Desktop app
Install the better-vault desktop app for macOS, Windows or Linux. It has the same interface as the web app, keeps notebooks in a local file and updates itself.
The desktop app is better-vault for macOS, Windows and Linux, with the same interface as the web app and no setup.
It runs the whole app on your computer, including the server that talks to your AI provider. Your notebooks are kept in a file on your disk instead of in a browser, and the app updates itself when a new version is released.
Download
The download page offers the installer for your computer and lists every file. The same files are attached to each release on GitHub.
| System | File |
|---|---|
| macOS | .dmg: arm64 for Apple silicon (M1 and later), x64 for Intel Macs |
| Windows | .exe installer for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 |
| Linux | .AppImage, which runs on most distributions, or .deb for Debian and Ubuntu |
Install
macOS
Open the .dmg and drag better-vault onto Applications. Then open it from Applications or Launchpad.
Windows
Run the installer. It installs better-vault for your user account and opens it.
Linux
Make the AppImage executable and run it:
chmod +x better-vault-*.AppImage
./better-vault-*.AppImageOn Debian or Ubuntu you can install the .deb with sudo apt install ./better-vault-*.deb instead.
Updates
The app checks for a new version when it starts and every few hours after that. It downloads the update in the background and asks whether to restart now; if you choose later, the update is installed when you quit. You can also choose Check for Updates… in the app menu on macOS, or in the Help menu on Windows and Linux.
Where your data lives
Notebooks, sources, chats, Studio outputs and settings are kept in one SQLite file, better-vault.sqlite, in the app's data folder.
| System | Data folder |
|---|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/better-vault |
| Windows | %APPDATA%\better-vault |
| Linux | ~/.config/better-vault |
Uninstalling the app leaves this folder in place, so your notebooks are still there if you install it again.
Move notebooks from the browser
The web app and the desktop app keep separate data. To bring your browser notebooks over, open Settings → Data in the web app and export a backup. Then open the same screen in the desktop app and import it. Backups never contain API keys, so paste your keys again in Settings → AI providers.
Local models
The desktop app works well with Ollama and LM Studio. Start the model server, turn the provider on in Settings → AI providers, and your sources never leave your computer. Providers and models has the steps.
Get started
Install better-vault as a desktop app or run it from source, connect an AI model, and make your first notebook with sources, cited answers and study material.
Providers and models
Use better-vault with OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Ollama or LM Studio, with your own API key, your ChatGPT plan or a local model on your computer.