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Kuku

Provides a macOS Markdown editor with an AI agent that searches vaults, reads files, manages bidirectional links, and converts speech to text locally.

Pricing:Free + from $12/mo
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Overview

Kuku is an AI-native Markdown editor that combines the power of local-first note-taking with Gemini-powered AI capabilities. Unlike cloud-based tools like Notion, Kuku stores all your files as plain .md files on your local disk, ensuring complete ownership and portability. It's designed for users who want the bidirectional linking and graph visualization of Obsidian, but with an integrated AI agent that can search your vault, read files, and create documents—similar to how Cursor works for code.

Built with Tauri v2 for macOS, Kuku delivers native performance with an officially claimed ~15MB bundle size and ~80MB memory footprint (actual usage varies by device and vault size), avoiding the bloat of Electron apps. Whether you're managing an AI knowledge base, organizing research notes, or building a personal wiki, Kuku offers a local-first, AI-enhanced writing environment with portable file formats.

Key Features

  • Plain Markdown Storage — All notes saved as .md files on your disk, allowing you to open them with vim, version with git, or use alongside Obsidian without lock-in.
  • AI Agent with Tool Calling — Gemini-powered intelligent agent that can search your vault, read files, and create documents automatically, offering Cursor-like intelligence for note-taking.
  • Bidirectional Links & Graph View — Type [[ for autocomplete, click to navigate between notes, and visualize all document connections in a force-directed graph.
  • Cursor-style Edit Preview — AI edits displayed as diffs before applying, letting you accept or reject each change with keyboard shortcuts (⌘Y Keep / ⌘N Undo).
  • Local Whisper STT — Speech-to-text powered by whisper.cpp, running entirely offline without external API calls for enhanced privacy.
  • Full-text Search with BM25 — SQLite FTS5-powered search with BM25 ranking and optimized tokenization (officially supports Korean; actual performance may vary).

Pricing & Plans

Kuku offers both free and paid subscription tiers. You can download the macOS app from GitHub releases and start with the free plan, which includes limited AI capabilities.

Pricing Tiers:

  • Free: Basic AI requests per month with usage limits
  • Pro: $12/month - Increased AI request quota and priority features
  • Ultra Thinker: Higher tier with expanded AI capabilities (pricing on official site)

AI Integration Options:

  • Use Kuku's subscription-based AI request quota, or
  • Provide your own Gemini API key (Google's separate pricing applies)

The exact option depends on your plan and settings. Check the in-app configuration for current details.

Data Privacy Note: If using Google's Paid Services (billable API projects), prompts and responses are not used to improve Google's products. With Unpaid Services, content may be used for product improvement and machine learning, and may involve human review.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Local Markdown files are portable with minimal format lock-in
  • Free tier available with basic AI capabilities
  • Local-first architecture with privacy-focused design
  • Native performance with compact footprint (officially ~15MB bundle, ~80MB memory, varies by system)
  • AI agent with tool calling capabilities for intelligent automation
  • Full compatibility with Obsidian's [[wikilink]] syntax
  • Offline speech-to-text with local Whisper model
  • Cursor-style diff preview for AI edits gives full control

Cons:

  • Currently macOS only (no Windows/Linux support)
  • No mobile app available yet
  • AI features require either paid subscription or separate Gemini API key
  • Limited plugin ecosystem compared to mature alternatives like Obsidian
  • No built-in cloud sync (though you can use git or third-party sync tools)
  • Collects anonymous usage statistics, crash logs, and device identifiers (opt-out available)

Best For

  • Knowledge workers who want AI-enhanced productivity tools for note-taking with complete data ownership
  • Developers and researchers managing local Markdown documentation with git versioning
  • Users migrating from Obsidian who want integrated AI writing assistant capabilities
  • Privacy-conscious writers seeking offline-capable AI features with local speech-to-text
  • macOS users looking for a lightweight, native alternative to Electron-based note apps

FAQ

Can I use my existing Obsidian vault with Kuku?

Yes. Kuku is fully compatible with Obsidian's [[wikilink]] syntax. Simply open your existing Obsidian folder in Kuku, and your bidirectional links will work seamlessly. Since Kuku stores everything as plain .md files, you can even use both apps simultaneously on the same vault.

Does the AI learn from my documents?

Only content you explicitly select or reference is sent to the Gemini API. If you enable memory or cross-session context features, necessary conversation metadata may be stored (but not your entire vault).

Regarding data usage: If using Google's Paid Services (billable API projects), your prompts and responses are not used to improve Google's products. However, with Unpaid Services, submitted content may be used for product improvement and machine learning, and may involve human review. Your local notes remain on your device and are not automatically uploaded.

Can I use Kuku offline?

Everything except AI chat works offline. The editor, bidirectional links, graph view, full-text search, and local voice recognition (via Whisper) all function without an internet connection. You only need internet access when using the AI agent features powered by Gemini API. Note that the local speech-to-text runs entirely on-device for complete offline capability.

Why Tauri instead of Electron?

Electron bundles the entire Chromium browser, resulting in large file sizes (often 100MB+) and high memory usage. Tauri uses the system's native WebView instead, delivering significantly smaller bundle sizes (officially ~15MB vs typical Electron apps) and lower memory usage (officially ~80MB vs typical Electron apps), with native platform performance on macOS.

Is Kuku compatible with Windows or Linux?

Not yet. Kuku currently supports macOS only (both Intel and Apple Silicon). Cross-platform support for Windows and Linux may come in future releases, but there's no official timeline.

How does Kuku compare to Notion AI?

Kuku stores all files locally as plain Markdown, while Notion keeps your data in the cloud with proprietary formatting. Kuku's AI agent can perform tool-calling actions like searching and creating files, whereas Notion AI focuses on text generation. If you value local-first architecture and file portability, Kuku offers those advantages. However, note that Kuku does collect some anonymous usage data and requires subscriptions or API keys for full AI features. Explore more AI tools in our comprehensive directory to find alternatives that match your workflow.

What AI model does Kuku use?

Kuku uses Google's Gemini models via API. Depending on your subscription plan, you can either use Kuku's built-in AI request quota or provide your own Gemini API key (obtainable from Google AI Studio). If using your own key, Google's pricing varies by model tier—check Google's pricing page for current rates. For comparison with other AI chatbot options, explore our comprehensive directory.

What data does Kuku collect?

While your note content stays local, Kuku collects anonymous usage statistics, crash logs, and device identifiers for licensing and product improvement. According to the privacy policy, analytics collection can be opted out in settings. Your actual note files are never uploaded to Kuku's servers unless you explicitly use AI features that require sending selected content to external APIs.

Does Kuku have a mobile app?

No. Kuku currently only supports macOS desktop. There's no iOS or Android app available. However, since your notes are stored as plain .md files, you can access them with other Markdown editors on mobile devices.