Notesnook
Focus: evernote alternative. Shares notes and encryption with Standard Notes. Rated 4.4 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFree planWeb, Windows
4.4Visit
Web App
Standard Notes
An end-to-end encrypted notes app that syncs across unlimited devices for free.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Freemium
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
Web, Windows, macOS
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Standard Notes?
Standard Notes is an open-source notes app that encrypts everything end to end, so only you can read your notes. The free plan includes plain text notes, unlimited device sync, offline access, two-factor authentication and daily encrypted email backups, while paid plans add rich text, folders and encrypted file storage.
Pros: what Standard Notes does well
- Audited end-to-end encryption
- Free sync on unlimited devices
- Full data export at any time
Cons: where it falls short
- Free plan is limited to plain text notes
- Rich text, folders and file storage are paid
Who Standard Notes is for
Anyone who wants private notes, journals or records that no provider can read.
Who can skip it
People who want rich formatting and databases without paying.
Standard Notes alternatives
Not sold on Standard Notes? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Joplin
Focus: markdown and evernote alternative. Shares notes and open source with Standard Notes. A desktop app, not a web app. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Vorta
Focus: backup, borg and github. Shares encryption and privacy with Standard Notes. A desktop app, not a web app. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.5Visit
ProtectedText
Focus: encrypted notes, notepad and no login. Shares privacy with Standard Notes. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.4 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, Android
4.4Visit
BentoPDF
Focus: pdf tools, merge pdf and github. Shares privacy and open source with Standard Notes. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.7 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.7Visit
Ente
Focus: encrypted photos, 2fa and cloud storage. Shares privacy and open source with Standard Notes. Rated 4.7 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFree planWeb, iOS
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to Standard Notes
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Speakr
Focus: transcription, audio and self-hosted. Shares open source and privacy with Standard Notes. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.7 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, Linux
4.7Visit
SilverBullet
Focus: markdown, wiki and self-hosted. Shares notes and open source with Standard Notes. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.6Visit
VERT
Focus: file converter, image conversion and github. Shares privacy and open source with Standard Notes. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.6 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.6Visit
jrnl
Focus: journal, daily log and plain text. Shares open source with Standard Notes. A desktop app, not a web app. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.5Visit
cheat
Focus: cheatsheet, command line and reference. Shares open source with Standard Notes. A desktop app, not a web app. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.4 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
Tiny Little Office
Focus: office suite, documents and spreadsheets. Shares privacy and open source with Standard Notes. Free (Standard Notes: Freemium). Rated 4.3 (Standard Notes: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.3Visit
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