Ariv - Notes, PKM Second Brain

Ariv Studios

About this app

Ariv is your daily driver second brain - Free local-first notes/journal/PKM that ships complete with everything built in. No plugins to install. No system to learn. No paywall/No Ads to hit. Open the app and start thinking.

*EVERYTHING BUILT IN*

Dashboard, graph view, tasks, kanban, templates, voice memos, present mode, split view, unified search, and AI - all included from day one. No weekends spent hunting plugins or crafting the perfect setup. Be productive, not act productive.

*HOW IT WORKS*

Ariv automatically organizes your knowledge around three simple promises:

- Capture is frictionless: quick capture, voice memos, templates - zero decisions on where things go
- Active work stays front and center: what you're currently working on is always visible
- Everything else fades to the back: notes you're not giving attention to move out of the way

No manual sorting. No filing. You stay in control with full clarity on what you're working on.

*KEY FEATURES*

Smart Dashboard
Your home base shows what needs attention today - action items, recently active notes, and vault-wide insights at a glance.

Tasks & Kanban
Inline task markers in Markdown, a dedicated Kanban board, and a task detail view - all synced with your note content.

Ask Brain (AI-Powered)
Ask questions about your own notes in natural language. "What did I write about project X?" Get answers drawn from your vault, with source links. Bring your own API key (Gemini, OpenAI, or Anthropic) - completely free.

Quick Capture
Capture notes and tasks from anywhere - a floating button always within reach.

Smart Templates
Automate note creation with dates, prompts, and custom placeholders.

Voice Memos
Tap and talk. Audio captures are auto-transcribed and saved as searchable notes in your vault.

Present Mode
Turn any Markdown note into a slide deck. Navigate with swipes, export to PDF.

Graph View
See how your ideas connect. A visual constellation map of your entire vault with interactive filtering.

Unified Search
One search bar queries file names, content, and tags simultaneously.

Auto-Tagging
Notes are automatically tagged based on content. Tags form a browsable hierarchy - an organized system you never have to build.

*AI ON YOUR TERMS*

AI is woven into the experience but never forced. Turn it on, turn it off. Bring your own API key and every AI feature is completely free. Or you can use our add-on service. Same features either way - no upsell, no gating.

*YOUR FILES, YOUR RULES*

- All notes stored as plain Markdown
- Works with existing Obsidian, iA Writer, or any Markdown vault
- No account required, no lock-in, no proprietary format
- Optional E2E-encrypted sync add-on available

Whether you're a researcher, developer, writer, student, or lifelong learner - Ariv adapts to how you think, not the other way around.

Think freely. No setup required.

What’s new

- Brainstorm, a new spatial canvas for arranging notes, captures, links, images, and loose ideas.
- Inbox capture is now stronger for URLs, text, code, images, and PDFs.
- Mobile also gets smoother sync/status handling, better account settings, improved file actions, fixed voice notes etc
- Bug fixes