Blinko

An AI-powered card note app for capturing fleeting thoughts quickly, with AI search over your notes, self-hosted with Docker.

11.1k stars, 790 forks TypeScript On GitHub since October 2024

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Blinko?

Blinko is built for quick capture: you jot down an idea as a short card the moment it occurs to you, then sort it later. AI-enhanced retrieval lets you ask questions in natural language across your notes, using the model provider you configure. Notes are written in Markdown and stored on your own server with PostgreSQL. It runs in the browser and as apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android, and a Helm chart is included.

Good fit if

  • You collect many small ideas and want AI to find them later.
  • You want a self-hosted, Memos-like app with AI built in.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want an active project: Blinko had about a dozen commits in the last 90 days, while Memos is busier.
  • You need long documents and structure: Trilium Notes.

Before you adopt it

Blinko is GPL-3.0, with no paid parts. Development has slowed recently, so check open issues and the latest release before you move your notes into it.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Blinko health: is it still maintained?

52 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    11 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 27 August 2026.
    13 / 30
  • Contributors
    3 people wrote the 11 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 64% of them.
    8 / 20
  • Releases
    13 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, 1.8.8, on 20 June 2026.
    15 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 16% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 30 hours.
    11 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Blinko license: is it open source?

Blinko uses GPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. October 2024First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayGPL-3.0.

How to run Blinko yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
docker-compose.yml: 2 services (postgres)
Setup effort
2 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for macOS, Linux, Windows, Android, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
15 languages

Install instructions: blinko.space or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Blinko

  • MemosMemos is an open-source, self-hosted note-taking app that brings your everyday thoughts together in a… 83 health · MIT · 64.2k stars
  • NotesnookA fully open source & end-to-end encrypted note taking alternative to Evernote. 74 health · GPL-3.0 · 14.9k stars
  • Trilium NotesBuild your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes 80 health · AGPL-3.0 · 38.6k stars
  • QOwnNotesQOwnNotes is a plain-text file notepad and todo-list manager with Markdown support and Nextcloud / ownCloud… 79 health · GPL-2.0 · 5.9k stars
  • SiYuanAn open-source, privacy-first, self-hosted knowledge workspace where humans and AI agents work together… 75 health · AGPL-3.0 · 47k stars

All 34 projects in Notes & knowledge bases

Questions about Blinko

Is Blinko open source?

Yes. Blinko is published under GPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Blinko still maintained?

Its health score is 52 of 100 (actively developed). It had 11 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 27 August 2026, and its latest release came out on 20 June 2026.

How do I run Blinko?

You can run it with Docker, on Kubernetes with the Helm chart in the repository, as an app for macOS, Linux, Windows, Android, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Blinko?

Close alternatives in the Notes & knowledge bases category include Memos, Notesnook, Trilium Notes.