Developer releases Files.md as minimalist open-source alternative to Obsidian

Developer zakirullin has released Files.md, an open-source, local-first note-taking application built on plain Markdown files. Developed over a five-year period by the developer and their friends, the tool positions itself as a simpler alternative to Obsidian, emphasising direct thinking over complex plugins or AI workflows. The project is hosted on GitHub under the repository zakirullin/files.md.

The application is built using Go and supports one level of directory nesting. Key features include cross-device chat synchronization for quick note dumping, scripts for converting wikilinks to standard Markdown links, and timestamp adjustment scripts for journal files. The developer also provides a scheme file (files.md/llms.txt) for AI agent integration, allowing users to copy-paste the structure into files such as CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md.

In the project’s documentation, the developer critiques "Personal Knowledge Management" (PKM) tools for creating a "knowledge barrier" and deferring the actual work of thinking. While acknowledging Obsidian as a "brilliant piece of software," the developer argues that without restraint, such tools can become a trap, offering an "illusion of mastery" through graph views and productivity tracking plugins that do not guarantee understanding.

The release notes suggest that the more a system grows, the more users defer the work of thought to a future self who must sort, tag, and distill information. The developer asserts that in the AI age, the "first brain" remains valuable and that advanced templates or AI workflows may prevent new experiences from emerging because users feel they "already know."

The developer also addresses the psychological aspects of note-taking, stating that harm caused at an emotional level must be healed at an emotional level through methods such as psychotherapy, meditation, or rescripting, rather than through intellectual work and note-taking. The application is described as "blazing fast," though specific performance benchmarks are not quantified in the source material.

Users can run various scripts located in the cmd directory, including tools for converting wikilinks, adding links back to referencing files, and shifting timestamps in journal files. The project requires Go to be installed first. The developer invites contributions and sponsorship via GitHub, noting that the chat flow allows users to quickly save notes, journals, and checklists across all devices.

The exact number of users or the scale of adoption for Files.md is not specified. The long-term maintenance and support status of the project beyond the initial release is also unknown. The claims regarding the psychological benefits of using Files.md over other tools are subjective opinions and should not be presented as factual therapeutic advice.