Standard Notes
Standard Notes
Encrypted note-taking app with extensions, themes, and cross-platform sync for secure, private note management.
Key Features
- End-to-end encryption
- Cross-platform
- Extensions
- Themes
- Tags
- Markdown support
- Code editor
- Spreadsheets
- Task lists
- File attachments
- Version history
- Offline access
- Self-hosting
- Open source
- Two-factor auth
What is Standard Notes?
Standard Notes is a free, open-source note-taking application that prioritizes privacy and security above all else. Built with end-to-end encryption at its core, Standard Notes ensures that your notes, documents, and personal information remain completely private and accessible only to you. Unlike many mainstream note-taking apps that store your data in plain text on their servers, Standard Notes encrypts everything locally on your device before syncing to the cloud, meaning even the service providers cannot read your content.
The application offers a clean, distraction-free interface that focuses on the essentials of note-taking while providing powerful features through its extension system. Available across all major platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers, Standard Notes provides seamless synchronization across devices while maintaining its security-first approach. The app supports Markdown formatting, making it ideal for writers, developers, and anyone who values both simplicity and functionality in their note-taking workflow.
What sets Standard Notes apart is its commitment to longevity and user control. The open-source nature of the project means you're never locked into a proprietary system, and the option to self-host gives you complete control over your data. Whether you're a privacy-conscious individual, a professional handling sensitive information, or simply someone who values owning their digital notes, Standard Notes provides a sustainable, trustworthy solution that respects your privacy and gives you full ownership of your content.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- End-to-end encryption ensures complete privacy and security for all your notes
- Open-source codebase allows for community auditing and transparency
- Cross-platform support with native apps for all major operating systems
- Self-hosting option gives you complete control over your data
- Extensive extension system for customizing functionality
- Clean, distraction-free interface focused on writing
- Offline access ensures you can work without an internet connection
- Version history allows you to restore previous versions of notes
- Tag-based organization system for flexible note management
- Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of account security
- Regular updates and active development community
- No vendor lock-in with data export capabilities
- Sustainable business model with transparent pricing
- Markdown support for efficient formatting and writing
Cons:
- Many advanced features require a paid subscription
- Learning curve for users new to Markdown formatting
- Limited collaboration features compared to mainstream alternatives
- No native handwriting or drawing support
- Extension system can be overwhelming for new users
- Self-hosting requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain
- Smaller ecosystem compared to popular alternatives like Evernote or Notion
- Web clipper functionality is less robust than competitors
Who It's For
Standard Notes is ideal for privacy-conscious individuals who refuse to compromise on data security. If you're a journalist, lawyer, healthcare professional, or anyone handling sensitive information, Standard Notes provides the peace of mind that comes with knowing your notes are truly private. The end-to-end encryption means that even if servers are compromised, your data remains secure and unreadable to anyone without your encryption keys.
Writers, developers, and technical users will appreciate Standard Notes' Markdown support and extensible architecture. The clean interface eliminates distractions, allowing you to focus on your writing, while the extension system lets you add exactly the functionality you need—whether that's a code editor, task manager, or spreadsheet tool. The open-source nature also appeals to those who value transparency and want to understand exactly how their tools work.
Standard Notes is also perfect for anyone seeking digital independence and long-term sustainability in their note-taking solution. If you're tired of services shutting down, changing their terms, or increasing prices unpredictably, Standard Notes offers a stable alternative. The self-hosting option means you can maintain complete control, while the open-source license ensures the software will remain available even if the company changes direction. It's for people who think in decades, not just months.
End-to-End Encryption
Standard Notes implements military-grade end-to-end encryption using the AES-256 encryption standard, ensuring that your notes are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it. This means that your data is scrambled into an unreadable format using your password as the key, and only you possess the ability to decrypt it. The Standard Notes servers only store encrypted data, and even the company's employees cannot access your notes. This zero-knowledge architecture is fundamental to the app's security model and sets it apart from most note-taking applications that store your data in plain text.
