Your vault on GitHub, free

Why git is the perfect vault backend

Databases need backups you'll forget to make. Sync services need subscriptions and trust. Git makes each commit history and each push an off-site copy; saving a file does not commit it automatically. In the agent era it earns its keep twice over — when agents write into your vault, git makes committed changes diffable, attributable, and revertible. An agent's bad day can become a git revert, not a tragedy.

Setup

cd ~/Vault
git init
printf '.DS_Store\n.mdeditor/\n' > .gitignore
git add -A && git commit -m "vault: day one"
gh repo create my-vault --private --source=. --push

That's it. A private GitHub repo is free with unlimited history. From then on, commit as often as you like — or automate it.

Sync and automation

• note.md integration: the built-in Sync to Vault command copies files into your git-synced vault with date-prefixed names and conflict-aware refresh; recent-file history can be mirrored through the vault.
• Auto-commit: on a single writer, schedule git add -A && if ! git diff --cached --quiet; then git commit -m "auto" && git push; fi. It skips clean runs; multi-device setups still need an explicit pull/conflict policy.
• Multi-device: clone the repo on a second machine; pull before writing, push after. Conflicts in outlines are rare (small files) and git shows exactly what happened when they occur.
• Agents: give agents a working copy. Review their commits like you'd review a colleague's PR — because that's what they are now.

FAQ

Is a private GitHub repo really free?

Yes — unlimited private repositories with full history on GitHub's free plan. A text vault of decades fits in megabytes.

What about sensitive notes?

The vault is yours: choose a private repo, a self-hosted Gitea, or no remote at all — git works locally. For extra caution, git-crypt or age can encrypt selected paths.

Do I need to know git?

You need the basics: add, commit, pull, push, and conflict resolution. note.md writes ordinary files and provides Sync to Vault, but it does not replace Git's history or conflict model.