ProtoText

ProtoText is a free desktop application for Mac and Windows that organizes scattered information into small cards and links them into a navigable structure. The author describes it as a minimalist tool for giving chaotic data an intelligent form, and it is used to build notes, knowledge networks, flexible presentations, personal portfolios, multilingual data collections, guides, educational videos and audiobooks. Content is placed on cards that can be ordered, marked up with color and significance, and connected to one another. The app offers one page and two page editor views, a localization editor for multilingual material, and a presentation mode that can run inside the app or be rendered as a media file. Projects can be exported in several formats and protected with encryption for confidential details. The AI angle is integration: the app can connect to popular AI services and custom API services to enrich card content, so the user brings their own provider rather than relying on a built in model. The site lists use cases such as an encrypted tax guide, a recipe book, a Zettelkasten style knowledge network and a portfolio for a photographer. ProtoText is free. The site states there is no registration, no ads, no cloud storage and no tracking, and the source code is available to download. The author accepts voluntary support through PayPal donations.