A friendly whiteboard for quick sketches, plans and diagrams that look hand-drawn.
Blinko
Capture quick thoughts as cards, then find them again with AI search.
Notes & journal
GPL-3.0-only
Reviewed version b2586d0
What it does
Blinko is a self-hosted note capture tool for fleeting ideas. You jot thoughts as cards, tag them, and later search by meaning using an AI model you choose, including local models. It also offers a daily review, a hub for sharing, and apps for desktop and phone.
- One-tap capture of notes, to-dos and links
- AI search by meaning, with local model support
- Self-hosted with your data in Postgres
- Desktop and mobile apps
Great for: People who think in short bursts and want a fast capture box with smart search.
- LicenceGPL-3.0-only
- Where it runsYour computer (free)
- Built withtypescript
- Your dataStays in your own copy
- Sourceblinkospace/blinko
Ways to use it
Your AI helps you choose, based on what you need, and sets it up with you in plain words.
- On my own computerFreeYour AI installs what it needs and explains each step. It works while your computer is on.
How people are using this project
Examples of what people ask their AI to do with Blinko. Start from one, or just tell your AI and it will ask what you'd like.
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“Let me record a quick voice note and have it transcribed into a card.”
Start with this idea -
“Every evening show me a card with the thoughts I captured today and ask which to keep.”
Start with this idea -
“Set up Blinko so the AI search uses a local Ollama model only.”
Start with this idea -
“Add a shared tag that appears on a shared page everyone at home can read.”
Start with this idea
Can I trust it?
- GPL-3.0-only. Free to use and change. If you share your changed version with other people (give them the code or app), you must share your source code under the same licence. Using it privately for yourself or your household has no extra obligations.
- Your data: stores personal data, on your own device or server. Postgres database plus an uploads folder (Docker volumes).
- Other services: AI model provider (OpenAI-compatible, Ollama and others) (optional, pay-per-use for cloud, free for local)
- Reviewed version. Your AI always gets exactly the version we've checked.
- AI features send note text to your chosen provider. Use a local model for private notes.
- Keep NEXTAUTH_SECRET and database passwords out of Git and chats.
Did it work for people?
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