The encryption protocol used by Standard Notes has been independently audited by security researchers and is fully documented in their open-source codebase. Every note, tag, and piece of metadata is encrypted individually, and the encryption keys are derived from your account password using strong key derivation functions. This approach means that if you forget your password, there is no way to recover your data—a trade-off that ensures true privacy. For users who need to share their notes, Standard Notes provides secure sharing mechanisms that maintain encryption while allowing controlled access to specific notes.
Extensions
Standard Notes features a powerful extension system that allows you to customize and expand the functionality of the application to suit your specific needs. Extensions range from different editors (like a rich text editor, code editor, or Markdown editor) to productivity tools such as task managers, spreadsheets, and authentication apps. Each extension is designed to integrate seamlessly with Standard Notes' encrypted architecture, ensuring that even when using advanced features, your data remains secure and private.
The extension ecosystem includes both official extensions developed by the Standard Notes team and community-created extensions. Popular extensions include the Plus Editor for enhanced Markdown editing, the Code Editor with syntax highlighting for developers, the Spreadsheet editor for tabular data, and the FileSafe extension for encrypted file attachments. Extensions are installed directly within the app and can be enabled or disabled based on your workflow needs, allowing you to create a personalized note-taking environment without bloat.
While the basic Standard Notes app is free, many advanced extensions require a paid subscription. This tiered approach allows casual users to enjoy the core functionality at no cost while providing power users with professional-grade tools. The extension architecture is also open-source, meaning developers can create their own custom extensions or modify existing ones to meet specific requirements. This flexibility makes Standard Notes adaptable to virtually any note-taking workflow while maintaining its security-first principles.
Themes
Standard Notes offers a variety of themes that allow you to customize the visual appearance of the application to match your preferences and reduce eye strain. Themes range from minimalist light and dark modes to more elaborate designs with custom color schemes, typography, and layout options. The theming system is comprehensive, allowing you to change not just colors but also the overall aesthetic of the interface, making your note-taking environment more comfortable and personalized.
Like extensions, themes are available in both free and premium tiers. The free version includes basic themes, while paid subscribers gain access to a wider selection of professionally designed themes including popular options like Midnight, Autobiography, Titanium, and Futura. Themes are applied instantly and sync across all your devices, ensuring a consistent experience whether you're working on your desktop, phone, or tablet. For developers and designers, the open-source nature of Standard Notes means you can even create and share your own custom themes with the community.
Self-Hosting
One of Standard Notes' most powerful features is the ability to self-host your own sync server, giving you complete control over where your encrypted data is stored. The self-hosting option is ideal for organizations with strict data residency requirements, privacy enthusiasts who want absolute control, or anyone who prefers not to rely on third-party cloud services. Standard Notes provides comprehensive documentation and Docker containers to make the self-hosting process as straightforward as possible, though it does require some technical knowledge to set up and maintain.
When self-hosting, you maintain all the functionality of the cloud-hosted version, including synchronization across devices, but your data never leaves your own infrastructure. This approach is particularly valuable for businesses, healthcare providers, legal firms, and other organizations that handle sensitive information and need to comply with data protection regulations. The self-hosted server is open-source and can be deployed on your own hardware, a virtual private server, or cloud infrastructure of your choice. Even when self-hosting, the data remains end-to-end encrypted, providing defense-in-depth security.
Version History
Standard Notes includes a comprehensive version history feature that automatically saves previous versions of your notes, allowing you to restore earlier drafts or review changes over time. This feature is invaluable for writers who want to track their editing process, professionals who need to maintain audit trails, or anyone who has accidentally deleted important content. The version history is fully encrypted like all other data in Standard Notes, ensuring that even your historical revisions remain private and secure.
The version history feature is available to paid subscribers and stores unlimited versions of your notes for the duration of your subscription. You can browse through previous versions, compare changes, and restore any version with a single click. The interface makes it easy to see when changes were made and preview the content before restoring. This feature provides peace of mind knowing that you can always recover from mistakes, experiment freely with your writing, and maintain a complete record of how your notes have evolved over time.
