The Fast, Offline Windows Scratchpad App

The problem: Windows users are forced into extreme trade-offs

If you use a Windows PC for work or personal use, you have historically been forced to choose between two extreme note-taking options.

On one end of the spectrum is Windows Notepad. It opens instantly, but it is entirely devoid of features. You can't format text, you can't insert a checklist, and crucially, your notes are trapped on that single PC. If you walk away from your desk, the phone number you just typed into Notepad is completely inaccessible from your phone.

On the other end of the spectrum are the massive, heavy enterprise applications like Microsoft OneNote or Notion. These apps have every feature imaginable, but they are incredibly slow. When you just need to jot down a quick tracking number, you have to wait five seconds for a loading spinner, navigate a complex folder hierarchy, and create a new titled document.

Windows users lack a middle ground: a fast, local scratchpad that doesn't feel like operating heavy machinery.

The solution: A minimalist, offline-first Windows scratchpad

Benchpad brings a clean, cross-platform scratchpad to Windows 10 and 11. We built a very sharp, very fast knife.

It bridges the gap by providing the instant, sub-50ms opening speed of Notepad, while offering the block-based markdown formatting and automatic cloud sync of a modern application.

Benchpad App View

Instant keyboard speed

Benchpad is an offline-first application. It saves your text immediately to a local IndexedDB database before it ever attempts to contact a server.

Because it doesn't wait for a Microsoft Account authentication check or a cloud sync spinner, it opens instantly. When you need to capture a thought, Benchpad is ready before you finish typing your first character.

Rich markdown support

Unlike the plain text of Notepad or the chaotic UI of Windows Sticky Notes, Benchpad is a full block editor that you can control entirely with your keyboard.

• Type - [ ] to instantly create a daily to-do checklist.
• Type /table to instantly insert a budget grid or a habit tracker.
• Type /code to format developer snippets or CLI commands with proper syntax highlighting.

Cross-platform sync

A scratchpad is only useful if it is with you when you need it.

Edits made on your Windows PC sync seamlessly in the background. Because Benchpad is also a native iOS and Android app, you can write a grocery list on your Windows laptop at work, and open it instantly on your iPhone at the store.

If you edit the same pad on both devices while offline, Benchpad uses CRDTs (Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types) to merge the changes perfectly when you reconnect.

Upgrade your Windows scratchpad

Stop choosing between plain text and heavy enterprise databases. Get a scratchpad that does exactly what you need, and nothing more.

Download Benchpad for Windows for free

Related: Sticky notes alternative · Benchpad vs OneNote · Offline note app