Wren

Windows Sticky Notes traps your notes in a database you can't get at. Wren keeps the same quick-capture feel but writes each note as a plain Markdown file on your disk, so your notes outlive the app.

What it does

• Color-coded note cards with a rich-text editor.
• Each note saved as a plain .md file on your own device.
• A tag system with namespaced tags, plus a Kanban board, archive, trash, due dates and search.
• Optional Google Drive sync. You sign in to your own Google account and your notes go to a folder in your Drive. It is off unless you turn it on, and it is the only part of Wren that touches a network.
• There is no account and no server behind it. The files are plain Markdown you can open anywhere, with or without Wren.

Three ways to run it

• Web app - open it in Chrome, Edge or Brave, and install it if you want it in its own window.
• Chrome extension - the same app in a browser popup, one click from the toolbar.
• Windows desktop app - an installer with an always-on-top compact window, a system tray icon, a global hotkey, and sticky notes you can tear off onto the desktop. Download it here.

All three read and write the same folder of Markdown files, so you can start in one and carry on in another. There is also an optional MCP server that lets an AI assistant running on your own machine read and write notes in that folder.

Who it's for

Anyone who lives in sticky notes but hates that they're stuck in one app. If you already keep a Markdown vault or just want notes you can grep, back up, and move, Wren fits.

Status

Beta. Local capture, tags, the Kanban board and Google Drive sync are all built and in use. Sync is still marked experimental. The one thing on the roadmap is basic table editing. Want that sooner, or something else? Let me know.

Questions

Where are my notes stored?

As plain Markdown files in a folder you choose on your own device. I never receive or store them. See the privacy policy.

Can I see my notes on my phone?

That's what the optional Google Drive sync is for. You sign in to your own Google account, Wren gets access only to the files it creates, and your notes land in a folder in your Drive that the Drive app on your phone can read. Nothing routes through me. It is still experimental, and Drive is the only cloud it works with today.

Does Wren put anything else in my notes folder?

Yes, three small files: .wren-index.json, _index.md and README-for-AI.md. They are an index so other tools can read the folder. They are yours and they stay on your disk like everything else.

Is it finished?

It's in beta and solid for daily note-taking. Tags and sync have shipped; basic table editing is the one thing still on the way. Feedback shapes what ships next.