Note-taking and knowledge bases
Elephas: review, pricing, data and alternatives
Elephas lets macOS users query a knowledge base built from their files and find passages supporting answers. It supports local model responses, personal information masking before cloud requests, and team sharing. A free tier exists; the first paid plan costs $19 per month. Access and transparency score: 58/100, #8 of 14 in its category.
What is Elephas?
Elephas lets macOS users query a knowledge base built from their files and find passages supporting answers. It supports local model responses, personal information masking before cloud requests, and team sharing.
According to its documentation, Elephas lets you:
- query a knowledge base built from your files
- find passages that support an answer
- read PDFs, office documents, and notes
- mask personal information before a cloud request
- generate responses with a model running on the computer
- share a document knowledge base with your team
We file it under Note-taking and knowledge bases, the category of tools to organise notes and knowledge, and it also overlaps with aI for documents and PDFs and enterprise search. The category lists 14 verified tools on this site.
The publisher is Liberation Softwares LLP, based in India.
Who is it for?
It is mostly useful to these profiles: researchers, lawyers, accountants and finance teams, and small business owners. The need it covers is simple to state: organise notes and knowledge.
Elephas is a good candidate if:
- you want to try before paying
- you must keep your data in Europe or on your own machine
The best test is a concrete case from your daily work: if the tool does not beat your current method within a week, move on to an alternative.
How much does Elephas cost?
Pricing model: freemium (limited free use, then paid). A free plan is offered, usually limited in volume or features.
The first paid plan costs $19 per month (Standard, billed monthly; the page also offers annual billing), according to the pricing page, checked on October 24, 2026.
Per month, that is more expensive than the category median ($9 per month, based on tools with a published price).
To estimate what the same work would cost done directly with an AI model, use our API price calculator. Prices change often: always check the official site before subscribing.
Data and privacy
According to its privacy policy, data is processed on your device (local processing).
Local processing is the most favourable case: your files do not leave your machine for the features concerned.
Exporting your content: yes (details on the official site). Being able to get your data back makes switching tools easier later.
Three habits apply to every AI tool:
- turn off the use of your content for training if the option exists
- use a work account separate from your personal account
- review everything the tool produces before publishing or sending it
Platforms, languages and API
Elephas runs on: macOS.
Interface languages: English.
API availability is not documented.
How we scored it
Our 58/100 score does not judge output quality: it measures what can be publicly verified about access to the tool, its openness and how far the publisher can be trusted.
| Criterion | Points | What counts |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 25/30 | free tier, published price, French interface |
| Openness | 10/30 | API, data export, open code |
| Trust | 23/40 | identified publisher, declared hosting, age, presence in reference lists |
The full calculation is explained on our method page.
Comparison with alternatives
Elephas against other tools in the note-taking and knowledge bases category:
Verdict
Elephas is a decent option; compare its price and terms with the category leaders.
Strengths
- Free tier to try it
- Local processing available
Limitations
- More expensive than its category median
Alternatives
Categories and jobs
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is Elephas free?
Yes, a free plan exists, with usage limits. The first paid plan costs $19 per month.
Where is Elephas data stored?
According to the publisher, on your device (local processing).
Does Elephas have an API?
It is not documented.
What are the alternatives to Elephas?
In the same category: Recall, Obsidian, Glasp, and Open Notebook.
Elephas or Recall: which one to choose?
Elephas starts at $19 per month, Recall at $10 per month and our score is 58/100 for Elephas and 78/100 for Recall. Try both on the same task before paying.
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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score