Is Simple Folders Local Version Really Free and What Are the Limitations?

Updated

Yes. According to the site's own description, Simple Folders is "Local free" — the local version costs nothing, and the paid tier is the Pro cloud sync option. The practical trade-off is that everything stays on the device where you installed it, and cloud sync is the feature reserved for Pro. If you only use ChatGPT and Claude on one machine and don't need your folders, tags, prompts, notes, rules, and pinned messages to follow you to another device, the free local version covers the core organizing features.

What the free local version includes

The site lists the same feature set for the product as a whole: folders, tags, prompts, notes, rules, and pinned messages for ChatGPT and Claude. Nothing in the available description says any of those individual features are locked behind Pro — the split described is local versus cloud sync, not feature-by-feature.

So on the free tier you can expect to:

  • Group conversations into folders instead of scrolling a flat history
  • Apply tags to conversations for cross-cutting organization
  • Save reusable prompts
  • Attach notes to conversations
  • Define rules
  • Pin important messages

What "local" actually means for you

Local means the organizing data lives on your machine rather than in a synced cloud account. That has two consequences worth deciding on before you commit:

It works without an account or a subscription. Since the free tier is local, there's no billing relationship required for it. The description does not mention login requirements for the local version, so treat any account requirement as unconfirmed rather than assuming one way or the other.

It doesn't travel. If you use ChatGPT on a laptop and Claude on a desktop, or you switch machines, your folders and tags won't be there. That's the limitation the Pro tier exists to solve.

Free local vs. Pro cloud sync

Dimension Local (free) Pro cloud sync
Cost Free per the site description Paid tier
Where data lives On your device Synced via cloud
Cross-device access No Yes
Core features (folders, tags, prompts, notes, rules, pinned messages) Described as part of the product Described as part of the product
Best for Single-device users People working across multiple devices

The comparison is deliberately narrow: the meaningful difference the site states is sync, not capability. If you never move between devices, paying for Pro buys you a feature you won't use.

Who should stay on the free version

Choose local free if:

  • You use ChatGPT and Claude from one computer
  • You don't need your organization to survive a reinstall or a new machine
  • You'd rather not have a subscription for a convenience tool
  • You're fine re-creating folders manually if you switch devices

Consider Pro if you regularly move between a work and personal machine, or between desktop and laptop, and losing your folder structure each time would be disruptive.

What to verify before deciding

The available description is short, so a few things are worth confirming on the site itself rather than assuming:

  • Whether the local version requires any sign-in at all
  • What happens to your local data if you uninstall or clear browser storage
  • Whether Pro is a one-time purchase or a recurring subscription
  • Whether there's a way to export local data, which would soften the no-sync limitation

None of these are answered in the material available here. Check the site's own pages for current pricing and terms, since those can change.