Notes & Knowledge Bases arenaBuyer checklist
Every requirement we judge notes & knowledge bases products against, as a ready-to-send RFP checklist — with each item's priority, why it matters, and how the top-ranked products score on it today.
55 requirements · 14 themes · verdicts for 6 products · updated 2026-09-14 · priorities mirror the story weights our scoring uses (methodology)
Show the markdown export
# Notes & Knowledge Bases — buyer checklist (RFP) Derived from ProductArena's evidence-graded user-story taxonomy for Notes & Knowledge Bases: 55 judged requirements. Priorities mirror story weights (3 = must-have, 2 = should-have, 1 = nice-to-have). ## Agenticness - [ ] **[must-have]** Plug MCP servers into this product so it can use their tools - [ ] **[must-have]** Connect an agent via an official MCP server - [ ] **[must-have]** Drive the product through a documented public API - [ ] **[must-have]** Delegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the product - [ ] **[should-have]** Point an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs - [ ] **[should-have]** Run the product headlessly / in CI for automation - [ ] **[should-have]** Use an official CLI - [ ] **[should-have]** Issue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agent - [ ] **[should-have]** Build against official SDKs - [ ] **[should-have]** Subscribe to events via webhooks - [ ] **[should-have]** Get AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the product - [ ] **[should-have]** Set up automations that run autonomously in the background - [ ] **[should-have]** Operate the product with natural-language commands - [ ] **[should-have]** Explore an interactive API reference with runnable examples - [ ] **[should-have]** Download a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent) - [ ] **[should-have]** Rely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policy - [ ] **[nice-to-have]** Test against a sandbox environment without touching production data ## Ai in notes - [ ] **[must-have]** My coding agent or assistant can read AND write my notes headlessly — through a documented local API, vendor API, or MCP server — without me touching the GUI - [ ] **[should-have]** Connect external LLMs and AI tools to my notes through first-party connectors or an ecosystem of AI plugins - [ ] **[should-have]** A built-in AI assistant can answer questions, summarize, and draft grounded in my own notes — with clear controls over what data it sees ## Automation depth - [ ] **[must-have]** Define rules that trigger actions automatically on events - [ ] **[should-have]** Perform bulk operations across many items at once - [ ] **[should-have]** Schedule recurring jobs or workflows - [ ] **[nice-to-have]** Version, review, and roll back my automations ## Capture editing - [ ] **[must-have]** I get an automatic daily note for each day, pre-filled from a template, as the default landing place for journaling and capture - [ ] **[should-have]** Clip web pages, articles, and highlights from my browser straight into my notes with an official clipper or capture flow - [ ] **[should-have]** Define reusable templates (with variables like date and title) and apply them when creating recurring kinds of notes - [ ] **[should-have]** Write and format notes with headings, callouts, tables, code blocks, and embedded media in a fast keyboard-driven editor ## Import export - [ ] **[must-have]** Import my existing notes from Notion, Evernote, Roam, or plain Markdown with structure, links, and attachments preserved - [ ] **[should-have]** Export my entire knowledge base at any time in open formats, so leaving is as easy as arriving ## Linking graph - [ ] **[must-have]** Link notes with [[wiki-style]] links and see every backlink and unlinked mention of a note in context - [ ] **[should-have]** Reference or transclude an individual block or section of one note inside another and have it stay in sync - [ ] **[nice-to-have]** Explore my knowledge base as an interactive graph of notes and connections, filtered to what I care about ## Local first ownership - [ ] **[must-have]** My notes live in local files or a local-first store that I own and can read without the app, and everything keeps working fully offline - [ ] **[should-have]** My notes are stored or exportable in open, documented formats (Markdown, JSON) so my archive outlives the vendor - [ ] **[should-have]** Run the whole system without the vendor's cloud — local-only mode or a self-hosted sync backend I operate myself ## Mobile capture - [ ] **[should-have]** Full-featured iOS and Android apps give me my whole knowledge base — capture, search, and linking — not a stripped-down companion ## Openness - [ ] **[must-have]** Export all of my data in open formats and leave - [ ] **[must-have]** Self-host the core product - [ ] **[should-have]** Do everything through the API that I can do in the UI - [ ] **[should-have]** Read the product's source under an open license ## Organization retrieval - [ ] **[must-have]** Query my notes by their structured properties and render live database-style views (tables, boards, lists) from those queries - [ ] **[must-have]** Instantly search all my notes with full-text search plus filters on tags, properties, and paths — including offline - [ ] **[should-have]** Attach typed properties and tags to notes and use them consistently for organization and retrieval ## Plugins extensibility - [ ] **[must-have]** Browse and install from a large catalog of community plugins/extensions to add features the core app doesn't ship - [ ] **[should-have]** Drive the app from outside — create or open notes via a URI scheme, deep links, or a local endpoint — to wire it into my scripts and workflows - [ ] **[should-have]** Build my own plugins against a documented extension API/SDK with samples and developer docs ## Privacy