Free Desktop App · Works Offline · No Account Required
TopazMD
Write chapters, quests and lore in Markdown, pin them to custom maps and PDFs, and connect everything with links, graphs and live database views — all stored as plain files on your machine.
Download for your platform
No account required · Works offline · Installer updates itself
Local
Files
Maps
+ PDFs
0
Accounts
Free
Forever
Features
Interactive Maps & Pins
Turn any image or PDF page into a map. Drop pins with 32 icons, colours and labels, link each one to a note or PDF page, and double-click to jump straight to its lore.
Read the guide →Two-Way PDF Linking
Highlight a passage in a sourcebook and link it to a pin. Click the highlight to fly to the map; open the pin to see every linked passage.
Read the guide →Live Preview Markdown
Formatting renders as you type. Callouts, tables, footnotes, math, Mermaid diagrams, task states and %%hidden DM notes%% — all in plain Markdown.
Read the guide →Links, Embeds & Backlinks
Wiki links with aliases, headings and block references. Embed notes, sections, images and PDF pages. Backlinks and unlinked mentions show every connection.
Read the guide →Database Views
Turn properties into live tables, card boards and lists — every character in a faction, every open quest — with filters, formulas, grouping and CSV export.
Read the guide →Graph & Canvas
See your whole world as a graph, or lay out plots, timelines and family trees on free-form canvases with cards, groups and labelled connections.
Read the guide →Search That Knows Your World
Search by tag, property, heading or path — "property:level>10 tag:npc" — then replace across the whole project with a preview and one-click undo.
Read the guide →Templates & Daily Notes
15 built-in templates — characters, quests, locations, factions, session notes and more — plus your own, with date, prompt and auto-numbering variables.
Read the guide →Auto-Save & History
Saves as you write, with local version history, diffs and restore, a trash you can undo from, and conflict detection when files change outside TopazMD.
Read the guide →Plain Files You Own
Every project is a normal folder of Markdown, images and PDFs. Open notes you already have, back up with anything, or keep it in Git.
Read the guide →Import & Export
Export to PDF, DOCX, EPUB, HTML, Markdown, text or JSON with custom page setup. Import DOCX, EPUB, HTML, CSV and more. Present any note as slides.
Plugins & CSS Snippets
Add commands, custom code blocks (dice rollers, stat blocks) and status-bar widgets with a small JavaScript API — or restyle anything with CSS.
Read the guide →Optional AI Assistant
Off by default. Connect a local model through Ollama or LM Studio to rewrite, summarise, find lore contradictions or draft characters — nothing leaves your PC.
Read the guide →Optional Google Drive Sync
Mirror a project to your own Drive with your own Google credentials. Changes on both sides are kept as conflict copies — nothing is silently overwritten.
Read the guide →Quick Start
- 1Download the zip for your platform and extract it
- 2Run the installer (it keeps itself up to date) or the portable / Linux app
- 3Create a project — start blank or pick Worldbuilding, Novel, TTRPG or Game Design
- 4Open an image or PDF as a map and press P to drop pins
- 5Write characters, quests and lore from templates, linking them with [[ ]]
- 6Add a database view to see your world as live tables
Built With
RuntimeElectron
UIReact · Vite
EditorCodeMirror 6 · markdown-it
PDF ViewerPDF.js
StoragePlain files on your drive
DiagramsMermaid · KaTeX math
UpdatesAutomatic (Windows installer)
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux
No subscription
No login required
No usage limits
No telemetry
Documentation
What is TopazMD?What it does and how it runs on your PCInstalling & UpdatingInstaller vs portable, auto-updates, where settings liveProjects, Files & HistoryYour project folder, version history, trash and GitMarkdown ReferenceCallouts, task states, tables, footnotes, math, MermaidLinks, Embeds & BacklinksWiki links, block references, aliases, graph and canvasMaps, Pins & PDFsPins, area references and two-way PDF linkingDatabase Views (.base)AdvancedThe .base format, expressions, formulas, summariesSearch & ReplaceAdvancedEvery search operator, regex, fuzzy and replace undoTemplates & Daily NotesBuilt-in templates, variables and making your ownPlugins & CSS SnippetsAdvancedThe wf plugin API reference and custom stylesGoogle Drive SyncYour own OAuth client and how conflicts resolveAI AssistantOllama, LM Studio or hosted — all optionalKeyboard ShortcutsEvery default shortcut, remapping and layoutsTroubleshootingLogs, start-up, update and file problems
Keyboard FirstAll shortcuts →
Command paletteCtrl+Shift+P
Quick switcherCtrl+P
New from templateCtrl+Shift+N
Search the projectCtrl+Alt+F
Graph viewCtrl+G
Place pin on a mapP
Focus modeCtrl+Shift+F
All shortcutsF1
Frequently Asked
Ready to build your world?
Free forever. No account. Works offline. Just your imagination and a map.
TopazMD is a free personal tool built by Barrell. Provided as-is with no warranty. Guides are in the TopazMD docs. Something wrong? Try troubleshooting, then the support ticket system.