Free · No account · Runs on your PC
Highlight Vault
Every book you've highlighted on Kindle or Kobo, pulled into one searchable, private library that lives on your own computer — not a subscription page you'll forget you're paying for.
- 100% local — nothing uploaded
- Windows 10/11
- Kindle & Kobo
Your Kindle highlights are scattered across a page you never visit again — or locked behind a subscription you didn't ask for.
Amazon's own highlights page is barely searchable. Readwise wants $8–10 a month just to read your own notes. Highlight Vault's core library — import, search, favorites, collections, export — costs nothing, forever.
What's free
Everything you need for a working, searchable highlights library — no trial, no time limit.
Kindle & Kobo import
Pulls in every highlight from Kindle and Kobo, plus CSV import from other sources.
Browse & Search
Every highlight and note, filterable by genre, colour, and date read.
Favorites & collections
Star the highlights that matter and organize books into manual collections.
Export anywhere
Word (.docx), CSV, or JSON — your data, your format, no lock-in.
100% local
Nothing uploaded, no account, no analytics phoning home. It's your library on your machine.
Free. Actually free.
No trial countdown, no feature nag screens. Upgrade to Pro only if you want to.
Want autosync, Notion, and more exports?
Highlight Vault Pro adds scheduled autosync, Notion/Obsidian/Google Docs push, EPUB/PDF/Anki export, a full stats dashboard, keyword theme clustering, a highlight timeline, spaced-repetition review, smart collections, bulk actions, per-highlight tags, custom colour labels, and shareable links — a one-time purchase, unlocked instantly with a license key from right inside the app.
See Highlight Vault Pro →Free to download. Pay what you want.
Highlight Vault's free tier costs nothing — full stop. If it saves you time and you'd like to chip in toward keeping it maintained, Gumroad's checkout lets you name your own amount, including $0.
Continue to downloadFree is free. Not a trial.
A subscription tool for the same core job costs more in its first month than Highlight Vault's free tier ever will.
| Highlight Vault (free) | Subscription highlight tools | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | ~$96–120 / year |
| Where your highlights live | Your computer | Their servers |
| Works if you stop paying | There's nothing to stop | No |
| Export formats | Word, CSV, JSON | Varies, often paywalled |
Everything stays on your machine
Your highlights never leave your computer unless you choose to export them somewhere. The only outside services Highlight Vault ever talks to are the ones you connect — Amazon and Kobo to import, or Word/CSV/JSON to export.
No account creation. No analytics phoning home. No highlights sitting on someone else's server waiting for a data-breach headline.
Questions before you download
Is it really free, no catch?
Yes. Kindle/Kobo/CSV import, Browse & Search, favorites, manual collections, and Word/CSV/JSON export all work with no license, no trial countdown, and no account. Pro is a separate, optional one-time purchase for autosync and extra export/organization features.
What do I need to run it?
Windows 10 or 11. No Python or technical setup — download, unzip, and run HighlightVault.exe.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC" — is that normal?
Yes. This is Microsoft SmartScreen flagging any app from a small, independent developer — not a sign anything's wrong. Click More info → Run anyway to continue. This only happens once per version.
How is this different from Highlight Vault Pro?
Same installer, same download. Pro unlocks scheduled autosync, Notion/Obsidian/Google Docs push, EPUB/PDF/Anki export, stats extras, theme clustering, a highlight timeline, spaced-repetition review, smart collections, bulk actions, per-highlight tags, custom colour labels, and shareable links — activated with a license key from a separate one-time purchase.
Do updates cost extra?
No. Re-download the latest version any time from your Gumroad Library, free tier included.
Your highlights are worth more than a page you never revisit.
Free, local, and yours. Every highlight you've ever made, finally somewhere you can actually use it.
Download freeNo account · No card · Pro upgrade optional