Install the Public edition

The Public edition is free, open source, and distributed through GitHub releases. It runs in solo mode: local SQLite, no authentication, no cloud sync.

Screenshot gap. GitHub releases page, macOS Gatekeeper first-run, and empty-state projects list haven't been captured yet. See the screenshot gap list.

Where to download

Open the Ideafy public repository on GitHub
Go to Releases in the right sidebar
Pick the latest release (top of the list)
Download the .dmg asset

There's only one DMG per release — universal binary, works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Installing

Open the downloaded .dmg
Drag Ideafy.app into Applications
Eject the DMG
Open Applications → Ideafy

First run and Gatekeeper

Because the Public edition is open source and ships unsigned (or signed with a community certificate), macOS Gatekeeper may show a warning:

"Ideafy" cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.

To allow it:

Right-click Ideafy.app in the Applications folder
Pick Open
In the Gatekeeper dialog that appears, click Open again

This is a one-time step. Subsequent launches work normally.

If you'd rather not bypass Gatekeeper, the Team edition ships as a code-signed build. That's a paid build, though — Public remains unsigned.

What happens on first launch

The app creates ~/Library/Application Support/ideafy/ with an empty SQLite database
You land on an empty projects list, with the sidebar showing + Add Project
No sign-in prompt, no team flow, no pool view — you're in solo mode

You're ready to create your first project.

What you can and can't do in Public

You can:

Create unlimited projects on unlimited folders
Create unlimited cards
Run evaluate / autonomous / quick-fix on cards
Use Claude Code, Gemini CLI, or Codex CLI as the agent
Use the bundled MCP server, skills, and hooks
Run multiple worktrees with per-card dev servers
Chat with the agent per card section, with persistent conversation history

You can't:

Push to the pool (pool tools aren't bundled in Public)
See a team, my-queue, or notification bell (those UIs are cloud-only)
Sync across devices (no Supabase)
Access the board from a web browser

If you want those, upgrade to the Team edition. See Editions overview.

Updating

The Public edition ships through GitHub releases. There's no auto-update today:

Check the Releases page periodically
Download a newer DMG
Drag the new Ideafy.app into Applications, replacing the old one

Your local SQLite database is untouched by the update. You keep all your projects, cards, and conversations across versions.

Reporting bugs

The Public repo's issue tracker is the right place. Include:

Your macOS version
The Ideafy version (Settings → About)
A short reproduction — ideally the Detail / Solution / Tests content of the card that triggered the issue if relevant

Prev: Editions overview Next: Install the Team edition Up: User guide index