posture - [ ] **[must-have]** Prevent my data from being used to train AI models - [ ] **[should-have]** Choose where my data is stored (region/residency) - [ ] **[should-have]** Control data retention and deletion - [ ] **[should-have]** Opt out of telemetry and usage tracking ## Publish sharing - [ ] **[should-have]** Publish selected notes as a browsable website — a digital garden with working links — without leaving the app ## Sync collaboration - [ ] **[must-have]** An official sync service keeps my notes updated across all my devices with end-to-end encryption the vendor can't read - [ ] **[should-have]** Share a vault or space with collaborators and edit notes together without stepping on each other's changes - [ ] **[should-have]** View a note's version history and restore earlier versions or recover deleted notes --- Source: https://ultrametric.ai/productarena/arena/notes-knowledge (evidence-graded verdicts for 6 products) · methodology: https://ultrametric.ai/productarena/methodology
Chips show the top 5 ranked products' current verdict on each requirement — ✓ full · ~ partial · ! disputed · — none · n/a not applicable.
Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness· 17 items
How well agents can access and operate the product
- must-have
ai-native userPlug MCP servers into this product so it can use their tools
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- must-have
ai-native userConnect an agent via an official MCP server
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- must-have
ai-native userDrive the product through a documented public API
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- must-have
ai-native userDelegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the product
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userPoint an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userRun the product headlessly / in CI for automation
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userUse an official CLI
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userIssue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agent
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userBuild against official SDKs
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userSubscribe to events via webhooks
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userGet AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the product
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userSet up automations that run autonomously in the background
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userOperate the product with natural-language commands
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userExplore an interactive API reference with runnable examples
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userDownload a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent)
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userRely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policy
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- nice-to-have
ai-native userTest against a sandbox environment without touching production data
Differentiator, not a dealbreaker — weighs 1× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
Ai in notes — stories about ai in notes in this arenaAi in notes· 3 items
Stories about ai in notes in this arena
- must-have
ai-native userMy coding agent or assistant can read AND write my notes headlessly — through a documented local API, vendor API, or MCP server — without me touching the GUI
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userConnect external LLMs and AI tools to my notes through first-party connectors or an ecosystem of AI plugins
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userA built-in AI assistant can answer questions, summarize, and draft grounded in my own notes — with clear controls over what data it sees
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Automation depth — how much of the product can run unattendedAutomation depth· 4 items
How much of the product can run unattended
- must-have
ai-native userDefine rules that trigger actions automatically on events
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userPerform bulk operations across many items at once
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userSchedule recurring jobs or workflows
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- nice-to-have
ai-native userVersion, review, and roll back my automations
Differentiator, not a dealbreaker — weighs 1× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
Capture editing — stories about capture editing in this arenaCapture editing· 4 items
Stories about capture editing in this arena
- must-have
power-userI get an automatic daily note for each day, pre-filled from a template, as the default landing place for journaling and capture
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
researcherClip web pages, articles, and highlights from my browser straight into my notes with an official clipper or capture flow
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
power-userDefine reusable templates (with variables like date and title) and apply them when creating recurring kinds of notes
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
power-userWrite and format notes with headings, callouts, tables, code blocks, and embedded media in a fast keyboard-driven editor
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
Import export — stories about import export in this arenaImport export· 2 items
Stories about import export in this arena
- must-have
switcherImport my existing notes from Notion, Evernote, Roam, or plain Markdown with structure, links, and attachments preserved
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
switcherExport my entire knowledge base at any time in open formats, so leaving is as easy as arriving