Pricing
Standard Notes offers a tiered pricing structure designed to accommodate different user needs and budgets:
Free Basic Plan: The free tier provides unlimited notes, end-to-end encryption, cross-platform sync, and offline access. This plan includes the core note-taking functionality and is perfect for users who want secure, private notes without advanced features. You get access to basic themes and editors, making it a fully functional note-taking solution at no cost.
Plus Plan ($9.99/month): The Plus subscription adds premium editors and themes, version history, encrypted file attachments, and priority support. This tier is ideal for individuals who want enhanced functionality and customization options. You gain access to advanced editors like the Plus Editor and Code Editor, along with a wider selection of themes to personalize your workspace.
Pro Plan ($19.99/month): The Professional plan includes everything in Plus, plus all available extensions, unlimited version history, daily encrypted backups, and the ability to self-host. This tier is designed for power users, professionals, and organizations that need the full suite of Standard Notes features. The Pro plan provides maximum flexibility and control over your note-taking environment.
All paid plans are available with monthly or annual billing, with annual subscriptions offering a discount. Standard Notes also offers a 14-day free trial of premium features, allowing you to test the advanced functionality before committing to a subscription.
Verdict
Standard Notes stands out as one of the most privacy-focused and secure note-taking applications available today. Its unwavering commitment to end-to-end encryption, open-source transparency, and user control makes it an excellent choice for anyone who values digital privacy. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of mainstream alternatives like Notion or Evernote, what it does offer is something increasingly rare: a trustworthy, sustainable platform that puts user privacy first without compromise.
The extensibility of Standard Notes through its extension and theme systems means that despite its minimalist core, it can be adapted to suit a wide range of workflows and preferences. The self-hosting option is a game-changer for organizations and individuals who need complete control over their data, while the reasonable pricing structure makes premium features accessible without breaking the bank. The active development community and regular updates demonstrate that this is a project with long-term viability.
If you're looking for a note-taking app that respects your privacy, gives you ownership of your data, and will likely still be around in ten years, Standard Notes is an outstanding choice. It's not for everyone—those who need extensive collaboration features or prefer a more visual, database-style approach might look elsewhere. But for writers, developers, privacy advocates, and professionals handling sensitive information, Standard Notes delivers exactly what it promises: a secure, reliable, and respectful home for your digital thoughts.
Frequently Asked Questions about Standard Notes
What is Standard Notes?
Standard Notes is a free, open-source note-taking application that prioritizes privacy and security above all else. Built with end-to-end encryption at its core, Standard Notes ensures that your notes, documents, and personal information remain completely private and accessible only to you. Unlike many mainstream note-taking apps that store your data in plain text on their servers, Standard Notes encrypts everything locally on your device before syncing to the cloud, meaning even the service providers cannot read your content.
The application offers a clean, distraction-free interface that focuses on the essentials of note-taking while providing powerful features through its extension system. Available across all major platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers, Standard Notes provides seamless synchronization across devices while maintaining its security-first approach. The app supports Markdown formatting, making it ideal for writers, developers, and anyone who values both simplicity and functionality in their note-taking workflow.
What sets Standard Notes apart is its commitment to longevity and user control. The open-source nature of the project means you're never locked into a proprietary system, and the option to self-host gives you complete control over your data. Whether you're a privacy-conscious individual, a professional handling sensitive information, or simply someone who values owning their digital notes, Standard Notes provides a sustainable, trustworthy solution that respects your privacy and gives you full ownership of your content.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- End-to-end encryption ensures complete privacy and security for all your notes
- Open-source codebase allows for community auditing and transparency
- Cross-platform support with native apps for all major operating systems
- Self-hosting option gives you complete control over your data
- Extensive extension system for customizing functionality
- Clean, distraction-free interface focused on writing
- Offline access ensures you can work without an internet connection
- Version history allows you to restore previous versions of notes
- Tag-based organization system for flexible note management
- Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of account security
- Regular updates and active development community
- No vendor lock-in with data export capabilities
- Sustainable business model with transparent pricing
- Markdown support for efficient formatting and writing
Cons:
- Many advanced features require a paid subscription
- Learning curve for users new to Markdown formatting
- Limited collaboration features compared to mainstream alternatives
- No native handwriting or drawing support
- Extension system can be overwhelming for new users
- Self-hosting requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain
- Smaller ecosystem compared to popular alternatives like Evernote or Notion
- Web clipper functionality is less robust than competitors
Who It's For
Standard Notes is ideal for privacy-conscious individuals who refuse to compromise on data security. If you're a journalist, lawyer, healthcare professional, or anyone handling sensitive information, Standard Notes provides the peace of mind that comes with knowing your notes are truly private. The end-to-end encryption means that even if servers are compromised, your data remains secure and unreadable to anyone without your encryption keys.
