Use cases · Developers

Notes that live
next to your code.

For engineers keeping technical notes, docs, RFCs, and dev journals. Plain .md in a git-friendly folder, syntax-highlighted code, AI you actually control, and a native app that launches before you finish the shortcut.

Download for MacExplore the editor
Made for the terminal-adjacent

A knowledge base
that speaks your language

The tools an engineer reaches for, over files you can commit, diff, and grep like everything else you own.

Plain .md, git-friendly

Every note is a standard markdown file in a folder you own. Commit them, diff them, review them in a PR — no database, no export step, no lock-in.

Code blocks that work

Syntax highlighting with a searchable language picker, a copy button, and a line-number gutter. Fenced blocks round-trip as clean markdown.

CLI agent providers

Point Ampersand at claude -p, codex, or any binary you configure. Your keys, your machine, your spend — the agent runs the tool you already trust.

Local models via Ollama

Run AI entirely on-device with Ollama. No key, no network, nothing leaves your machine — the agent works locally with the model you choose.

A personal knowledge base

Wiki-links and backlinks turn scattered notes into a graph. Tag decisions and gotchas, then find any of them across the vault instantly.

Palette & remappable keys

A Cmd+K command palette runs every action, and every shortcut is remappable with a searchable cheat sheet. Live in the keyboard.

debounce.ts
```ts
export function debounce<A extends unknown[]>(
  fn: (...args: A) => void,
  ms = 200,
) {
  let t: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
  return (...args: A) => {
    clearTimeout(t);
    t = setTimeout(() => fn(...args), ms);
  };
}
```
Real code blocks

Highlighted, copyable,
and still just markdown

Drop a fenced block, pick a language from a searchable menu, and get real syntax highlighting with a copy button and line numbers. On disk it is a plain fenced code block — nothing to un-mangle when it lands in a PR or a README.
  • Searchable language picker
  • Copy button & line numbers
  • Round-trips as clean fenced markdown
providers.md
## AI providers

- CLI     → claude -p, codex, custom
- Cloud   → Claude, OpenAI (your key)
- Local   → Ollama (on-device, offline)
- Apple   → Apple Intelligence bridge

Nothing leaves the machine unless
you point it somewhere it can.
AI on your terms

Bring your own
keys, tools, and models

Ampersand does not resell you tokens. Route the agent through a CLI you already run, a cloud API with your own key, or a local model via Ollama. Turn the network off entirely and everything still works — the model just runs on your Mac.
  • CLI agents: claude -p, codex, or custom
  • Cloud BYOK: Claude & OpenAI
  • Fully local & offline via Ollama
The whole toolbox

Document a system,
not just a thought

RFCs need diagrams, benchmarks need tables that add up, and algorithms need real math. It all lives in the same document, serializes back to markdown, and is a keystroke away from the command palette.

  • Tables with =SUM, =AVG and unit-aware cells
  • Mermaid diagrams for architecture
  • KaTeX math for algorithms and proofs
  • Wiki-links and backlinks for a graph
  • Instant ripgrep-quality vault search
  • Export to HTML, PDF, Word or markdown

Diffable by design

Line-based markdown makes for clean commits and reviewable PRs.

Tables that compute

Spreadsheet cells with SUM, AVG, ranges, and unit-aware totals.

Keyboard-first

Slash commands, a command palette, and fully remappable shortcuts.

Native speed

Rust and Tauri, not a bundled browser — instant launch, light battery.

It's your folder, your call

Keep the vault in a repo and your notes become part of your normal workflow — branch them, review them, roll them back. Ampersand is the editor on top; the source of truth stays a directory of plain files you can leave, fork, or automate whenever you want.
Questions

Good to know

Are my notes really just plain markdown files?

Yes. Each note is a standard .md file with optional YAML frontmatter, in a folder you pick. Put that folder in a git repo, sync it however you like, or open it in Vim — Ampersand never holds your content hostage in a proprietary store.

How does the AI work, and who pays for it?

Bring your own everything. Wire up CLI agents like claude -p or codex, use cloud APIs from Claude or OpenAI with your own key, or run fully local models through Ollama with nothing leaving your machine. You control the provider, the model, and the cost.

Will code blocks and technical formatting stay clean?

Code blocks are syntax-highlighted with a language picker, a copy button, and optional line numbers, and they serialize back to standard fenced markdown byte-for-byte. Tables, math, and diagrams round-trip too, so a plain-markdown reader still sees your content.

Is it fast enough to keep open all day?

It is a native macOS app built in Rust and Tauri — not a bundled browser. It launches instantly, stays responsive in large vaults, and is easy on the battery, so leaving it open next to your terminal costs you nothing.

Get started

Point it at a folder
and start writing.

Free forever for the full editor, with a one-time Pro upgrade and no subscription. Clone-friendly notes, ready in about two minutes.

Free to start · macOS 13+ · No account required