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 4 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Linking graph — stories about linking graph in this arenaLinking graph· 3 items
Stories about linking graph in this arena
- must-have
researcherLink notes with [[wiki-style]] links and see every backlink and unlinked mention of a note in context
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
power-userReference or transclude an individual block or section of one note inside another and have it stay in sync
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- nice-to-have
researcherExplore my knowledge base as an interactive graph of notes and connections, filtered to what I care about
Differentiator, not a dealbreaker — weighs 1× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Local first ownership — stories about local first ownership in this arenaLocal first ownership· 3 items
Stories about local first ownership in this arena
- must-have
power-userMy notes live in local files or a local-first store that I own and can read without the app, and everything keeps working fully offline
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
researcherMy notes are stored or exportable in open, documented formats (Markdown, JSON) so my archive outlives the vendor
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 4 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
developerRun the whole system without the vendor's cloud — local-only mode or a self-hosted sync backend I operate myself
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Mobile capture — stories about mobile capture in this arenaMobile capture· 1 item
Stories about mobile capture in this arena
- should-have
power-userFull-featured iOS and Android apps give me my whole knowledge base — capture, search, and linking — not a stripped-down companion
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
Openness — open source, data portability, and self-hosting storiesOpenness· 4 items
Open source, data portability, and self-hosting stories
- must-have
ai-native userExport all of my data in open formats and leave
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 4 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- must-have
ai-native userSelf-host the core product
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userDo everything through the API that I can do in the UI
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userRead the product's source under an open license
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Organization retrieval — stories about organization retrieval in this arenaOrganization retrieval· 3 items
Stories about organization retrieval in this arena
- must-have
power-userQuery my notes by their structured properties and render live database-style views (tables, boards, lists) from those queries
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- must-have
researcherInstantly search all my notes with full-text search plus filters on tags, properties, and paths — including offline
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
power-userAttach typed properties and tags to notes and use them consistently for organization and retrieval
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Plugins extensibility — stories about plugins extensibility in this arenaPlugins extensibility· 3 items
Stories about plugins extensibility in this arena
- must-have
power-userBrowse and install from a large catalog of community plugins/extensions to add features the core app doesn't ship
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 2 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
developerDrive the app from outside — create or open notes via a URI scheme, deep links, or a local endpoint — to wire it into my scripts and workflows
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
developerBuild my own plugins against a documented extension API/SDK with samples and developer docs
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Privacy posture — data-handling and privacy storiesPrivacy posture· 4 items
Data-handling and privacy stories
- must-have
ai-native userPrevent my data from being used to train AI models
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
ai-native userChoose where my data is stored (region/residency)
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userControl data retention and deletion
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
ai-native userOpt out of telemetry and usage tracking
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
Publish sharing — stories about publish sharing in this arenaPublish sharing· 1 item
Stories about publish sharing in this arena
- should-have
researcherPublish selected notes as a browsable website — a digital garden with working links — without leaving the app
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Sync collaboration — stories about sync collaboration in this arenaSync collaboration· 3 items
Stories about sync collaboration in this arena
- must-have
power-userAn official sync service keeps my notes updated across all my devices with end-to-end encryption the vendor can't read
Core requirement — weighs 3× in arena scoring · 1 of 6 products fully deliver this today
- should-have
researcherShare a vault or space with collaborators and edit notes together without stepping on each other's changes
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · no product fully delivers this yet
- should-have
power-userView a note's version history and restore earlier versions or recover deleted notes
Important, not disqualifying — weighs 2× in arena scoring · 3 of 6 products fully deliver this today
Full evidence behind every verdict lives on the arena page and each product page — chips above deep-link straight to the judged story.