KillerNotes is a searchable, encrypted notepad built for techs who live in a dozen Notepad windows. Every note saves itself on every pause, note switch, and close, and full-text search finds any note as fast as you can type. Rich text with inline screenshots, real tables, a full color picker, adjustable font size, and color-coded tags. Optional whole-database SQLCipher AES-256 encryption. Share a note as a tear-off .knote (drag it into Teams or Outlook) or a whole database as .kndb. Opens and exports .txt, .md, .html, .rtf, and images, with a markdown/HTML preview. Single signed exe, portable or one-click install with /silent for RMM, no account, no cloud, no telemetry, GPLv3. Windows 10/11.
Publisher’s description
What is KillerNotes?
KillerNotes is an open-source notes & to-do program for Windows from Steve the Killer. It is written in C#.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE. Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.6.0, released on October 22, 2026. 13 versions are listed since July 20, 2026, each with links to its own installer files. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 144 times. The source code on GitHub (SteveTheKiller/KillerNotes) has 38 stars. On Windows it registers 2 file types, including .kndb and .knote. Similar programs include Obsidian, QOwnNotes and Logseq.
Project description on GitHub: “Searchable rich-text notes for techs. One encrypted notepad instead of 80 Notepad tabs: SQLite FTS5 search, SQLCipher protection, wikilinks and a link graph, markdown, images and tables, tear-off .knote sharing.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: KillerNotes is an open-source notes & to-do tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is KillerNotes safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
3D70AB43A85A0B384928D9D33798195E728D1A865C16251A28BB38F3B55BF144· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 13 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6.0Latest | October 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.5.1 | October 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.5.0 | October 15, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.4.3 | October 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 1.4.2 | October 7, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 1.4.1 | October 7, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 1.4.0 | October 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 1.3.2 | October 1, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id SteveTheKiller.KillerNotes -echoco install killernotes -yKillerNotes.exe /silentRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Steve the Killer
- Category
- Notes & to-do
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/SteveTheKiller/KillerNotes
- Written in
- C#
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE
- Version
- 1.6.0
- Released
- October 22, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- July 28, 2026
- Versions listed
- 13
- Chocolatey downloads
- 144
- GitHub stars
- 38
- GitHub forks
- 5
- Website
- killernotes.net
- winget ID
- SteveTheKiller.KillerNotes
- Chocolatey package
- killernotes
File types it opens (2)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is KillerNotes free?
Yes. KillerNotes is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is KillerNotes safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install KillerNotes with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can KillerNotes be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does KillerNotes run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of KillerNotes?
The versions page lists all 13 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 20, 2026.
What are alternatives to KillerNotes?
Obsidian, QOwnNotes, Logseq, Evernote and Notesnook. The alternatives page compares them.