minino: an Obsidian alternative with tasks & AI, no plugins
Obsidian nailed local-first, private notes — then handed you a pile of plugins to make it actually do anything. minino keeps the privacy and the offline-first vault feel, but ships with tasks, effort-inference and a built-in AI agent, working the moment you open it.
People searching for an Obsidian alternative usually aren't leaving because of privacy — Obsidian is excellent there. They're leaving because getting to a working setup means installing and configuring Tasks, Dataview, Templater, a calendar, a kanban… and then maintaining it. minino gives you the same local-first, no-account foundation, but the journal, outliner, pages, tasks, mind map and AI are all built in and calm by default.
minino vs Obsidian at a glance
| Feature | minino | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Local-first & offline | Yes | Yes |
| Works out of the box (no plugins) | Yes | Needs plugins & setup |
| Native note → task + task management | One tap, any block | Via plugins (Tasks/Dataview) |
| Infers task effort (never estimate) | Paw badges: mouse/cat/lion | No |
| Built-in AI agent | The Pounce (BYO key free) | Community/paid plugins |
| Daily journal + outliner | Built in | Core/plugins |
| Notion-style pages & projects | Yes | Not natively |
| Notes as plain Markdown files | On-device & private (not raw files) | Yes — you own the files |
| Paid price | $14.99/mo · $299.99 lifetime | Free personal; Sync $4–8/mo |
Why choose minino over Obsidian
1. It works the moment you open it
No plugin store, no community themes to vet, no Dataview queries to debug. minino's journal, outliner, tasks, #tag mind map and AI are all there on first launch — and it stays clutter-free because anything is one ⌘K away instead of another sidebar.
2. Tasks that size themselves
Obsidian treats a task as a checkbox; sizing and prioritizing is on you (and a plugin). minino infers how big each task is — a paw badge from your own history — and a lion that won't shrink breaks itself into smaller steps. You never estimate effort again.
3. AI that's built in, not bolted on
Rather than picking between a dozen AI plugins, minino has “the Pounce”: an agent that interviews you and turns a rough note into a real user story or brief — and can hand it to Claude Code. It's opt-in and, on the free tier, runs on your own Claude key.
Where Obsidian still wins
Obsidian is a superb tool, and for some people it's the right one:
- Plain Markdown files — the ultimate in portability and longevity; your vault is just folders of text.
- A massive plugin ecosystem — if you love tinkering, almost anything is possible.
- A mature graph view, themes and a huge community.
If owning raw Markdown files and endless extensibility are your priorities, stay with Obsidian. minino is for people who want that local-first feeling without becoming their own IT department.
Who minino is for — and who it isn't
You'll love minino if…
- You want Obsidian's privacy without the plugin setup.
- You want real tasks and a planner built in.
- You want opt-in AI that actually helps.
- You prefer a calm, clutter-free default.
Stick with Obsidian if…
- Plain-Markdown ownership is non-negotiable.
- You love building your own plugin-powered setup.
- You depend on the graph view and community themes.
Local-first and private, with tasks and AI built in — and nothing to install. Try it in your browser.
Open minino — it's freeFrequently asked questions
Is there an Obsidian alternative with built-in tasks?
Yes — minino has note→task on any block plus effort-inference (paw badges), with no plugins. Obsidian needs the Tasks/Dataview plugins to get close.
Is minino local-first like Obsidian?
Yes. Notes live on your device and everything works offline with no account. Optional encrypted sync is a Pro feature you turn on only if you want it.
Do my notes stay as Markdown files?
minino keeps your workspace on-device and private, but not as raw Markdown files — that plain-file portability is Obsidian's edge. minino trades it for built-in tasks, AI and a zero-setup experience.