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Work 100% offline with zero data lock-in

Search past notes, browse project context, and own your files as plain Markdown on your Mac — no active internet required.

For: anyone who travels, works in low-connectivity settings, or wants zero vendor lock-in

If you’ve ever tried using cloud AI tools on a flight or in a low-coverage zone only to get blocked by connection errors — this is for you.

SaaS AI applications lock your notes, research, and conversation history inside proprietary cloud databases. When your internet drops, you can’t search your files. Worse, if the vendor changes pricing, alters terms, or shuts down, your data is trapped in a format you don’t own — a five-hour flight shouldn’t be enough to lock you out of a fact you already knew.

How local-first actually works

Dori operates local-first. Your notes, meeting summaries, project histories, and account files live in standard Markdown directories on your Mac. Dori’s background engine (dori-engine) runs locally alongside a fast SQLite full-text search index. You can search, browse, and organize your vault offline at any time.

Local Markdownvault on MacDori Engine &SQLite search runon your computerFull search, browse,& organizationworks 100% offlineZero vendor lock-in,your files forever

What’s actually driving this, and what it costs

Local file reading, vault indexing, and SQLite full-text searching are handled entirely by Dori’s background engine — zero API tokens, zero internet required. Generating new AI syntheses or running LLM workflows is the part that needs an internet connection to reach your connected AI provider (or a locally running CLI provider).

What works 100% offline

Even when completely disconnected from the internet, Dori Desktop allows you to:

  • Search Entire Vault History: Instant full-text search across all meeting notes, project documents, and account files.
  • Browse Accounts & Projects: Navigate your client timelines, linked contacts, and project hierarchies.
  • Read & Edit Markdown Files: Open and edit notes in Dori, Obsidian, VS Code, or Mac Finder.
  • Queue Offline Changes: Any local edits or new files created offline are queued and synced automatically once your remote vault provider (GitHub/Drive) reconnects.

Freedom from Vendor Lock-in

Because your vault is a directory of standard .md text files:

  • Open in Any App: Open your vault in Obsidian, iA Writer, VS Code, or Sublime Text without export scripts.
  • Complete Portable Ownership: You can back up your vault to an external drive, Git repository, or cloud provider of your choice.
  • Future-Proof: If you ever stop using Dori, every note, meeting summary, and project history remains fully readable and organized on your computer.

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