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Fractal Note
What it is
Fractal Note is a note-taking environment inside VS Code that brings several ways to work with Markdown and related files. Its WYSIWYG Markdown editor is paired with outliner, database, mindmap, and file-manager views. Notes remain plain Markdown and JSON files, arranged through a virtual folder and file tree. Full-text search reaches outlines, Markdown pages, and supported PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint attachments. The built-in viewer opens Office documents, PDFs, HTML, images, and text or code files. Backlinks, collapse and expand controls, subtree scoping, and filtering support navigation. A Chrome extension clips web pages into an outliner or Markdown and saves them through the File System Access API. AI skills let agents search, read, and write notes, with Claude Code, Cursor, Kiro, and Antigravity named for installation. S3 synchronization and Amazon Translate require AWS credentials in VS Code. The MIT-licensed extension is free, supports macOS, Windows, Linux, and Chrome, and exports PDF or Markdown.
For and against
For
- WYSIWYG Markdown editor with multiple navigation views
- Searches notes and supported Office or PDF attachments
- Chrome extension clips pages directly to disk
- Backlinks, filtering, and subtree scoping included
- Free, MIT-licensed extension for desktop platforms
Against
- AWS credentials required for S3 sync and Translate
- HTTP(S) proxy connections are not supported for those services
- Works inside VS Code rather than as a standalone app
The verdict
Fractal Note combines Markdown storage with outliner, database, mindmap, file-management, and attachment features in VS Code. Its free desktop and Chrome availability is broad, while AWS integrations remain optional and require configuration.
Who it suits
It suits people whose files have outgrown folders and who want notes and documents organized together. It also fits VS Code users needing multiple note views, attachments, and optional AI or AWS workflows.
Plans and prices
MIT-licensed extension
VS Code extension · core features work without AWS · S3 sync and Amazon Translate require AWS credentials
Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- AI workflow
- Published AI skills let agents search, read, and write notes, and the README names Claude Code, Cursor, Kiro, and Antigravity as supported AI IDEs for skill installation.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Attachments
- The product supports file attachments and a built-in viewer for Office documents, PDFs, HTML, images, and text or code files.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Best fit
- The maker describes it as suited to people whose files have outgrown folders and who want notes and documents organized together.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- It offers bidirectional AWS S3 note sync and Amazon Translate, which require AWS credentials configured in VS Code.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository states that Fractal Note is MIT licensed and free to use in personal projects.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Product
- Fractal Note is a note-taking environment inside VS Code combining a WYSIWYG Markdown editor, outliner, database view, mindmap, and file manager.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Proxy limit
- S3 sync and Amazon Translate connections through an HTTP(S) proxy are not currently supported.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Search
- Full-text search covers outlines, Markdown pages, and supported attachments including PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Security behavior
- The built-in HTML viewer is static by default, and scripts run only after explicit opt-in.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Storage
- Notes are stored as plain Markdown and JSON files, with a virtual folder and file tree for organizing them.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker invites bug reports and feature suggestions through GitHub Issues and contributions through pull requests.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Web clipping
- A Chrome extension clips web pages into an outliner or Markdown and writes directly to disk through the File System Access API.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
