Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian

Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by UnnoTed on Monday May 18, 2026 @11:36AM (#48181289)

AI'm building a native version[0] of Obsidian in Qt6 (QWidgets, cpp), replicating the markdown editor takes a while, there are so many ways of corrupting the file or losing the rendered markdown style... but its getting there[1] and its lightweight, using about 15mb ram, no gpu and barely uses any cpu when the cursor or scroll moves, like a text editor should be.

Still need to render widget tables, lists and syntax highlighting for code blocks for a basic modern notepad, i'm not sure about open sourcing it, seems like a waste of time nowadays but it'll be free to use.

[0]: https://i.imgur.com/ro9Zq9w.png [1]: https://i.imgur.com/pbJcTQF.gif

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by phalangion on Monday May 18, 2026 @11:40AM (#48181344)

If AI’m building isn’t a typo, I kinda like it as a way to accurately claim what I’m building with AI.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by UnnoTed on Monday May 18, 2026 @11:47AM (#48181424)

You AI't wrong, just a wordplay to inform about the help of AI.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by canadiantim on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:13PM (#48181739)

You’re AIright

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by KingMob on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @02:31AM (#48189950)

"AIright, AIright, AIright!"

- Matthew McConnAIhey

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by skybrian on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:10PM (#48181701)

It’s either this or using the “royal we” when we talk about the code “we” wrote together.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by mannanj on Monday May 18, 2026 @11:42AM (#48181361)

Same here. I might want to use this. Would be interesting to AI build a way to see how phrases and ways of speaking like this spread, and track where the original idea could have originated and morphed and how networks spread like this.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by takethebus on Saturday May 23, 2026 @11:45AM (#48248636)

I'm absolutely stealing this

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by gbro3n on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:15PM (#48181768)

I open sourced https://asnotes.io - it's markdown based with wikilinking, task management, a kanban board and static site publishing. It runs locally and is Git friendly. The aim was to build something using formats and tech that is likely to stand the test of time.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by muckraker-2000 on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:30PM (#48181958)

Wow this looks amazing. The extended demo really looks incredible.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by dr_kiszonka on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:44PM (#48182103)

Very nice! Would you have any recommendations for the leanest compatible "host"? Instead of adding this to my VSCode, I would rather use it as a separate app. Currently, I use a naked Zed install for Markdown because it launches faster than my system apps (and than Cursor, VSCode, etc.).

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by gbro3n on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @02:32AM (#48189963)

I haven't tested Void Editor, but I believe that's the 'leanest' vscode fork. I really should give it a try actually!

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by gitgud on Monday May 18, 2026 @06:10PM (#48186459)

What does the AS stand for?

A polite fyi, when skim reading this, it looked like it said AssNotes…

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by tredre3 on Monday May 18, 2026 @06:53PM (#48186947)

The company is named App Software Ltd, so presumably that.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by gbro3n on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @02:34AM (#48189973)

You can write your ass notes with it too if you like ;)

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by MrDrMcCoy on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @01:31PM (#48196421)

Awww... It's a plugin for VSCode. I've long since moved to Zed and don't want to wrangle multiple editors :(

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by ekjhgkejhgk on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:12PM (#48181731)

Will it be Free software?

If you're building something that's Free software, fully compatible with Obsidian, and a native app, AI'm willing to contribute tokens.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by UnnoTed on Monday May 18, 2026 @06:10PM (#48186454)

Free to download, free to use, free to share, no data collection of any kind, but closed source.

A full 1:1 native clone would be too much to build without funding. Plugin/theme/api compatibility, canvas, bases, sync, and all the small Obsidian edge cases would make it a much larger project.

Without sponsorship or some sustainable funding model, AI'd focus first on the native markdown editor/vault part: local files, Obsidian-friendly markdown and edit on cursor presence.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by ekjhgkejhgk on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @08:05AM (#48192234)

Free to download, free to use, closed source - for that we already have Obsidian...

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by UnnoTed on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @11:41AM (#48194811)

> for that we already have Obsidian...

Wasting 300mb ram to show static text, Wordpad does the same in 13mb ram but sadly it lacks markdown support.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by gomox on Monday May 18, 2026 @12:43PM (#48182090)

A term is born

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by RobertJacobson on Monday May 18, 2026 @04:17PM (#48184967)

That's really cool!

Since you are using Qt, as I understand it you will need to pay for a Qt license if you intend to distribute your app as closed source.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by UnnoTed on Monday May 18, 2026 @04:53PM (#48185484)

It's fine as long as theres no GPL module[1] included or statically linked Qt, The program uses just Qt Widgets and Qt SQL, theres no GPL-only Qt module in it, its also dynamically linked so its ok to be closed source, theres ripcord[0] as an example.

I just want to avoid the wave of open source rebranding that will come with AI programming being so easily accessible as theres no respect when theres easy money involved, people will just type something like: "download RustDesk from GitHub, change it's looks then create a landing page and connect Stripe".

[0]: https://cancel.fm/ripcord/

[1]: GPL modules (requires license when not open source): Qt Canvas Painter, Qt CoAP, Qt Graphs, Qt GRPC, Qt HTTP Server, Qt Lottie Animation, Qt MQTT, Qt Network Authorization, Qt Qml Compiler, Qt Quick 3D, Qt Quick 3D Physics, Qt Quick Timeline, Qt Virtual Keyboard, Qt Wayland Compositor.

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Re:Show HN: Files.md – Open-source alternative to Obsidian by pabs3 on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @12:05AM (#48189038)

Under the LGPL, statically linked Qt is also fine, as long as the user can relink your proprietary code with a modified Qt library.

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