want to read. Supports GitHub-flavored Markdown with tables, task lists, and syntax highlighting.
Cmd+B for bold, Cmd+I for italic, Cmd+K for links - all the shortcuts you'd expect. Plus Onelist-specific shortcuts: Cmd+Enter to save, Cmd+T for tags, Cmd+/ for command palette. Fully customizable in preferences.
Drag an image from Finder, your desktop, or another app directly into an entry. It's automatically uploaded (or stored locally if offline) and embedded. Supports PNG, JPEG, GIF, and HEIC. Images are stored alongside your entry data.
Select text and a formatting popover appears with bold, italic, code, link, and heading options. Or use the formatting toolbar for more options. Formatting is applied as Markdown, so your content is always portable.
Type [[ to start a link to another entry. Autocomplete helps you find the entry you're linking to. Backlinks are tracked automatically, so you can see which entries link to the current one. Build your personal knowledge graph.
Native apps for every platform you use.
Native iPhone and iPad app built with SwiftUI. Full offline support, Face ID/Touch ID, iOS Shortcuts integration, and Share Extension for capturing from any app.
In DevelopmentNative Windows app built with WinUI 3. System tray access, Windows Hello integration, Start menu search, and the same offline-first architecture.
PlannedNative Android app built with Jetpack Compose. Quick settings tile, home screen widget, biometric unlock, and seamless sync with your other devices.
PlannedUniversal clipboard across all devices. Share extension for capturing from any app. Deep linking between platforms. Your knowledge, everywhere.
With Multi-Platform| Operating System | macOS 13 (Ventura) or later |
| Processor | Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel (64-bit) |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended) |
| Storage | ~100 MB for app + space for your entries and local database |
| Network | Optional (works offline) |
What's coming next for Onelist Desktop.
brew install --cask onelist
Download the native macOS app and experience the difference.
Requires macOS 13 or later. Free account includes sync.