Fabric
AI-organized workspace for files, links, notes, and semantic retrieval
The visible AI file workspace loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Fabric earns its keep through polish, sync, importers, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- collaborative editing and sharing
- native mobile clients
- conflict-safe multi-device sync
- mature importers and exporters
Why people still pay
Fabric: People pay for a writing surface they trust for years, plus migration tools, sync, and tiny interaction details that disappear into habit.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Runtime and tools: Python, SQLite FTS5, a PDF/text extraction worker and a React evidence notebook.
- Before starting: User-owned or licensed source documents, a local data folder and an optional explicitly configured model provider.
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule — domain: Store Asset, ContentHash, ExtractionVersion, Note and CollectionLink; moving an item between collections does not copy the underlying file, and failed parsing retains the source.
Project rule — scope and recovery: Begin with keyword search and a few formats before embeddings. Optional cloud analysis must list exactly which files leave the machine; generated tags are suggestions rather than ground truth.
Project rule — acceptance: Import the same PDF twice and one scanned PDF without OCR; deduplicate by hash, show the scan's limited searchability and keep both originals accessible.
Project rule — delivery: document real setup commands and permissions; do not claim a build, accuracy level, performance result or security certification that has not been demonstrated.
Recommended skill: modern-python — structure the Python worker or explicitly optional read-only utility with pinned dependencies, typed boundaries and clear failure handling. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Recommended skill: web-design-guidelines — review keyboard access, focus, validation, error recovery and the readable work/review interface or HTML report. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Pin the working slice and create its example input: Add local files, URLs and short notes to a searchable library, extract permitted text and organize related items into a visual workspace. Confirm setup: User-owned or licensed source documents, a local data folder and an optional explicitly configured model provider.
Phase 2
Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store Asset, ContentHash, ExtractionVersion, Note and CollectionLink; moving an item between collections does not copy the underlying file, and failed parsing retains the source.
Phase 3
Connect the working view to real saved state. Preserve source hashes, page/section anchors and exact quotations. OCR and optional generated summaries are derived views, never replacements for originals; label missing text and unsupported claims.
Phase 4
Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Begin with keyword search and a few formats before embeddings. Optional cloud analysis must list exactly which files leave the machine; generated tags are suggestions rather than ground truth.
Phase 5
Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Import the same PDF twice and one scanned PDF without OCR; deduplicate by hash, show the scan's limited searchability and keep both originals accessible. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.
Build the following focused alternative to Fabric. This is a deliberately limited personal or small-team substitute, not parity with the paid service. WORKING SLICE Add local files, URLs and short notes to a searchable library, extract permitted text and organize related items into a visual workspace. SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE Use Python, SQLite FTS5, a PDF/text extraction worker and a React evidence notebook. Prerequisites: User-owned or licensed source documents, a local data folder and an optional explicitly configured model provider. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success. DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS Store Asset, ContentHash, ExtractionVersion, Note and CollectionLink; moving an item between collections does not copy the underlying file, and failed parsing retains the source. IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT Preserve source hashes, page/section anchors and exact quotations. OCR and optional generated summaries are derived views, never replacements for originals; label missing text and unsupported claims. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content. APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY Begin with keyword search and a few formats before embeddings. Optional cloud analysis must list exactly which files leave the machine; generated tags are suggestions rather than ground truth. ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO Import the same PDF twice and one scanned PDF without OCR; deduplicate by hash, show the scan's limited searchability and keep both originals accessible. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested. DELIVERY Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product. PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md
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Fabric pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | Core notes, canvas, bookmarks/files, AI assistant, search and spaces; storage and AI are capped but current official pages publish no numeric amounts |
| plus | — | $8/user | Unlimited items; 50 GB storage; 50 MB/file; 100 spaces; 5 AIs; light AI usage; 4 voice/meeting recordings/dayBilled $96/year. Exact no-commitment monthly price did not render on the live official page. |
| pro | — | $18/user | 250 GB storage; 5 GB/file; unlimited spaces; 10 AIs; moderate AI use; assistant web search; up to 10 scheduled AI jobsBilled $216/year. Exact no-commitment monthly price did not render. |
| max | — | $54/user | 1 TB storage; 5 GB/file; unlimited spaces; 50 AIs; heavy AI use; up to 50 scheduled jobsBilled $648/year. Exact no-commitment monthly price did not render. |
| teams | — | — | 2 TB+ storage; 5 GB/file; 50+ AIs; 50+ AI jobs; pooled heavy usage, centralized billing and admin usage statsThe live page exposes the feature column but not a numeric Team price. |
free tierFree plan exists with core features; storage and AI usage are capped, but no numeric free allowances are published on the current official pages
billingmonthly + annual; annual page prices are $8/$18/$54 per month equivalent; exact monthly prices were not exposed; no refunds
hidden costsAI usage can be topped up manually or automatically, creating variable spend; spending limits are optional. AI allowances are described only as light/moderate/heavy, not as numeric credits. No refunds after billing.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-13 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Fabric
Can you build your own Fabric with AI?
Partly. The visible AI file workspace loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Fabric earns its keep through polish, sync, importers, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.
What does the Fabric build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Add local files, URLs and short notes to a searchable library, extract permitted text and organize related items into a visual workspace. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: collaborative editing and sharing; native mobile clients; conflict-safe multi-device sync. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Fabric prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Fabric project take?
The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Fabric?
collaborative editing and sharing; native mobile clients; conflict-safe multi-device sync; mature importers and exporters. Fabric: People pay for a writing surface they trust for years, plus migration tools, sync, and tiny interaction details that disappear into habit.
What can I use instead of building Fabric?
Karakeep: Links, notes, images and PDFs get searchable, preserved and optionally auto-tagged. Atomic: Notes and web clips become a semantic graph; arbitrary files are not its strongest suit. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.