Our rating: 3/5 for this setup

Blinko: a self-hosted Google Keep alternative with local AI

The writer moved quick notes, to-dos and longer notes from Google Keep and Obsidian to Blinko on their home server, connected to their own Ollama models. Local models auto-tag notes, add context to each quick note, summarize, and answer questions over all notes with RAG search.

New Added Oct 25, 2026 · ✓ Last checked Oct 25, 2026

It broke for meBroke?

Diagram drawn by AppToBot from this recipe's source. It shows the flow, not a screenshot of the product.

Setup steps

Install Blinko with its install.sh script on a Linux VM
Open the web UI on port 1111 and create a user
In Settings, connect your Ollama server
Pick models: one for summaries, one for tags, nomic-embed-text for RAG
Capture quick notes, then ask questions over your notes

Steps summarized from the original Blog source ↗. Use “Copy” to grab them with the tools and source link, or copy an AI prompt.

How it went

A few weeks in, the writer uses Blinko instead of Google Keep and Obsidian. DeepSeek R1 7B is better at summaries; Qwen3 8B and Llama 3.1 8B are good at tags, all on an old Pascal GPU.

Worth knowing

Voice models only work with OpenAI, so the writer couldn't use them. Web search in chat didn't work for them, likely because it relies on the Tavily API.

Only what the original source ↗ says, re-read Oct 25, 2026. How we write these

Try it with AI

Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or your own agent for step-by-step help. Prompt written by AppToBot from this recipe's data, not by the original author. It keeps drafts for your review and asks before anything is sent or paid.

Help me set up this automation using Blinko (open source) + Ollama (DeepSeek R1 7B, Qwen3 8B, Llama 3.1 8B, nomic-embed-text): "Blinko: a self-hosted Google Keep alternative with local AI".
Goal: replace Google Keep (and Obsidian).

How it should work:
- Trigger: You jot down a quick note
- Then: Local model adds tags and a context comment
- Then: Embeds it for RAG search
- Result: Tagged notes you can ask questions about

Setup steps (summarized from the original source):
1. Install Blinko with its install.sh script on a Linux VM
2. Open the web UI on port 1111 and create a user
3. In Settings, connect your Ollama server
4. Pick models: one for summaries, one for tags, nomic-embed-text for RAG
5. Capture quick notes, then ask questions over your notes

Guide me one step at a time. Ask me for anything you need (accounts, sheet or channel names) before you start.

Safety rules:
- Build and test with sample data first, and show me a sample result before anything goes live.
- Keep anything that goes to other people (emails, posts, replies, record updates) as drafts for my review until I say otherwise.
- Never send, post, buy, pay, delete or change records without my approval.
- Tell me about any cost (paid plans, API usage) before I'd incur it, and help me set a spending limit.
- Keep API keys and passwords out of shared docs and chats.
- Privacy: With local Ollama models, notes stay on your server (cloud AI providers are optional).

Based on: https://www.xda-developers.com/i-dont-use-obsidian-or-google-keep-after-i-came-across-this-note-taker/

From the source

Blinko's Notes view in a browser on a home server, with Markdown notes and tags (XDA Developers screenshot, cropped) — Image from xda-developers.com, the source of this recipe, shown as a reference. It belongs to its owner. Downloaded Oct 25, 2026.

Google Keep (and Obsidian)Blinko (open source) + Ollama (DeepSeek R1 7B, Qwen3 8B, Llama 3.1 8B, nomic-embed-text)

Tool names link to each official site (opens in a new tab).

Cost afterFree on the writer's own hardware

SetupMedium · Not reported

Time savedNot reported

SkillIntermediate

Running cost: Free to run Free open-source app with local Ollama models on the writer's GPU. Self-hosted How we sort costs
Stack: Ollama

App vs bot, side by side

Old app vs bot
	Old app / habit	Bot
Tool	Google Keep / Obsidian	Self-hosted Blinko + local Ollama models
Monthly cost	Not reported	Free on the writer's own hardware
Setup	None (already in use)	Not reported · Intermediate
Your time	Baseline	Not reported
Maintenance	Handled by vendor/you as before	Keep Blinko and your Ollama models updated.
Privacy	Data stays with the app vendor	With local Ollama models, notes stay on your server (cloud AI providers are optional).

Full comparison

Replaces	Google Keep / Obsidian
Bot / agent stack	Self-hosted Blinko + local Ollama models
Monthly cost before	Not reported
Monthly cost after	Free on the writer's own hardware
Setup time	Not reported
Time saved	Not reported
Skill level	Intermediate
Reliability	3/5: a few weeks of firsthand use with named models; no long-term data.
Maintenance	Keep Blinko and your Ollama models updated.
Privacy & data	With local Ollama models, notes stay on your server (cloud AI providers are optional).
Best for	Self-hosters who want private quick notes with AI search
Not for	People who want Google's phone integration and zero setup

Pros and cons

Pros

Quick notes, notes and to-dos in one Markdown app
Auto-tags and RAG search with local models
Works fine without AI

Cons

Voice features only work with OpenAI
Web search in chat needs the Tavily API

Source and evidence

First-person XDA Developers article (Mar 2026): a few weeks of use, on an almost decade-old Pascal GPU. No accuracy figures.

Read the original Blog source ↗

“Not reported” means the source doesn't say. We never fill gaps with guesses. Numbers marked “per author” or “vendor claim” are the source's own and weren't independently tested. Source last checked Oct 25, 2026.

Our rating is an editorial opinion based on the public source above, not lab testing. Spot an error? Request a correction.

Plain-text summary (for search and AI assistants)

Blinko: a self-hosted Google Keep alternative with local AI. Replaces Google Keep / Obsidian with Self-hosted Blinko + local Ollama models. Cost before: Not reported. Cost after: Free on the writer's own hardware. Setup: Not reported, Intermediate. Time saved: Not reported. Reliability 3/5: 3/5: a few weeks of firsthand use with named models; no long-term data. Best for: Self-hosters who want private quick notes with AI search. Not for: People who want Google's phone integration and zero setup. How it went (per source): A few weeks in, the writer uses Blinko instead of Google Keep and Obsidian. DeepSeek R1 7B is better at summaries; Qwen3 8B and Llama 3.1 8B are good at tags, all on an old Pascal GPU. Worth knowing: Voice models only work with OpenAI, so the writer couldn't use them. Web search in chat didn't work for them, likely because it relies on the Tavily API. Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/i-dont-use-obsidian-or-google-keep-after-i-came-across-this-note-taker/

Related recipes

More: all Productivity recipes

Compare with another recipe ← All recipes

Questions, corrections or ideas?

Spotted an error, want a recipe covered, or have a partnership idea? Send us a message and we'll get back to you.

Starting your own newsletter? Try beehiiv ↗

What is beehiiv?

beehiiv is a newsletter platform: you write and send emails, host a newsletter website, and grow and monetize a list from one place. We've used it for our own newsletter.

beehiiv says (vendor claims, not tested by us):

Free plan with up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends
Built-in website, recommendation network and analytics
0% cut of paid subscription revenue (Stripe fees apply)

Good for: starting or growing an email newsletter. Not ideal for: email automations or removing beehiiv branding on a $0 budget (those need Lite or Pro).

Free plan: $0, no card needed. Paid plans from $49/mo billed annually (Lite, up to 1,000 subscribers). People who sign up through our link get a 14-day trial plus 20% off their first 3 months, per beehiiv's partner page. Facts as of Oct 2026, from beehiiv's own website. More about beehiiv →