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What is killernotes?

stevethekiller/killernotes — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

17C#Audience · ops devopsComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

In one sentence

A Windows desktop app that replaces dozens of open Notepad windows with one searchable, optionally encrypted notebook supporting rich text, tags, and shareable notes.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((KillerNotes))
    What it does
      Encrypted notepad
      Full text search
      Rich text editor
      Note sharing
    Tech stack
      C Sharp
      WPF
      SQLite
      SQLCipher
    Use cases
      Tech support notes
      Password protected notebook
      Shareable knote files
    Audience
      IT technicians
      Power users

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Keep all your quick technical notes in one searchable place instead of dozens of open Notepad windows.

USE CASE 2

Organize notes into color-coded groups and tags for fast filtering during support work.

USE CASE 3

Password-protect your whole notes database with strong encryption to keep sensitive information safe.

USE CASE 4

Share a single note or a full database with a coworker as a double-click file.

What is it built with?

C#WPF.NET Framework 4.8SQLiteSQLCipher

How does it compare?

stevethekiller/killernotesbarkure/orayojeremytammik/eubim
Stars171717
LanguageC#C#C#
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/51/5
Audienceops devopsgeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Windows-only desktop app, building from source requires Visual Studio/MSBuild targeting .NET Framework 4.8.

So what is it?

KillerNotes is a Windows desktop notes application built to replace the habit of keeping dozens of open Notepad windows for quick technical notes. It presents itself as a single searchable notepad instead, aimed at technical support workers and anyone who juggles many small pieces of information during their workday. The app stores all notes in one SQLite database and lets you search across titles, text, and tags instantly as you type, using SQLite's built in full text search feature. Notes can be organized into named, color coded groups, and tagged with colored labels you can filter by. The editor supports rich text formatting including bold, italics, lists, tables, and inline images, along with adjustable font size and a color picker with an eyedropper tool. Notes save automatically as you type, when you switch notes, or when you close the app. For sharing, a single note or an entire database of notes can be exported as a file that opens with a double click on another computer, and can optionally be protected with a password. Password protection encrypts the whole database using SQLCipher with AES-256 encryption. There is no way to recover a lost password, so users need to keep track of it themselves. The app also supports switching between multiple separate databases and includes a markdown and HTML preview pane, six visual themes, and eight bundled languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Turkish, Chinese, and Japanese. Technically, KillerNotes is written in C# using WPF and targets the older .NET Framework 4.8, running on 64-bit Windows. It relies on a handful of packages for SQLite access, SQLCipher encryption, and markdown rendering, and is packaged into a single signed executable file so nothing extra needs to be installed separately. The README does not mention a license.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how KillerNotes uses SQLite FTS5 to power its search-as-you-type feature.
Prompt 2
Walk me through how SQLCipher AES-256 encryption is applied to the KillerNotes database in Security.cs.
Prompt 3
Show me how the .knote and .kndb export and import format works in this repo.
Prompt 4
Help me understand the WPF theme system in Themes and Themes/Accents for KillerNotes.

Frequently asked questions

What is killernotes?

A Windows desktop app that replaces dozens of open Notepad windows with one searchable, optionally encrypted notebook supporting rich text, tags, and shareable notes.

What language is killernotes written in?

Mainly C#. The stack also includes C#, WPF, .NET Framework 4.8.

How hard is killernotes to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is killernotes for?

Mainly ops devops.

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