Why Plain Text Matters

Most collection apps store your data in a proprietary format. When the app shuts down, gets acquired, or drops a feature you depend on, your data goes with it. MDCollections takes a different approach.

Files You Own

Every item in your collection is a Markdown file on your device. There’s no database to export, no account to migrate, no format to convert. Your files are yours.

Readable Everywhere

Open any item in a text editor, in Obsidian, in any tool that reads plain text. The YAML frontmatter is a widely supported standard. The Markdown body renders anywhere. Your data doesn’t depend on MDCollections to be useful.

Future-Proof

Plain text has been around for decades and it isn’t going anywhere. A .md file created today will be readable in ten years, twenty years, and beyond. The same can’t be said for proprietary database formats.

Portable by Default

Want to switch to a different tool? Copy your folder. Want to back up your collection? It’s already a folder of files — use any backup tool you like. Want to share a single item? Send the .md file.

No Lock-In

MDCollections adds value through its interface, its camera features, its barcode scanning, and its organization tools. It doesn’t add value by holding your data hostage. If a better tool comes along, take your files and go.