Articles · Getting started
Desktop files vs cloud notes: how to choose
Cloud notes win on real-time collaboration; desktop files offer direct ownership and flexible tooling. Your primary workflow decides.
The price of cloud notes
Cloud notes feel slick. The price: your data format is not yours (Notion blocks are not Markdown), your continuity is tied to the vendor, and AI tends to only see "what you uploaded."
What direct file ownership provides
- Documents are Markdown on disk — any editor opens them
- No mandatory signup — no cloud means no cloud breach
- Agent uses tools on your machine — richer context than remote RAG
- Portability — don’t like it? Copy the folder, leave
When not to pick Kition
If your core need is "30 people co-editing one doc in real time," Notion is smoother. Kition fits "solo or small team + heavy AI execution + sensitive data."
Related reading
Files, backup & privacy
Why file ownership still matters in AI knowledge work
AI gives "on your own machine" new meaning — the model can read everything, if you keep everything on disk.
Compare & migrate
Kition vs Notion deep dive: local + AI-native vs cloud collaboration
Not "which is better" but "which fits you." Four axes: data ownership, collaboration, AI integration, pricing.