Writers, developers, and technical users will appreciate Standard Notes' Markdown support and extensible architecture. The clean interface eliminates distractions, allowing you to focus on your writing, while the extension system lets you add exactly the functionality you need—whether that's a code editor, task manager, or spreadsheet tool. The open-source nature also appeals to those who value transparency and want to understand exactly how their tools work.
Standard Notes is also perfect for anyone seeking digital independence and long-term sustainability in their note-taking solution. If you're tired of services shutting down, changing their terms, or increasing prices unpredictably, Standard Notes offers a stable alternative. The self-hosting option means you can maintain complete control, while the open-source license ensures the software will remain available even if the company changes direction. It's for people who think in decades, not just months.
End-to-End Encryption
Standard Notes implements military-grade end-to-end encryption using the AES-256 encryption standard, ensuring that your notes are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it. This means that your data is scrambled into an unreadable format using your password as the key, and only you possess the ability to decrypt it. The Standard Notes servers only store encrypted data, and even the company's employees cannot access your notes. This zero-knowledge architecture is fundamental to the app's security model and sets it apart from most note-taking applications that store your data in plain text.
The encryption protocol used by Standard Notes has been independently audited by security researchers and is fully documented in their open-source codebase. Every note, tag, and piece of metadata is encrypted individually, and the encryption keys are derived from your account password using strong key derivation functions. This approach means that if you forget your password, there is no way to recover your data—a trade-off that ensures true privacy. For users who need to share their notes, Standard Notes provides secure sharing mechanisms that maintain encryption while allowing controlled access to specific notes.
Extensions
Standard Notes features a powerful extension system that allows you to customize and expand the functionality of the application to suit your specific needs. Extensions range from different editors (like a rich text editor, code editor, or Markdown editor) to productivity tools such as task managers, spreadsheets, and authentication apps. Each extension is designed to integrate seamlessly with Standard Notes' encrypted architecture, ensuring that even when using advanced features, your data remains secure and private.
The extension ecosystem includes both official extensions developed by the Standard Notes team and community-created extensions. Popular extensions include the Plus Editor for enhanced Markdown editing, the Code Editor with syntax highlighting for developers, the Spreadsheet editor for tabular data, and the FileSafe extension for encrypted file attachments. Extensions are installed directly within the app and can be enabled or disabled based on your workflow needs, allowing you to create a personalized note-taking environment without bloat.
While the basic Standard Notes app is free, many advanced extensions require a paid subscription. This tiered approach allows casual users to enjoy the core functionality at no cost while providing power users with professional-grade tools. The extension architecture is also open-source, meaning developers can create their own custom extensions or modify existing ones to meet specific requirements. This flexibility makes Standard Notes adaptable to virtually any note-taking workflow while maintaining its security-first principles.
Themes
Standard Notes offers a variety of themes that allow you to customize the visual appearance of the application to match your preferences and reduce eye strain. Themes range from minimalist light and dark modes to more elaborate designs with custom color schemes, typography, and layout options. The theming system is comprehensive, allowing you to change not just colors but also the overall aesthetic of the interface, making your note-taking environment more comfortable and personalized.
Like extensions, themes are available in both free and premium tiers. The free version includes basic themes, while paid subscribers gain access to a wider selection of professionally designed themes including popular options like Midnight, Autobiography, Titanium, and Futura. Themes are applied instantly and sync across all your devices, ensuring a consistent experience whether you're working on your desktop, phone, or tablet. For developers and designers, the open-source nature of Standard Notes means you can even create and share your own custom themes with the community.
