OrbitalNote

OrbitalNote is a modern client for working with Org files on desktop and mobile. It brings notes, tasks, an agenda, and a calendar into a visual interface while leaving the underlying information in ordinary plaintext .org files. Existing Org users can open a folder they already maintain, while newcomers can start fresh without learning Emacs or memorizing Org syntax. The app is open source under GPLv3, works offline, and doesn't require an account for its core local workflow.

The central idea is that project material and day planning belong together. A desktop workspace can keep a project open beside a calendar and a minimal agenda, while the broader agenda pulls tasks from files across the workspace. Users can filter that combined view by tags or task state, save a useful view, and mark work complete. A task can carry its notes, schedule, deadline, and time in the same file. Creating or changing those details through the interface updates the Org source, so the readable file remains the record rather than a hidden database. A newcomer can click a date, set a deadline, or add a time through the controls and learn the text format only if it becomes useful later.

The calendar covers day, week, month, and year views. Scheduled tasks can appear as time blocks, and moving a block changes the schedule in its source file. That makes OrbitalNote useful for someone who wants to move between a project outline and a practical plan for the week without copying tasks into a separate calendar system. It also supports the everyday mix that tends to fall outside a formal project tracker. Work plans, personal errands, reference notes, and capacity planning can live in separate Org files while still appearing in one agenda when needed. The agenda isn't limited to one project file, which is useful when a realistic day includes several work streams and personal commitments.

OrbitalNote doesn't treat Org as plain text only. Users can edit the source and switch to a richer reading view for images, tables, Mermaid diagrams, and math. Nested tasks and linked notes are shown in the product examples, and the app offers built in themes with light and dark palettes. The Default, Terminal, and Editorial themes cover several visual styles, and people who want more control can create a custom CSS theme. This combination keeps the portability of text while making a notebook easier to scan and use as a daily workspace. System theme following is available, so the workspace can change between its light and dark palettes with the rest of the device.

The local first posture is a meaningful part of the product. On desktop, files stay in a folder the user chooses, and OrbitalNote can edit the same files used in Emacs. The app says it preserves Org syntax it doesn't recognize, which reduces the risk of flattening a more advanced file. Support is still centered on core Org workflows. Repeaters aren't expanded and Babel code isn't executed, so people with a deeply automated Emacs setup should view it as a companion client rather than a complete visual replacement for every Org feature. Android uses a private app notebook instead of a user selected folder.

Current preview downloads cover Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, Windows, Linux, and Android. An installable iPhone build isn't available yet. The product is explicitly in an early preview, which fits the unfinished edges the site calls out. Even so, the available surface is broader than a simple editor. Calendar planning, cross file agendas, rich rendering, themes, and mobile access are already part of the same Org based model. Because files remain readable outside the app, trying the interface doesn't require committing notes to a proprietary format. The site also provides sample Org workspaces, which gives prospective users a way to see how project notes, linked material, diagrams, and daily tasks behave together.

The app itself is free and open source. OrbitalNote also offers an optional hosted Sync preview for people who want the same workspace across devices. Sync uses end-to-end encryption and costs $5 per month or $48 per year for one workspace with 1 GB and retained revision history. It works while apps are open and connected, and Android catches up after it is reopened. Attachments aren't synced yet, and history cleanup is not available. That pricing keeps local use free while charging only for the hosted convenience of encrypted device sync. A recovery key connects another device, while subscription management remains in the Sync account.