Anchor

An offline first, self hostable note taking application

Anchor focuses on speed, privacy, simplicity, and reliability across mobile and web. Notes are stored locally, editable offline, and synced across devices when online.

Features

• Rich Text Editor - Create and edit notes with powerful formatting (bold, italic, underline, headings, lists, checkboxes)
• Offline First - All edits work offline with local database
• Note Sharing - Share notes with other users (viewer or editor)
• Tags System - Organize notes with custom tags and colors
• Attachments - Attach images and audio to notes
• Note Backgrounds - Customize notes with solid colors and patterns
• Pin Notes - Pin important notes for quick access
• Archive Notes - Archive notes for later reference
• Search - Search notes locally by title or content
• Trash - Soft delete notes with recovery period
• Automatic Sync - Sync changes across devices when online
• Admin Panel - User management, registration control, and system statistics
• OIDC Authentication - Sign in with OpenID Connect providers (Pocket ID, Authelia, Keycloak, etc.)

Screenshots

Web App

Mobile App

Self Hosting With Docker

Option 1: Using Pre-built Image (Recommended)

1. Create a docker-compose.yml file:

   services:
     anchor:
       image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:latest
       container_name: anchor
       restart: unless-stopped
       ports:
         - "3000:3000"
       volumes:
         - anchor_data:/data
   
   volumes:
     anchor_data:

2. (Optional) Configure environment: Add environment variables to the environment section. Most users can skip this step - defaults work out of the box.

   Available options:

   Variable	Required	Default	Description
   APP_URL	No	http://localhost:3000	Base URL where Anchor is served
   JWT_SECRET	No	(auto-generated)	Auth token secret
   PG_HOST	No	(empty)	External Postgres host (leave empty for embedded)
   PG_PORT	No	5432	Postgres port
   PG_USER	No	anchor	Postgres username
   PG_PASSWORD	No	password	Postgres password
   PG_DATABASE	No	anchor	Database name
   USER_SIGNUP	No	(not set)	Sign up mode: disabled, enabled, or review. If not set, admins can control it via the admin panel
   OIDC_ENABLED	No	—	Enable OIDC authentication
   OIDC_PROVIDER_NAME	No	"OIDC Provider"	Display name for the login button
   OIDC_ISSUER_URL	When OIDC enabled	—	Base URL of your OIDC provider
   OIDC_CLIENT_ID	When OIDC enabled	—	OIDC client ID
   OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET	No	—	OIDC client secret. Omit for public client (PKCE)
   DISABLE_INTERNAL_AUTH	No	false	Hide local login form when OIDC is enabled (OIDC-only mode)

3. Start the container:

   docker compose up -d

4. Access the app: Open http://localhost:3000

Pre-release (Beta) Image

To test upcoming features before they are officially released, use the next tag:

services:
  anchor:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:next
    container_name: anchor
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - anchor_data:/data

volumes:
  anchor_data:

Warning: The next image is built from the next branch and may contain incomplete features or breaking changes. Do not use it in production. Back up your data before switching.

Option 2: Building from Source

If you want to build from source or customize the image:

1. Clone the project:

   git clone https://github.com/zhfahim/anchor.git
   cd anchor

2. Start the container:

   docker compose up -d

   The docker-compose.yml file will build the image from source automatically.

Mobile App

Download the Android mobile app.

1. Visit the releases page: Go to GitHub Releases.

2. Download the latest release: Multiple APK files are available:

   • Universal APK (anchor-{version}.apk) - Recommended for most users, works on all devices
   • Architecture-specific APKs - Smaller file sizes for specific CPU architectures

OIDC Authentication

Anchor supports OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication for simplified credential management and streamlined multi-user deployments.

Features

• Support for standard OIDC providers (Pocket ID, Authelia, Authentik, Keycloak, etc.)
• Configuration via environment variables or admin settings UI
• OIDC only mode: disable local username/password login
• Support for public OIDC clients (PKCE, no client secret required)
• Auto create users on first login (if user signup is not disabled)
• Auto link existing users by email

Configuration

Mobile app and Public client

If you want to use OIDC in the mobile app, configure Anchor as a Public client (PKCE, no client secret) in your OIDC provider. Add this redirect URI in your OIDC provider:

anchor://oidc/callback

Required Callback URL (Web)

When configuring your OIDC provider for web login, add this callback/redirect URL:

{APP_URL}/api/auth/oidc/callback

For example, if your Anchor instance is at https://notes.example.com, the callback URL would be:

https://notes.example.com/api/auth/oidc/callback

Environment Variables

Configure OIDC via environment variables in your docker-compose.yml. Pocket ID example:

services:
  anchor:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:latest
    environment:
      - OIDC_ENABLED=true
      - OIDC_PROVIDER_NAME=Pocket ID
      - OIDC_ISSUER_URL=https://pocketid.example.com
      - OIDC_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
      - OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret  # Optional for public clients
      - DISABLE_INTERNAL_AUTH=false
      - APP_URL=https://notes.example.com

Admin UI Configuration

Alternatively, configure OIDC via the admin panel (Settings → OIDC Authentication) when the three env vars are not all set.

Roadmap

Future planned features:

• Reminders and notifications
• Real-time collaboration

Tech Stack

• Backend: Nest.js, PostgreSQL, Prisma
• Mobile: Flutter
• Web: Next.js, TypeScript

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature

3. Make your changes
4. Ensure builds pass:
   • Web: cd web && pnpm build
   • Server: cd server && pnpm build
5. Commit changes:

   git commit -m "Describe your change"

6. Push and create a Pull Request

Support

If you find Anchor useful, consider supporting its development:

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL v3) - see the LICENSE file for details.