Best Mac Note-Taking Apps in 2025: Supercharging Your Project Folders with Inline Markdown Notes

TL;DR If you juggle design docs, code snippets, and meeting minutes in dozens of project folders, Tokie lets you open a Markdown note right next to the files it describes—no context-switching, no extra window. Read on to see why that’s the missing link in today’s “best Mac note-taking app” debate.

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1 Why Digital Note-Taking Still Feels Disconnected in 2025

“Best note taking app for PC” and “digital notebook app” searches keep trending up, yet even the best cross-platform notes apps make you pick between two silos:

Silo A	Silo B
A powerful file explorer with a clear folder hierarchy	A slick Markdown note app (Obsidian, Bear, Apple Notes)
Can preview PDFs, images, code	Can edit Markdown nicely, link notes, tag ideas
Zero awareness of the notes that explain the files	Zero awareness of the files that the notes describe

That split forces you to bounce between windows or litter your desktop with “my notes” files. It also breaks focus—exactly the opposite of what a simple note app is supposed to achieve.

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2 Markdown ⇢ The Gold Standard for Clean, Portable Notes

Most secure notes apps now support Markdown because it:

• Stays future-proof — plain text lives forever.
• Embeds code & checklists — perfect for developer or designer workflows.
• Previews instantly — with any Markdown viewer for Mac or md viewer Windows.

But you still open the note in a separate editor, away from the assets it documents. That distance is what Tokie closes.

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3 Tokie’s Inline Markdown Editor — Notes Inside the Folder

Tokie is a file manager that treats every folder like a little workspace. Click “Add Note” and you get a live Markdown document in the same file list:

1. Select a project folder in Tokie’s sidebar.
2. Hit the “Add Note” button → a new .md appears.
3. Start typing — take your notes right away.
4. Collapse or expand the note as you browse; Tokie remembers its state.
5. Move it up and down in the file list to place it next to related files.

Tokie is a desktop app that runs locally, your writing stays local & private—ideal for anyone looking for a secure option.

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4 Benefits That Traditional Note Apps Miss

Tokie’s Inline Notes	Conventional Workflow
Zero context switch — write beside the files you reference.	Jump between Finder and a separate markdown note taker.
Instant preview — rendered notes in the file list.	Save, tab over, refresh another window.
Folder-centric organization — mirrors how dev/design projects are already structured.	Forces you to recreate folder tags or backlinks manually.

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5 How Tokie Compares to Popular Mac Note-Taking Apps

Feature	Tokie	Bear	Obsidian	Apple Notes
Inline note inside folder	✅	❌	❌	❌
Native file previews (PDF, PSD, video)	✅	❌	⬤ via plug-ins	❌
Works as full markdown viewer for Mac & Windows	✅	Mac/iOS only	✅	Partially
Local-only, no forced cloud	✅	iCloud •	✅	iCloud •
Best for…	Project-based work, dev design teams	Personal journals	Knowledge graphs	Quick memos

• Cloud sync optional, but cannot run 100 % offline.

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6 Getting Started

• Download Tokie → drag to Applications.
• Open a real project folder (design assets, legal docs, dev repo).
• Add your first inline note and try collapsing/expanding it as you browse.
• Use standard Markdown shortcuts—Tokie’s editor supports tables, code fences, math, and Mermaid diagrams.

Pro-tip

Use Tokie’s custom fields to tag each note with project phase or priority, turning your folder into a lightweight markdown knowledge base—no database setup required.

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7 Is Tokie the Best Mac Note-Taking App in 2025?

If your notes live in the same place as the work they describe, you:

• Remember more — no hunting for context.
• Ship faster — fewer windows, fewer clicks.
• Stay secure — files and notes never leave your machine unless you sync them.

That’s why Tokie’s inline Markdown editor isn’t just a markdown note app—it’s a workflow multiplier the moment you install it.

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Ready to Try?

Grab the latest version of Tokie below and experience note taking with folders the way it always should have worked.