Keycache
Key-value notes in your menu bar.
For the strings you retype all day — account numbers, API keys, that one npm command. One shortcut to open, arrow keys to find, Enter to copy.
Free and open source. macOS, Windows and Linux.
Your notes are a file. That's the whole idea.
Keycache writes to a plain JSON file that you choose the location of. You can read it, back it up, put it in a synced folder, or delete it. There is no server to trust, no account to make, and nothing leaves your machine — the app has no network code at all.
It is built on Electron's secure defaults (contextIsolation on,
nodeIntegration off — every read and write goes through IPC in the main
process),
and the source is GPL-3.0, so you can check all of that yourself.
What you get
-
One global shortcut
⌘⇧K from anywhere, or rebind it. The popup opens at the tray icon and hides the moment you click away.
-
Keyboard-first
Type to filter, ↑↓ to move, Enter to copy the value and dismiss. Your hands never leave the keyboard.
-
Masked values
Flip one toggle and every value renders as dots, so you can open the app in a screen share without thinking about it.
-
Stays out of the way
No dock icon, no taskbar entry, no window to manage. It is a tray icon and a popup, and that is all it wants to be.
-
Light, dark, or system
Follows the OS by default and switches live when the OS does. The tray icon is a template image on macOS, so it adapts too.
-
Yours to move
Point the data file anywhere from Settings. Keycache moves the existing notes across for you, even between volumes.
Install
macOS — Homebrew
brew install --cask moreiraeugenio/keycache/keycache
Direct download
- macOS Apple Silicon Intel
- Windows Installer (.exe)
- Linux AppImage
First launch shows a warning. Here's why.
The builds are not code signed — an Apple Developer certificate and a Windows signing certificate both cost money that this project doesn't take in. Nothing is wrong with the download; the OS just can't identify who built it.
- macOS: right-click the app and choose Open the first time.
- Windows: on the SmartScreen prompt, click More info → Run anyway.
If you'd rather not take that on faith, the
source is public and
npm run dist builds the same artifacts locally.
Questions
Where are my notes stored?
In a plain JSON file on your own machine, at a location you pick in Settings. Nothing is uploaded, because Keycache has no network code — there is no server, no sync and no account. If you want your notes on two machines, point the data file at a folder you already sync.
Is it a password manager?
No, and it shouldn't be used as one. Values are stored in plain text, and masking only hides them on screen — it isn't encryption. Keycache is for the strings you retype all day but wouldn't mind a coworker seeing: account numbers, ticket prefixes, a long build command. Real secrets belong in a password manager or your OS keychain.
How is it different from Raycast snippets or a clipboard manager?
A clipboard manager remembers what you copied; Keycache stores what you decided to keep, under a name you chose. Compared to snippet features built into larger launchers, the difference is scope and ownership: one small app that does this and nothing else, with your data in a file you can read, move or delete without exporting anything.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Keycache is free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later, with no paid tier, no telemetry and no accounts. This page has no trackers on it either.
Which platforms does it run on?
macOS, Windows and Linux. On macOS it lives in the menu bar and installs through Homebrew; on Windows it sits in the notification area; on Linux it ships as an AppImage.