Scratch

Scratch

A scratchpad for the notes that don’t need a folder.

Beautiful markdown notes for Mac. Type **bold**, # headings, lists — they style as you write. Always one keystroke away from any app. Stays on your Mac.

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7-day free trial  ·  One-time purchase  ·  No subscription

Beautiful by default

The page is the preview.

Type **bold**, # headings, lists, code, quotes — Scratch styles them as you write. No second pane, no mode switcher. Just one warm page that becomes the thing you’re writing.

Features

The notes app that gets out of the way.

Markdown done right, a hotkey that summons it from anywhere, and a paper-warm window that always reads as a page — not a tool.

Always one keystroke away

A global hotkey summons Scratch from any app. New note if you’ve been away — right back into your last one if you weren’t.

Markdown that just renders

Type **bold**, # headings, lists, quotes, code — they style as you write. No preview pane, no toggle. The page is the preview.

Stays on your Mac

Notes live as plain .md files in Application Support. Drag one to Finder, open it in any editor. No account, no cloud, no lock-in. iCloud sync coming in v1.1.

Pin what matters

Pin a note to keep it at the top of the sidebar. Great for the daily log, the open-loop list, or whatever you keep coming back to.

Always-on-top

Hit ⌘T to pin the window above everything else. Keep a checklist next to your code, or notes next to a meeting. No mode-switching.

Export anywhere

Save a note as PDF or .md, copy it as Markdown or Rich Text, or archive the whole library as a .zip. Drop a folder of .md files to import — they’re yours from the moment they land.

How it works

Hit the hotkey. Start typing.

There is no second step. (Well, almost.)

01

Summon

Press your global hotkey from anywhere. Scratch pops up in front of whatever you were doing.

02

Write

If you’ve been away 5 minutes or more, Scratch opens fresh. Otherwise it picks up exactly where you left off.

03

Go back

Hit the hotkey again and Scratch tucks itself away. Your notes are saved. Your flow isn’t broken.

Built for keyboards

Every action, one keystroke away.

The whole app is operable without the mouse — new notes, pins, find, copy, export, all the way through to import.

N New note \ Sidebar F Find T Pin Window on Top C Copy as Markdown S Export
Pricing

Try for a week. Then keep it for good.

Buy once. Yours forever on this Mac. No subscription, no telemetry on your notes, no upsell screen between you and an empty page.

Free trial

Get a feel for it.

$0 7 days
  • The full app, no limits
  • Every feature unlocked
  • No credit card required
  • Your notes stay yours forever
Free Trial

macOS 14 Sonoma+

The best note app is the one already on screen.

Try free for 7 days. Then buy once — no subscription, no account, no upsell.

Buy Scratch — $14.99 Free Trial
One-time purchase · macOS 14+ · 14-day refund
Read the Scratch user guide