What is JOTAID?
Jotaid is a note-taking app for Mac and iPhone that works at the level of ideas rather than whole notes. When you write a [[link]], the idea it names becomes a node with its own page. A knowledge graph, a co-occurrence matrix and a Trends view then show which ideas go together, how strongly, and how that has changed over time.
How is a node different from a note link or a tag?
A note link joins one whole note to another. A Jotaid link points to an idea instead, so one note can feed several separate lines of thought, and each idea's page gathers every note that links to it. Tags still work for status and source, such as to-read or interview; nodes are for the ideas you are actually thinking about.
What does the co-occurrence matrix show?
It is a grid of your ideas. Each cell shows how often two ideas appear in the same notes, scored so that a pair that nearly always appears together ranks above two ideas that are merely common. Related ideas are grouped together so clusters stand out, and pairs that appear together almost every time are flagged, since they may be two names for the same idea.
How is JOTAID different from Obsidian?
Obsidian is an editor for a folder of Markdown files that you extend with plugins, and many people build their own system on top of it. Jotaid comes with one system built in: idea-level nodes, the co-occurrence matrix, link predictions, Trends and a canvas, with no plugins to install. The two can also work together: Jotaid imports a Markdown folder and exports Markdown.
Is JOTAID free? What does Pro add?
Jotaid is free to download, and the free tier is not a trial. The Inbox has no time limit, and the editor, backlinks, the knowledge graph, the co-occurrence matrix, link predictions, Trends, the canvas, on-device semantic search and iCloud sync all work in it. Pro adds multiple projects, all AI features, agent access over MCP on the Mac, bulk move, and combining filters (on the free tier you filter by one tag, concept or theme at a time). You can buy Pro as a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription or a one-time purchase; all three unlock the same features. It is a Universal purchase for Mac and iPhone and is not available through Family Sharing.
How does the AI work? Do I need my own API key?
AI features are part of Pro. After unlocking Pro, you connect your own provider: OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, or any OpenAI-compatible service, including a model running on your own machine. Requests go from your device straight to that provider; Jotaid runs no AI service and takes no cut of what you pay. Smart Node and Smart Theme propose concepts and groupings, and nothing they suggest is applied until you tick it.
Can AI agents read my notes?
On a Mac with Pro, yes. Jotaid includes a knowledge base server that AI agents on the same Mac can connect to over MCP (Model Context Protocol). It is read-only and off by default, you choose which projects it can read, and it listens only on 127.0.0.1, so nothing else on your network can reach it. An agent can search your notes by meaning, read them, and see which notes cite an idea and which ideas appear together, so it can make sense of how your notes connect. What the agent does with what it reads is up to that agent and its provider.
Can I chat with my notes?
Not inside the app: there is no built-in chat that answers questions across your whole library. Two things come close. On a Mac with Pro, AI agents on the same Mac can connect over MCP, search and read your notes, and answer from them. And the AI chat panel on the Mac opens the websites of Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and DeepSeek next to your notes, signed in with your own accounts. It is a browser and does not read your library, but a useful answer can be saved into a note with its source.
Which devices does JOTAID run on?
Mac with macOS 14 or later, and iPhone with iOS 17 or later. It is written natively in Swift and SwiftUI, not Electron. Your notes sync between devices through your own iCloud account. A few features are Mac-only, including the MCP server and the AI browser that sits side by side with your notes.
Who is JOTAID not for?
Jotaid runs only on Mac and iPhone: there is no Windows, Linux, Android or web version, and no version designed for iPad. It has no collaboration, such as shared workspaces or comments. It is not a task manager or calendar: Markdown task lists work, but there are no due dates, reminders or daily notes. It has no handwriting, audio recording or OCR of its own, and it does not read or annotate PDFs. And your notes live in its own database rather than as a folder of plain files.
Can I bring my notes from Obsidian or another Markdown app?
Yes. On the Mac you can import .md files, or a whole folder such as an Obsidian vault. On the free tier a folder goes into the Inbox; with Pro it can become a project of its own. Either way, top-level subfolders become themes, and the [[links]] in your notes come across as ideas. You can export to Markdown at any time.
Are my notes stored as Markdown files?
No. Notes live in Jotaid's own database on each of your devices and sync through your iCloud account, so there is no folder of files for another editor to open. Markdown is how notes come in and go out: on the Mac you can import .md files or a whole folder, you can export notes as Markdown with their images at any time, and an encrypted backup copies everything, attachments included.
Does JOTAID need an account or an internet connection?
No account is needed, and your notes work fully offline. Only the parts that reach the internet need a connection: iCloud sync, AI requests to your provider, and the built-in browser.
Are my notes used to train AI models?
Jotaid never trains any model on your notes, and never sells, rents or shares them. It has no advertising identifiers and no cross-app tracking. When you use AI, the text you send goes to the provider you configured and is handled under that provider's terms.
Still have a question? Write to contact [at] jotaid.com, or read the the guides.