Is Tangent Notes Free, and Under What License Is It Released?

Yes. Tangent Notes is free, and its source code is released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. The project's site describes it as "Free Forever" and states that the source code can be found on GitHub. No pricing tiers, paid plans, subscriptions, or payment platforms are mentioned anywhere in the available site material, so there is no advertised paid edition to upgrade to.

What the license means in practice

The Apache 2.0 license is a permissive open-source license. In general terms, it allows you to use, modify, and redistribute the software, including in commercial contexts, provided you comply with the license's conditions — typically retaining copyright and license notices and stating significant changes. This is general licensing knowledge, not a substitute for reading the actual license text; if you plan to redistribute Tangent Notes or build on its code, check the repository's LICENSE file directly.

Because the source is published, you can inspect how the app works rather than relying only on marketing claims. That matters for the next point.

Free to use, and your notes stay yours

The site emphasizes that Tangent Notes works with local files directly on your device and stores notes as markdown files that any text editor can read or write. Combined with the open-source license, this means the cost question and the lock-in question have the same answer: there is no paid tier holding your data hostage, and your notes are plain files you control.

A practical way to verify this before committing: create a few notes, then open the storage folder in a separate text editor and confirm the markdown files are readable and editable outside the app. If they are, you have confirmed both the local-file claim and that leaving the app later would not strand your content.

What is not stated

The available material does not mention:

• Any paid plan, trial, or feature gating
• Account creation or login requirements
• Cloud sync or hosting fees

Do not assume these exist in either direction — the site simply does not address them. If any of these matter for your decision, check the GitHub repository or the app itself rather than inferring from the "Free Forever" label.

Who this suits

Tangent Notes is a reasonable fit if you want a notes app for Mac, Windows, or Linux where the cost is zero, the license permits inspection and modification, and your notes are portable markdown files. If you need vendor-supported paid guarantees or managed cloud sync, that is outside what the available material describes, and you should confirm those needs elsewhere before adopting it.