Burst Notes is a small utility that sits quietly in the background until you need it. Hit a keyboard shortcut, jot down a thought, and it's saved to your markdown file—all without leaving what you're working on.
The whole point of Burst Notes is to get out of your way. You're in the middle of something—coding, writing, reading—and a thought pops up that needs to go somewhere. You don't want to switch apps, find the right file, scroll to the right section, and then try to remember what you wanted to write.
Instead, you hit B. A small window appears. You type a few characters to find the right section in your document (Burst Notes shows you the header hierarchy), press Return, type your note, press Return again. Done. The window vanishes and you're back where you were.
The global shortcut works no matter which app is in front. Burst Notes appears instantly, ready for input.
Your markdown file's structure becomes your navigation. Type to filter, arrow keys to select. Your document outline is always just a few keystrokes away.
Type your note—a bullet, a todo, a quick thought—and press Return. It's saved to the right place in your file, and an editor opens if you want to expand on it. Or press Escape to dismiss and get back to work.
No database, no proprietary format. Standard .md files you can edit anywhere, sync however you like, and back up with any tool.
Every operation from the keyboard: summon, search, navigate, insert, dismiss. The mouse is optional.
Learns which headers you use most. Frequent sections rise to the top—your workflow speeds up automatically.
No dock icon, no visible windows. Appears when called, vanishes when done. Near-zero resource use while idle.
Swift and AppKit, not Electron. Launches instantly, responds immediately, feels like part of your Mac. Universal binary.
GitHub-flavored checkboxes built in. Insert tasks from capture, click to toggle in Visual mode, or use T.
No telemetry, no analytics, no network required. Your notes never leave your machine. Sandboxed with minimal permissions.
Visual polish or raw control—switch instantly
Renders formatting in real-time. Headings appear color-coded, checkboxes are clickable, content looks polished. Switch with 1
Raw markdown with syntax highlighting. Side-by-side preview pane available (P). Switch with 2
Unified toolbar in both modes for headings, quotes, code blocks, lists, and formatting. Floating window stays on top. Smart cursor positioning. Auto-save on close. Warm "Sunset" theme easy on the eyes.
Burst Notes isn't trying to replace your note-taking system. It's a capture layer—a fast path from "I need to write this down" to "it's saved in the right place." It's designed for people who already have markdown files they're working with and just want a quicker way to add to them.
Standard markdown that works with VS Code, Obsidian, your favorite editor, Git, and every backup tool you already use.
Ideas don't wait. One keystroke from any app, a few characters to find the right section, type your thought, done.
You've built a system. Burst Notes isn't here to replace it—it's the fastest path from thought to saved note.