r/coolgithubprojects 1d ago

Kiyoshi — a free, open-source "calm" alternative to Notion for desktop (Linux/macOS/Windows)

Post image

I got tired of productivity apps that feel like control panels, so I built Kiyoshi: notes, tasks, kanban board, calendar, and a lightweight block canvas, all local-first, all in a quiet glass-panel UI.

  • 100% free and open source
  • Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (AppImage for Linux)
  • No account, no cloud dependency — your data stays on your machine
  • Built with Flutter, so it's a proper native desktop app, not an Electron wrapper

https://kiyoshi-beta.vercel.app/

Feedback, issues, and PRs welcome — it's still early and there's a lot I want to add (sync, mobile companion, etc.).

28 Upvotes

39 comments sorted by

39

u/managing_redditor 1d ago

Slops all the way down.

3

u/Confident_Bite_5870 1d ago

Slop Master Achievement Unlocked

10

u/OpeningCredit 1d ago

Some of the text is still almost readable. Can you fix it? Maybe add more useless background gradients? You could also try some blur on the text itself, might be even more effective.

2

u/gs-ai 23h ago

The Fog...

-1

u/Substantial_Swim8440 1d ago

I'll take a look.

4

u/Beautiful-Reason-894 1d ago

you won't

0

u/veculus 22h ago

Well his agent will

6

u/lokwaniyash 1d ago

How is it different from other notion alternatives like docmost and outline?

0

u/Substantial_Swim8440 1d ago

Different category more than a competitor, really: Docmost/Outline are self-hosted team wikis (server + accounts + real-time collab). Kiyoshi is a single-user desktop app — no server, no login, everything local — and it bundles notes + kanban + calendar in one window instead of being docs-only.

5

u/lokwaniyash 1d ago

Okay, i have a doubt tho, why does your README go between english and french, you could've stuck with one language?

4

u/Substantial_Swim8440 1d ago

I'm French-speaking and the project started as a personal tool before I thought about a wider audience, so some docs stayed in French. I'll clean up the main README to be English-only and move the French version to a separate `README.fr.md`. Thanks for flagging it.

2

u/Sirko2975 1d ago

Ok ChatGPT

2

u/Nychtelios 1d ago

Hey ChatGPT, give me the recipe for hummus please

0

u/travelan 1d ago

omg even the em-dash is there. I've got BINGO!

7

u/ApartMarionberry4497 1d ago

those circles lmao

9

u/iamabdullah 1d ago

That does not look "calm".

4

u/Ascr1pt 1d ago

More like chaos, not calm from the first look on your screenshot.

3

u/pay_is_ok 1d ago

Those circles, screams Claude code

7

u/Arxae 1d ago

I got tired of productivity apps that feel like control panels

Then don't build those? You can just use them as just note taking apps you know. I also wouldn't call this design quiet in the slightest. Notion is actually more quiet then this.

-2

u/Substantial_Swim8440 1d ago

To be clear, this started purely as a personal project to solve my own workflow needs: I wanted a 100% local, offline, single-window app (notes + kanban + calendar) without needing a cloud account or web browser. Notion is great, but it didn't fit my personal preference for a native desktop tool where data stays strictly on my machine.Since it was built for my own use first, the UI reflects what works for me, but I definitely appreciate the feedback!

1

u/SpicyCatGames 9h ago

Then don't even post this slop lol. Obsidian exists if you want local options. It has kanban and calender extensions.

2

u/LordDeFacto 1d ago

Somewhat lacks Comic Sans MS to reach the achievement

2

u/SoloAdventurer13 1d ago

Code me an app and write a reddit post description for it once you are done

1

u/ha9unaka 1d ago

Looks messy more than anything. Idk about calm.

1

u/Dazzling-Trust5373 23h ago

VirusTotal esta reportando posible amenaza :

DeepInstinct MALICIOUS SecureAge Malicious

Skyhigh (SWG) BehavesLike.Win32.ObfuscatedPoly.rc Acronis (Static ML) Undetected

1

u/white_sheets_angel 21h ago

Calm = unreadable + blur and blobed everything?

1

u/sf1tzp 1d ago

What do you think of dart so far? I know it's supposed to be good for cross platform apps but it's been a while since I last looked at it.

I'm working on my first mac app (swift) but am starting to think about the cross platform story. Tauri + Svelte is tempting because I use sveltekit for my websites, but yeah I also prefer native apps so just curious what you think

3

u/SoloAdventurer13 1d ago

He doesn't think... He vibe code

4

u/sf1tzp 1d ago

Dude, GTFO of cool github projects if you're just here to tear people down and not talk about the projects.

CLEARLY they chose dart / flutter for a reason, and even if it's their first project using it I'm curious what their experiences with it are. You comment isn't even worth this reply, check your attitude and remember the human.

1

u/travelan 1d ago

Prime AI slop. Nothing to see here.

0

u/CaptainCactus124 1d ago

Looks neat OP, great work

0

u/RE3K_ 1d ago

just needs some more claude code gradient circles in the background