Back in 2022, I started using Notion and loved it.
I loved the flexibility of nesting pages inside other pages. It did not feel like opening an old school word document just to write down an idea. It felt like a clean personal space where I could organize my thoughts and projects.
Then I hit the limits on the free plan.
When the paywall came up asking for hundreds of dollars a year, I could not justify it. For a developer living in Nigeria, paying that much every single year just to take notes was simply too expensive.
So I decided to build my own solution: BH Notes.
What I built
I did not want a bloated clone with a thousand buttons nobody uses. I wanted the fast, clean parts of Notion that actually matter for daily thinking.
Here is what is inside:
- Nested pages: Put pages inside other pages, as deep as you need.
- Block editor: Paragraphs, headings, code blocks, tables, to-do lists, and bullet points.
- Images and files: Drag and drop images and files straight into any note.
- Sharing and live collaboration: Invite someone by email to collaborate on a note, or publish a note to the web with a public link.
- Zero AI bloat: No unwanted AI popups or autocomplete distracting you while you type. Just your thoughts.
- Full data export: You can back up your whole workspace into a neat Markdown ZIP folder whenever you want. Your notes belong to you.
The technical side
Building a block-based editor from scratch taught me a lot:
- Uncontrolled block editing: To keep typing snappy with zero input lag, text blocks stay uncontrolled in the DOM while dirty blocks autosave in the background with local drafts for offline safety.
- Structured data: Pages and blocks are stored separately so notes can be searched, backlinked, and organized without saving one massive HTML blob.
- Security and privacy: File attachments live in private storage with short lived signed links. Public pages are served through strict database security functions so private drafts stay completely protected.
It is live today
I just launched BH Notes, and you can try it for free:
👉 BH Notes
Sign up, create a few notes, drag some files in, and let me know how it feels.
As developers, what is the one thing you look for most in a note taking tool: speed, organization, or privacy? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to hear your feedback!
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