# Inkwell

> A lightweight, offline-first markdown editor. Buy once, own forever. A fast alternative to Typora, iA Writer, and Obsidian.

## What is Inkwell?

Inkwell is a Markdown editor built with Tauri and Rust. It is 40 MB or less, launches in under one second, and works entirely offline. No cloud, no telemetry, no accounts, no subscription. Version 1.5.0 (May 2026).

Inkwell is the first product from [4Worlds](https://4worlds.dev), a small independent studio building offline-first desktop tools.

## Features

- Split-view markdown editor with live preview
- 4 hand-tuned themes: Editorial, Midnight, Mono, Sepia
- Custom theme creator with 6 color pickers
- Workspace file tree (open a folder, browse .md files from the sidebar)
- Mermaid diagram rendering (flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts)
- LaTeX math via KaTeX (inline and block)
- PDF export via Typst engine with professional typography, chapter breaks, and code blocks (Pro)
- HTML export with standalone offline-capable files (Pro)
- Command palette (Ctrl+K) with fuzzy search and shortcut hints
- Focus mode and typewriter mode
- Find and replace
- 10 built-in templates plus custom templates
- Version history with diffs
- Recent files
- Table of contents
- Custom title bar

## Pricing

- **Free tier:** Full editor, all four themes, custom theme creator, workspace file tree, Mermaid diagrams, LaTeX math, command palette, focus mode, typewriter mode, find and replace, templates, version history with diffs, recent files, table of contents. Free forever, no account required.
- **Pro ($19, one-time purchase via Gumroad):** Everything in Free plus PDF export and HTML export. No subscription, no recurring fees, no renewal. Your license is a signed file stored locally. No server needed to verify it.
- **Business:** For organizations with 5 or more employees. Includes all Pro features. Contact studio@4worlds.dev.

## Platform Support

- Windows: `winget install 4Worlds.Inkwell` or [Microsoft Store](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9PFTZ8H9X04K)
- Windows (Microsoft Store): Free, auto-updates via MSIX
- Linux (Arch): `yay -S inkwell-bin`
- Linux/Windows (Scoop): `scoop install inkwell`
- macOS: [DMG download](https://github.com/4worlds4w-svg/inkwell/releases)
- All platforms: [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/4worlds4w-svg/inkwell/releases)

## Technical Stack

- Backend: Tauri + Rust
- Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript, single HTML file, no React, no bundler, no build step
- Binary size: 40 MB or less (17 MB packaged on macOS/Linux)
- Startup time: under 1 second
- Data storage: fully local SQLite database (inkwell.db), no network calls

## Documentation

- [What is Inkwell?](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/guide/): Overview of the editor and its stack
- [Getting Started](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/guide/getting-started): Download and install
- [Philosophy](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/guide/philosophy): Why Inkwell exists. Sovereignty, offline-first, no telemetry.
- [Features](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/): Split-view editor, themes, workspace, diagrams, math, exports
- [Themes](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/themes): Editorial, Midnight, Mono, Sepia
- [Custom Themes](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/custom-themes): Build your own theme with 6 color pickers
- [Workspace](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/workspace): File tree sidebar
- [Mermaid Diagrams](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/mermaid): Live-rendered diagrams in preview
- [LaTeX Math](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/katex): KaTeX inline and block math
- [Command Palette](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/command-palette): Ctrl+K to access every action
- [Exports](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/features/exports): PDF and HTML export (Pro feature)
- [Keyboard Shortcuts](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/reference/shortcuts): Full shortcut reference
- [Roadmap](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/reference/roadmap): Shipped and planned features
- [Pricing](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/pricing): Free tier and Pro license details
- [Download](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/download): All platforms and install methods
- [FAQ](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/faq): Common questions — pricing, offline use, platform support, comparisons, licensing
- [Inkwell vs Typora](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/vs/typora): Feature-by-feature comparison
- [Inkwell vs iA Writer](https://inkwell.4worlds.dev/vs/ia-writer): Feature-by-feature comparison

## Source

- GitHub: https://github.com/4worlds4w-svg/inkwell
- License: proprietary (source-available)

## Contact

- studio@4worlds.dev