An Obsidian Alternative Built for Working Alongside an AI Agent

The difference is who else can read that folder. Folio is designed so an AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, and similar tools) can open the exact same folder and work alongside you. No API key, no plugin, no MCP server to configure. The agent reads and writes the same files you do.

What Folio keeps from the Obsidian model

• Your files, your folder. Everything is plain .md or .html on disk. Open it in any editor. Back it up however you like. Move on whenever you want.
• Local-first. Notes work offline and stay on your machine. There is no required sync service in the middle. (More on local-first note-taking.)
• Linked thinking. Backlinks, a graph view, and fast full-text search help you connect ideas instead of filing them away and forgetting them.
• Rich notes. Tables, diagrams, and live charts render inline, so a note can hold real structure, not just paragraphs.

What Folio adds

Folio treats an AI agent as a first-class collaborator on your vault.

• One shared folder. Point Claude Code or Cursor at the same directory. Because it is just files, the agent reads and writes notes directly.
• An Agent panel. Folio surfaces the files agents already look for (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, a writing guide, and a vault index) so you can shape how an agent behaves in your vault.
• Per-note history. Each note keeps a history of changes so you can see what you wrote versus what the agent changed, and roll back if needed.
• HTML as an expressive medium. Alongside Markdown, you can author notes in HTML when you want a richer, more expressive layout. It is a wider shared canvas for both you and your agent.

If the agent angle is what drew you here, see a notebook your AI agent can use, and for rich content, how Folio handles tables, diagrams, and live charts.

Folio vs Obsidian at a glance

Both are honest, capable tools. Obsidian has a huge plugin ecosystem and runs on more platforms. Folio is the better fit if your daily workflow already includes an AI coding agent and you want it editing the same notes you do, with a clear record of who changed what.

Who should switch

Folio is a strong choice if you:

• Already run Claude Code or Cursor every day and want a notebook the agent can edit directly.
• Want plain files you own, not a database you rent.
• Like the idea of richer notes (charts, diagrams) without leaving a local folder.

If you need Windows, Linux, or mobile today, Obsidian is the more practical pick for now. Folio is macOS-only at the moment. Weighing a cloud tool instead? See Folio vs Notion.