Folder-wide search
Search a whole folder.
Search every file in a folder when you ask, filter what comes back, and jump from match to match. Nothing runs in the background between searches.
01
Built for macOS · Always free
A lightweight native
text editor for Mac.
Open a file, a folder, or a whole project. Linelark launches in a moment, remembers where you left off, and keeps your files and a terminal in one native Mac window.
Apple-notarizedFree · 8.5 MB · macOS 14+
PLUGIN PANELSNative workspace
TERMINALPer tab or project
Scroll to explore
NATIVE MAC APP◆FORMAT-AWARE◆REAL TERMINAL◆MULTI-ROOT WORKSPACES◆NO ACCOUNT◆FIVE THEMES◆FOLDER-WIDE SEARCH◆NATIVE MAC APP◆FORMAT-AWARE◆REAL TERMINAL◆MULTI-ROOT WORKSPACES◆NO ACCOUNT◆FIVE THEMES◆FOLDER-WIDE SEARCH◆
Overview
The editor you keep
in the Dock.
Linelark is for the files that need more than a quick edit. You get highlighting for 69 languages, folder-wide search, split panes, and session restore, without setting up a project first.
A closer look
Nine screenshots
of the actual app.
Nothing here is a mockup. Scroll, swipe, or use the arrows.
01 / 09
Split view
Two, three, or four panes.
Put the same file or four different ones side by side. Every pane keeps its own cursor, selection, and scroll position.
02
Claude in the dock
Ask about the file you are in.
Claude Code runs in the right dock and reads your open tabs as you have typed them, unsaved edits included. Anything it wants to change arrives as a diff to approve, and lands in the buffer — so one undo takes it back and you decide when to save.
03
Studio workspace
Your tools, in the same window.
Git, Scratch Notes, and other plugin panels sit in the right dock next to a live Markdown preview, with a terminal open on the file you are editing.
04Studio terminals and plugins
A map of the file, shells below it.
The document map and a reviewed formatting plugin sit above two terminals bound to the project folder, in the same editor window.
05
Column editing
Edit a column at a time.
Select a rectangle of text, or open the Column Editor to insert the same text on every line and generate numbered sequences.
06
Encodings and line endings
Old files open correctly.
Linelark reads the encoding and line endings when a file opens, keeps them when you save, and converts them when you ask it to.
07
A complete workspace
Everything one click away.
The folder tree, your open files, and the current file’s functions stay along the edges. The editor keeps the middle.
08
Five original themes
Five themes, light and dark.
Switch themes to suit the room or the file in front of you. Syntax colours are drawn separately for each one.
09
Performance
Light enough to leave
open all day.
Linelark is written in SwiftUI and AppKit. There is no bundled browser runtime, and it searches folders when you ask rather than indexing your project in the background. That keeps launch quick and idle memory low.
Memory use grows with open files, panes, and running terminal sessions.- OpenReady in a moment
A 8.5 MB download. No installer and no sign-in.
- WorkTools on demand
Search, extra panes, and terminals open when you need them.
- Step awaySaved as you go
Open tabs and unsaved edits are snapshotted while you work.
- ReturnRight where you were
Documents, unsaved changes, and pane layouts come back.
Native macOSNo accountNo project indexingSession restore
Measured
The number behind
“lightweight”.
After 2 h 34 min of real work, Linelark Studio reported a 70.3 MB physical footprint. Activity Monitor showed 69.9 MB for the same process.
One observed session on Apple M5 Pro · 24 GB. Files, panes, plugins, and active terminals all change memory use.See how we measured itPhysical footprint
Apple silicon + Intel
SwiftUI + AppKit
Encodings and line endings
Open an old file without breaking it.
Linelark reads the encoding and line endings when a file opens and writes them back the same way. If the guess is wrong, reinterpret the file before a single byte changes.
69languages highlighted
11text encodings
5original themes
4pane layouts
Only in Studio
A terminal that follows your file.
Open the panel and the shell starts in the folder of the file you are editing. Switch tabs and the terminal switches with it, using your own login shell and environment.
- Runs interactive programs, with true colour
- Split the panel into up to three shells
- Pin a shell, or bind one to a project folder
- External file changes reload safely
- Claude Code can receive the active file path
Editions
Choose the edition
that fits your work.
Both editions are free. There is no subscription, no paid tier, and no account to create. The Mac App Store edition runs inside Apple’s sandbox. Studio adds full file access and the terminal.
Available now
Linelark Notepad
Mac App Store edition
- Core editor and folder tools
- Automatic App Store updates
- Sandboxed file access
- Always free, with no account
Available now
Linelark Notepad Studio
Direct from Linelark
- Everything in the Store edition
- Integrated per-tab terminal
- Claude Code in the right dock
- Unrestricted developer workflows
- Reviewed JavaScript plugin catalog
At a glance
What you get in each edition.
The Store edition stays inside Apple’s sandbox. Studio has the direct file access and the terminal that developer work needs.
| Capability | Mac App Store | Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | On the Mac App Store | Studio 1.17.1 available now |
| Core editor | Complete editor | Complete editor |
| Files and folders | Sandboxed access you choose | Direct developer workflows |
| Formats | 11 encodings · LF / CRLF / CR | 11 encodings · LF / CRLF / CR |
| Pane layouts | Two, three, or four panes | Two, three, or four panes |
| Windows | Multiple, each restored | Multiple, each restored |
| Workspaces | Multi-root .code-workspace | Multi-root .code-workspace |
| Per-tab terminal | Not included | Included, split up to three ways |
| Claude Code | Not included | In the right dock, reading your open buffers |
| Reviewed plugins | Manual container install | Catalog and local ZIP install |
| Plugin network and git | Not included | Declared, then granted by you |
| Updates | Through the Mac App Store | Signed direct releases |
| Account required | No | No |
Studio 1.17.1 integrity
Verify the downloaded disk image with shasum -a 256.
e58a461899ec54e88c655b10fae4c74269dd9a7677ec2730407788240470c2c2Good to know
Common questions.
Why are there two editions?+
Apps on the Mac App Store must run in Apple’s sandbox, which a terminal cannot do. Studio is distributed directly, so it can use your shell and reach your files.
Is Linelark Notepad free?+
Yes, and both editions stay free. There is no subscription, no paid tier, and no account. Independent developers may sell optional plugins on their own sites.
Can it open a VS Code workspace?+
Yes. A folder or a multi-root .code-workspace file opens as the project it describes, honouring its root names and its files.exclude and search.exclude rules, and Linelark can write one back. Read how workspaces work here.
Does the app upload my documents?+
No. Document contents, file paths, and terminal input stay on your Mac, and there is no account to sign in to.
Which Macs are supported?+
Studio 1.17.1 targets macOS 14 Sonoma or newer on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Get started
Try it on your Mac.
Linelark Notepad Studio 1.17.1 runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and newer.
Download Studio 1.17.1