Cushion

Cushion is a desktop application that functions as a markdown-based workspace with artificial intelligence features built directly into the writing environment. It is designed as a single place to write notes, read and annotate PDFs, and create diagrams, with AI assistance available for each task. The tool is open-source and available as a free download.

Cushion works by integrating several AI-powered tools into a unified interface. You can ask an AI questions about the content of a PDF you are viewing to get summaries or explanations. The built-in Excalidraw diagramming tool lets you generate flowcharts and other visuals from a simple text prompt. A key feature is the AI review system, which suggests edits to your writing and shows you the changes inline, allowing you to accept or reject them without switching apps. For privacy, the Whisper feature provides speech-to-text that runs entirely on your local machine, keeping your voice data offline.

This tool is ideal for anyone who works extensively with text and needs to synthesize information from different sources. Students can use it to take lecture notes, annotate research papers, and create study aids. Writers and researchers benefit from the ability to manage notes, documents, and visual ideas in one application. Developers may appreciate the extensibility through MCP servers to connect other tools and build custom workflows. Cushion is for users who want a consolidated, AI-enhanced workspace without relying on cloud-based services for core features.