Notational Velocity
Notational Velocity is a lightweight, keyboard-driven note-taking application for macOS that prioritises speed and simplicity. It offers a unified search and creation interface where you can instantly find or create notes by typing keywords without touching the mouse. The app presents notes in a two-pane layout with a searchable list on the left and full note content on the right, making it ideal for quick reference during work. It was particularly popular among developers, writers and researchers who valued minimal friction and fast note retrieval over rich formatting features.
AI Recommendation
1 suggestionNotational Velocity was officially discontinued by its original developer and has not received updates since 2021. However, the situation has recently changed: in early 2026, a community member successfully modernised the codebase using AI assistance and published a working build that runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs. The modernised version is available at github.com/and/nv4 as an open-source fork. This revival means the app can continue to function through macOS 15 and likely beyond, though it relies on community maintenance rather than official vendor support. If you prefer a fully maintained alternative with native Apple Silicon support, consider nvALT (a modern successor to Notational Velocity) or Bear, both of which offer similar lightweight, keyboard-friendly note-taking with native performance on M-series Macs. For now, Notational Velocity remains usable on your current Mac, but switching to an actively maintained alternative before the macOS 28 deadline (late 2027) would eliminate long-term uncertainty.
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