How to Export Your Recall Library, and Where to Take It

If you want to leave Recall, or just keep a copy of your library somewhere you control, the path is short: export the cards as Markdown, import them somewhere that can read them, and check what survived. This post walks through it with BrainTube as the destination, because BrainTube is the tool I build. I'll say plainly where Recall is still the better fit, too.

What Recall gives you on the way out

Recall's export is a zip of Markdown files, one per card, from its settings. That is a decent format to own. Markdown opens in any editor, it diffs cleanly, and nothing is locked in a proprietary database.

It also has gaps that people who have done the move complain about. Card links come out as Recall's own references rather than standard wiki links, there is no JSON export, and there is no export from the mobile app. None of that stops a migration. It means the links between cards need a second look after you import, and the folder of Markdown files is the thing to keep as your backup.

Before you export, it helps to know why you are moving, because Recall is good at several things. Where Recall honestly wins (2026-10-04): native iOS and Android apps, extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari, a cheaper paid entry with unlimited summaries ($10/month yearly), and a polished in-app reading experience. If those are what you use daily, a move costs you something real.

Why people move

The reasons I hear most are price and AI access. On price, here is where Recall stands. Recall pricing as of 2026-10-04: Free has unlimited saves, 10 AI summaries a month, no chat, and API + MCP; Plus is $12/month or $10/month billed yearly; Max is $48/month or $38/month billed yearly.

The other reason is AI access. As of 2026-10-04 Recall's MCP server and REST API are read-only (one kb:read scope, 4 tools), and its changelog lists "MCP 2.0 with write access" as coming next; BrainTube's MCP is read-write on every plan. That comparison has a shelf life. Recall has said write access is coming, so check their docs on the day you read this.

Step one: export from Recall

Open Recall's settings, choose the export, and download the zip. Don't unzip and edit it before importing. Keep the original file somewhere safe as your untouched backup.

If you would rather not download anything, there is a second route below that uses your Recall API key instead.

Step two: import into BrainTube

In BrainTube, open Import and choose Recall. Import → Recall brings a Recall library into BrainTube from Recall's Markdown export zip, or by pasting your own Recall API key (used once in the browser, never stored); tags and source links come across.

The zip route is parsed in your browser, so your export file isn't uploaded as a whole. The API-key route reads your cards straight from Recall's own API, which is useful if the export button is buried or you want to skip the download.

On the Free plan there is a limit to know about. Free accounts also get a one-time allowance of 200 items through the Recall and link-list importers. The allowance covers imports; saving new items one by one afterwards stays free.

After that, each card becomes an item in your library, carrying its title, its tags and the link back to the original source. From there it sits next to anything else you save, so a search can return a Recall card and a video you saved last week side by side.

Step three: check what survived

Do a spot check before you delete anything on the Recall side:

• open five cards you know well and compare the title, tags and source link
• search for a phrase you remember from one of them
• look at a card that linked to other cards and see how the links came through

If the links between cards matter to you, keep the original folder of Markdown files after the import. It is the most faithful copy of your Recall library you will have, and it costs nothing to store. Keep it next to the BrainTube export described further down, and you have two independent copies in two formats.

I'll be honest about the state of this importer. It shipped in October 2026, and I have not yet run it on a large real-world Recall library end to end. Run a small export before the full one, and tell me what broke if anything did.

Step four: make the library reachable from your AI

This is the part that changes how the library gets used. BrainTube runs a remote MCP server at https://mcp.brain-tube.com/mcp; in Claude.ai you add it as a custom connector and sign in with OAuth, with no API key to paste.

From then on, Claude can search your imported cards, and in the same MCP session it can search your library and also save content, add notes and tag items. Tested with Claude; any client that speaks MCP streamable-HTTP uses the same endpoint.

Keep your own exit open

A migration is a good moment to set up the next one. Export your library as Markdown or JSON from Settings, or the whole corpus through MCP: the export_corpus tool returns a ZIP of Markdown files. The in-app export covers your most recent items, so use the MCP export for a full copy.

FAQ

Does Recall let you export your library?

Yes. Recall exports your cards as a zip of Markdown files from its settings. There is no JSON export and no export from the mobile app.

Will my tags come across?

Yes. When you import a Recall export into BrainTube, tags and source links come across with each card.

Do I need to give BrainTube my Recall password?

No. You either upload the export zip, or paste your own Recall API key, which is used once in the browser and never stored.

Is there a limit on the free plan?

Yes. Free accounts get a one-time allowance of 200 items through the Recall and link-list importers.