For power users with serious file libraries

Your visual file workbench.

Files stay where they are — you manage them on the canvas. Not another database to import into.

Alayo — Current Projects

Your file library is years deep and rock solid. It’s also where things go to sit.

So when you actually need to write, think, or wrestle a live project into shape — you’re in Obsidian, or UpNote, or Bear. Your library became the archive you visit. Not the desk you work at.

It’s organized. It’s just heavy. And heavy things don’t get opened every day.

Alayo is the workbench, not another archive.

On your real files.

No import, no proprietary database. It works where your files already live.

Spaces.

One space per project — the same file can live in several spaces (not copies).

Canvas.

Nested folders, flattened into one canvas you can take in at a glance.

AI.

Say it in plain words and AI organizes — it proposes first, you confirm, and you can always undo. Included trial credits require no account and are never sold; your own API key always takes priority.

Three steps. Nothing moves without you.

Picking a real folder in Alayo — files stay in place

01

Point Alayo at a real folder. Nothing moves, nothing imports.

Canvas with an AI grouping proposal awaiting approval

02

Drop what you’re working on onto the canvas. Group, rename, tidy — AI suggests, you approve, and you can always undo.

The same folder in Finder — every file untouched

03

Close it. Your files are still right where they were, just less of a mess.

US$39 early bird US$59 at launch

Pay once during the presale, get your Alayo 1.0 license at launch — targeted late 2026. Fully refundable anytime before launch, no questions asked (refund policy).

Alayo 1.0 is in development; a presale order is a real pre-order for a one-time software license, delivered digitally at launch.

Join the presale list →

Checkout isn’t open yet — join the list and you’ll be first to know when it is.

Once checkout opens, payments are securely processed by Paddle or Stripe over HTTPS — we never store your card details; your license is delivered against your order when Alayo 1.0 ships. See the terms of service.

I’m building Alayo because I’m a frustrated DEVONthink user myself. I kept my library in DT and did all my real work somewhere else — and got tired of the split. If that’s you too, I’d genuinely like to hear from you.

— Jason Chao building Alayo

Fair questions.

Will it lock my files into a database?

No. Alayo works alongside your real files, where they already are.

Does it replace DEVONthink?

No — it’s the workbench next to your library. Keep DT for archival; use Alayo for the live work.

Why not just use Finder / Obsidian?

Those are great until a project sprawls. Alayo is spatial and AI-assisted — AI proposes first, you approve every change, and you can always undo.

Does AI work out of the box? Can I use my own provider?

Yes. Included trial credits require no account, so AI is ready when you are. For heavy use or privacy-sensitive work, you can connect your own AI service (BYOK) at any time.

When does it ship? What about refunds?

1.0 is targeted for late 2026. Presale purchases are fully refundable anytime before launch, no questions asked — see the refund policy.

Leave your email, get first claim on the early-bird price.

Your email is all it takes to join the presale list. The two questions are optional — they help us build for people like you, not a generic “everyone”.

  • Early bird US$39 — US$59 at launch
  • Fully refundable anytime before launch, no questions
  • Presale list members are the first to know when checkout opens

Join the presale list

Email is all we need — the rest is optional. No spam, ever.

You’re on the list.

We’ll email you the moment presale checkout opens — early bird US$39, fully refundable anytime before launch. If Alayo sounds like the thing you’ve been missing, just reply to that email — we read everything.