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About TagSpaces

Our Mission

TagSpaces exists to give people full control over their digital files — without cloud accounts, without proprietary databases, and without vendor lock-in. We believe your files should be organized, searchable, and accessible on your terms, not on the terms of a some service.

In a world where most productivity tools require you to upload your data to someone else's server, TagSpaces takes the opposite approach: everything stays on your device, in standard file formats, readable by any application. Your notes are Markdown files. Your tags are stored alongside your files. Your data is yours — today, tomorrow, and in 20 years.

The Founder

The project was initiated in 2012 by Ilian Sapundshiev in Munich, Germany. Ilian holds a master's degree in computer science and computational linguistics from the Technical University of Munich — a background that directly shapes how TagSpaces approaches file organization, metadata, and search.

In 2015, he founded TagSpaces GmbH to focus full-time on the development of TagSpaces and derivative products. The company remains independent, self-funded, and based in Munich.

Project Timeline

  • 2013 — Project started as a personal side project for organizing files with tags; first public release on GitHub; early adopters from the Linux and open-source community
  • 2014 — Featured on Lifehacker, bringing the first wave of mainstream attention
  • 2015 — TagSpaces GmbH founded in Munich; development becomes full-time
  • 2016 — Web Clipper browser extension released for Chrome and Firefox
  • 2018 — TagSpaces Pro launched with advanced perspectives (Kanban, Gallery, Mapique)
  • 2020 — S3-compatible cloud storage support added, enabling NAS and self-hosted workflows
  • 2021 — Major UI overhaul in version 4.0; tscmd command-line tool released
  • 2023 — Version 5.0 with Kanban boards, FolderViz, and workspace management
  • 2024 — Version 6.0 with redesigned interface
  • 2025 — Local AI integration via Ollama; Calendar perspective added
  • 2026 — Frontmatter support in Markdown editor; contact management; 28 supported languages

Community & Recognition

TagSpaces is trusted by a growing community of developers, researchers, designers, and privacy-conscious users worldwide:

Open Source

The core of TagSpaces (Lite edition) is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. The source code is available on GitHub for anyone to inspect, audit, and contribute to. Most of the file viewer and editor extensions as well as the command-line tool tscmd are licensed under the more permissive MIT license.

We welcome contributions — whether it's code, translations, bug reports, or feedback.

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