Developers love tools.
We install them, test them, compare them, optimize them, argue about them online… and then eventually realize we’re paying subscriptions for half of them.
A few months ago I looked at my own setup and noticed something slightly absurd.
For writing and thinking, I was using Notion.
For Markdown notes and knowledge management, I used Obsidian.
For quick code edits or raw text work, I opened Notepad++ or another editor.
Three different tools. Three different mental models. And multiple subscriptions slowly accumulating over time.
All of them, at the end of the day, were basically helping me edit text.
So I did what many developers eventually do when something annoys them enough.
I built my own tool.
<hr>
<h1>When productivity software became subscription software</h1>
Over the past few years, productivity apps have quietly followed the same trajectory. First, they launch with a generous free version. Then useful features start getting locked behind a paywall. Cloud sync becomes the central selling point. Eventually everything becomes another monthly subscription.
For teams this can make sense. For individual developers, it often doesn’t.
Personally, I didn’t want my notes locked inside someone else’s database. I didn’t want another $10 per month leaving my account for something as basic as writing. And I definitely didn’t want a desktop app that was basically a web browser wrapped in Chromium using 600MB of RAM just to edit Markdown.
What I wanted was much simpler.
A local-first desktop tool that starts instantly and just works.
<hr>
<h1>The idea: one tool instead of three</h1>
Its all started as a personal utility. There was no product strategy, no roadmap, no startup ambition. I simply wanted one application that could replace the tools I kept switching between.
The goal was straightforward: build something that combines structured writing, Markdown notes, and lightweight code editing in a single fast desktop application.
To keep the scope sane, I set a few clear principles.
First, everything had to be local-first. Your files stay on your machine. No account, no forced cloud sync, no platform lock-in.
Second, the app had to be Markdown-native. Markdown is simple, portable, and future-proof. I didn’t want proprietary databases or complex block systems.
Third, it needed native performance. Instead of building another Electron application, I chose Rust and Tauri so the app would feel like real desktop software rather than a disguised web app.
And finally, the pricing had to remain simple: one purchase, no subscription.
<hr>
<h1>What Nuvopad actually became</h1>
<img src="https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--ZVqSxM_8--/f_auto/v1773331424/ugc/content_9ab14287-4ed2-495b-bc90-904a379a41c3?_a=BAMAMiiu0" alt="image.png">
Over time the tool evolved into something that sits somewhere between a note system, a writing environment, and a lightweight editor.
For Markdown notes, it behaves like a minimal knowledge base. You can organize notes in folders, navigate quickly between documents, and search your files instantly. It’s intentionally simpler than something like Obsidian because the focus is on speed and clarity rather than plugins and configuration.
For writing and thinking, it replaces the role many developers use Notion for. Instead of complex block layouts and databases, NuvoPad focuses on clean writing and simple structure. The interface stays out of the way so you can focus on the content.
And for quick code work, it functions as a lightweight editor with syntax highlighting and file editing capabilities. It’s not trying to replace full IDEs like VS Code. It’s simply there for the moments when you need to open a file, edit something quickly, and move on.
In practice, it became the tool I keep open all day.
<hr>
<h1>Why I built it in Rust</h1>
Performance matters more than we often admit.
Many modern desktop applications are essentially Chromium running a text editor inside it. This approach makes development easier, but it also means heavy memory usage and slower startup times.
NuvoPad takes a different path.
It’s built with Rust and Tauri, which allows the interface to use native system components instead of bundling an entire browser engine. The result is a desktop application that launches almost instantly and uses only a fraction of the memory that typical Electron apps require.
On my machine, NuvoPad starts in under a second and runs at around 50MB of RAM.
That might sound like a small detail, but when you use a tool all day, responsiveness matters.
<hr>
<h1>The honest reason this project exists</h1>
If I’m completely honest, NuvoPad didn’t start from a big vision.
It started from irritation.
I was frustrated with paying subscriptions for tools that essentially help me write Markdown files. Instead of complaining about it online like everyone else, I decided to see if I could build something better suited to my own workflow.
Once it worked well for me, I released it publicly.
To my surprise, other developers seemed to like it too.
<hr>
<h1>Pricing it like software used to be priced</h1>
NuvoPad costs $9.99 once.
That’s it.
No monthly plan. No “pro tier”. No collaboration upsells or AI add-ons.
Just a normal software purchase.
Maybe that’s old-fashioned, but I think many developers still appreciate tools that they can simply buy and keep using.
<hr>
<h1>The reality of building software alone</h1>
This software isn’t backed by venture capital. There’s no startup team behind it, no marketing department, no growth strategy meetings.
It’s just me building something I use myself and improving it over time.
In a way, that’s how many developer tools originally started. One person solving their own problem, releasing the solution, and seeing if it resonates with others.
<hr>
<h1>What surprised me after launching</h1>
One of the most interesting things has been the feedback from other developers.
Several people told me the app feels like software from an earlier era of computing — before everything became a SaaS product.
Others said they liked that it doesn’t try to manage their entire life, but simply focuses on writing and editing text well.
That was exactly the goal.
<hr>
<h1>Why I’m sharing this on Daily.dev</h1>
Daily.dev is one of the few places where developers still enjoy discovering small, practical tools built by other developers.
It isn’t trying to become a giant productivity platform. It’s simply a fast Markdown-based writing environment built by a solo developer who wanted something simpler.
Sometimes that’s enough.
<hr>
<h1>If you want to try it</h1>
You can learn more about here:
Website <a href="https://nuvopad.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://nuvopad.com</a>
Microsoft Store <a href="https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9p789v7kg3z3" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9p789v7kg3z3</a>
<hr>
<h1>A final thought</h1>
The software industry keeps moving toward cloud services, subscriptions, and increasingly complex productivity platforms.
But there will probably always be a place for tools that are: simple, local, and owned by the people who use them. Nuvopad is my small attempt to bring a little bit of that philosophy back.
<hr>
If you’re also building something solo, I’m curious:
What tool did you end up creating simply because existing ones annoyed you too much?

miztizm

A solo developer built Nuvopad, a local-first Markdown-based desktop writing and editing tool, out of frustration with subscription-based productivity apps like Notion and Obsidian. Built with Rust and Tauri instead of Electron, it starts in under a second and uses ~50MB RAM. It combines note-taking, writing, and lightweight code editing in one app. Available for a one-time purchase of $9.99 with no subscriptions.

Release v2.12.0 — Nuvopad on Windows