Self-Hosting
One of Standard Notes' most powerful features is the ability to self-host your own sync server, giving you complete control over where your encrypted data is stored. The self-hosting option is ideal for organizations with strict data residency requirements, privacy enthusiasts who want absolute control, or anyone who prefers not to rely on third-party cloud services. Standard Notes provides comprehensive documentation and Docker containers to make the self-hosting process as straightforward as possible, though it does require some technical knowledge to set up and maintain.
When self-hosting, you maintain all the functionality of the cloud-hosted version, including synchronization across devices, but your data never leaves your own infrastructure. This approach is particularly valuable for businesses, healthcare providers, legal firms, and other organizations that handle sensitive information and need to comply with data protection regulations. The self-hosted server is open-source and can be deployed on your own hardware, a virtual private server, or cloud infrastructure of your choice. Even when self-hosting, the data remains end-to-end encrypted, providing defense-in-depth security.
Version History
Standard Notes includes a comprehensive version history feature that automatically saves previous versions of your notes, allowing you to restore earlier drafts or review changes over time. This feature is invaluable for writers who want to track their editing process, professionals who need to maintain audit trails, or anyone who has accidentally deleted important content. The version history is fully encrypted like all other data in Standard Notes, ensuring that even your historical revisions remain private and secure.
The version history feature is available to paid subscribers and stores unlimited versions of your notes for the duration of your subscription. You can browse through previous versions, compare changes, and restore any version with a single click. The interface makes it easy to see when changes were made and preview the content before restoring. This feature provides peace of mind knowing that you can always recover from mistakes, experiment freely with your writing, and maintain a complete record of how your notes have evolved over time.
Pricing
Standard Notes offers a tiered pricing structure designed to accommodate different user needs and budgets:
Free Basic Plan: The free tier provides unlimited notes, end-to-end encryption, cross-platform sync, and offline access. This plan includes the core note-taking functionality and is perfect for users who want secure, private notes without advanced features. You get access to basic themes and editors, making it a fully functional note-taking solution at no cost.
Plus Plan ($9.99/month): The Plus subscription adds premium editors and themes, version history, encrypted file attachments, and priority support. This tier is ideal for individuals who want enhanced functionality and customization options. You gain access to advanced editors like the Plus Editor and Code Editor, along with a wider selection of themes to personalize your workspace.
Pro Plan ($19.99/month): The Professional plan includes everything in Plus, plus all available extensions, unlimited version history, daily encrypted backups, and the ability to self-host. This tier is designed for power users, professionals, and organizations that need the full suite of Standard Notes features. The Pro plan provides maximum flexibility and control over your note-taking environment.
All paid plans are available with monthly or annual billing, with annual subscriptions offering a discount. Standard Notes also offers a 14-day free trial of premium features, allowing you to test the advanced functionality before committing to a subscription.
Verdict
Standard Notes stands out as one of the most privacy-focused and secure note-taking applications available today. Its unwavering commitment to end-to-end encryption, open-source transparency, and user control makes it an excellent choice for anyone who values digital privacy. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of mainstream alternatives like Notion or Evernote, what it does offer is something increasingly rare: a trustworthy, sustainable platform that puts user privacy first without compromise.
The extensibility of Standard Notes through its extension and theme systems means that despite its minimalist core, it can be adapted to suit a wide range of workflows and preferences. The self-hosting option is a game-changer for organizations and individuals who need complete control over their data, while the reasonable pricing structure makes premium features accessible without breaking the bank. The active development community and regular updates demonstrate that this is a project with long-term viability.
If you're looking for a note-taking app that respects your privacy, gives you ownership of your data, and will likely still be around in ten years, Standard Notes is an outstanding choice. It's not for everyone—those who need extensive collaboration features or prefer a more visual, database-style approach might look elsewhere. But for writers, developers, privacy advocates, and professionals handling sensitive information, Standard Notes delivers exactly what it promises: a secure, reliable, and respectful home for your digital thoughts.