Drop in your questions, tasks, and ideas. Cortex researches, reasons through them, and keeps everything organized — privately on your machine.
npx cortex-mdThe first run downloads Electron (~100 MB) and caches it. Subsequent runs are instant.
npm install -g cortex-md
cortex-md| Platform | Architecture | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | x64 / ARM64 | Cortex-Setup.exe |
| macOS | Apple Silicon | Cortex-arm64.dmg |
| macOS | Intel | Cortex.dmg |
| Linux | x64 | Cortex.AppImage |
| Linux | ARM64 | Cortex-arm64.AppImage |
| Linux | x64 (deb) | cortex_amd64.deb |
| Linux | ARM64 (deb) | cortex_arm64.deb |
On first launch, a setup dialog asks for an API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, or Google Gemini). No environment variables needed.
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Deep reasoning with tool use. The agent can search the web, create notes, manage tasks, browse websites, and work through complex multi-step problems — taking as many steps as needed. 
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Full markdown editor with image support, tags, and search. Paste images directly, view them in a lightbox, and chat about your notes with the AI. 
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List and Kanban views with drag-and-drop. Priority levels, due dates, subtasks, and status tracking. The AI can create and manage tasks from chat. 
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Multi-provider AI support (OpenAI, Claude, Grok, Gemini). MCP server integration for browser automation, Microsoft 365 access, and custom tools. 
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- Files — Upload, preview, and reference files from chat. Supports images, PDFs, Word, Excel, and more.
- Web Search — DuckDuckGo-powered search built into the agent. Fetch and read any URL.
- Multi-Vault — Separate workspaces for personal, work, or project data. Sync with OneDrive or USB.
- Image Vision — Paste screenshots into chat or notes. The AI can see and analyze images.
- MCP Servers — Playwright browser automation, WorkIQ for Microsoft 365, or add any custom MCP server.
- Skills System — Built-in and custom skills define what tools the AI can use.
- Portable Data — Everything is JSON and Markdown files on disk. Navigable, portable, no lock-in.
- Cost Tracking — Token counter and estimated API cost in the status bar.
- Cross-Platform — Windows (.exe installer + portable), macOS (.dmg), Linux (AppImage + .deb).
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows (x64/ARM64) | Cortex-Setup.exe |
| Windows (portable) | Cortex-portable.exe |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | Cortex-arm64.dmg |
| macOS (Intel) | Cortex.dmg |
| Linux (x64) | Cortex.AppImage |
On first launch, add an API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, or Google Gemini) in Settings.
git clone https://github.com/angshuman/cortex.git
cd cortex
npm install
npm run dev # → http://localhost:5000npm run electron:dev # Dev mode
npm run electron:pack:win # Package for Windows
npm run electron:pack:mac # Package for macOS
npm run electron:pack:linux # Package for Linux| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
OPENAI_API_KEY |
OpenAI API key |
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY |
Claude API key |
GROK_API_KEY |
Grok/xAI API key |
GOOGLE_API_KEY |
Google Gemini API key |
CORTEX_DATA_DIR |
Custom data directory (default: .cortex-data/) |
cortex/
├── client/ React + Vite + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
├── server/ Express + TypeScript + WebSocket
├── electron/ Electron main process + preload
├── shared/ Shared TypeScript schemas
└── dist/ Build output
- No database — JSON and Markdown files on disk
- AI agent — Agentic loop with unlimited tool-use steps
- WebSocket — Streams thoughts, tool calls, and responses in real-time
- MCP — Model Context Protocol for browser, Microsoft 365, and custom integrations
- Skills — Pluggable tool definitions with instructions and parameters
| Provider | Model | Input/1M | Output/1M |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | gpt-4o | $2.50 | $10.00 |
| Anthropic | claude-sonnet-4 | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| xAI | grok-3 | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| gemini-2.0-flash | $0.10 | $0.40 |
MIT