2026.10.06
mdSilo: A Local-First Workspace for Notes, Feeds, and Knowledge
mdSilo combines Markdown writing, knowledge-base views, RSS/Atom feeds, podcasts, graphs, and kanban boards in desktop and web versions.
Overview
mdSilo is a lightweight knowledge base and feed reader designed as a local-first “mind silo” for storing ideas, notes, and knowledge. The repository is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Its desktop application is built with React and Tauri, and the README lists Windows, macOS, and Linux support alongside a web version.
Image source: mdSilo-app. Published by the project; the interface may vary by version.
Who it suits
The project is aimed at individual users who want writing, information intake, and knowledge organization in one workspace. A typical use case is keeping Markdown notes, collecting RSS/Atom feeds or podcasts, and revisiting material through tags, backlinks, graph views, and timelines. Users with lightweight personal project workflows can also use kanban, task views, and a GitHub-like issue tracker with labels, milestones, comments, timelines, project boards, tables, and two-way links to notes.
The available sources do not confirm complete team collaboration, centralized permissions, or mobile support. The README roadmap still marks mobile as unfinished, while PDF/EPUB viewing and annotation, plugins, theme customization, and Git integration are also listed as incomplete items.
Image source: mdSilo-app. Published by the project; the interface may vary by version.
Known features
The editor supports Markdown, WYSIWYG, mind maps, and split view. Listed extensions include tables, highlighted code blocks, mathematical and chemical formulas, Mermaid and ECharts diagrams, notice blocks, Wikilinks, hashtags, and embedded web pages. The project also lists tables of contents and export to PDF or images. Organization features include folders, full-text search, tags, backlinks, recent history, graph view, Chronicle timeline, and task view.
For input, mdSilo supports RSS, Atom, and podcasts. The README describes the desktop app as working on local plain-text files without registration. That does not mean every input remains offline: the web version may need a CORS proxy for RSS because browsers block many feeds. The project documents configurable, built-in, and public proxy options, and notes that a public proxy can see feed URLs.
Deployment and adoption considerations
The desktop app can be obtained from the official release page or built from source after preparing Rust and Node.js as described in the README. The web version does not require Rust, stores files in browser IndexedDB, and can be deployed as a static site. Data handling deserves attention: clearing browser site data deletes web notes. Recovery depends on a previously exported ZIP backup and importing the restored folder, so regular backups should be part of self-hosting operations.
RSS proxy design also needs an explicit decision. A self-hosted proxy, an application-provided proxy, and a public proxy differ in availability and visibility; the supplied sources make no broader security guarantee. Operators should evaluate subscribed content, allowed origins, and cross-origin settings before deployment. Upgrades should likewise be checked against release notes: the official v0.5.9 release warned that the kanban.json structure changed and recommended backing up before upgrading.
mdSilo’s main appeal is its combination of local-first notes, feed intake, and multiple knowledge views in an open-source project. Before adoption, validate the target platform, backup and restore process, RSS proxy arrangement, and whether unfinished roadmap items affect the intended workflow.
Sources
Sources checked: 2026-10-06