--- title: Standard Notes canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/standard-notes/ category: Note-Taking Apps points: 63 rank: 5 of 10 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Standard Notes End-to-end encrypted, open-source notes app with free sync on unlimited devices. 63 points out of 100. #5 of 10 note-taking apps. Vendor: Standard Notes, part of Proton. Website: https://standardnotes.com/ - The free plan syncs unlimited devices on web, desktop and mobile, with plain-text notes [1]. - Productivity costs $90 a year and adds Super notes for Markdown, spreadsheets, folders and the Web Clipper [1]. - Professional costs $120 a year and adds 100 GB of encrypted file storage [1]. - Notes are encrypted on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305, and the app code is public under AGPL-3.0 [2][4]. - Outside firms have reviewed it four times, most recently a Cure53 server test in 2022 [3]. Verdict: Standard Notes suits people who want private notes on every device, even on the free plan. Encryption happens on the device, and Trail of Bits and Cure53 have published reviews of it [2][3]. The catch: free notes are plain text only, and Markdown, folders and the Web Clipper need Productivity at $90 a year [1]. Best for: People who want private notes synced free on every device. Status: Standard Notes joined Proton in April 2024; Proton said prices would not change and the app would stay open source [12]. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Apps | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | 18/18 | The features page lists apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and web browsers [5]. | | Systems | Works offline | Yes | 7/7 | Works offline without an account; synced notes stay available without a connection [6]. | | Your data | Notes as plain files | Not published | 0/10 | | | Your data | Export everything to Markdown or HTML | Not published | 0/6 | Backups export all notes as plain-text files in a zip; Markdown or HTML export of everything is not published [7]. | | Your data | End-to-end encryption | Yes | 8/8 | Notes are encrypted on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305; the server cannot decrypt them [2]. | | Your data | Open source | Yes | 6/6 | The app source code is public on GitHub under AGPL-3.0 [4]. | | Features | Web clipper | Yes | 5/5 | Web Clipper for Chrome and Firefox, on the Productivity or Professional plan [8]. | | Features | Linked notes | Yes | 5/5 | Notes link to each other with bidirectional links from the Linking menu [9]. | | Features | Real-time collaboration | No | 0/5 | Standard Notes says it does not provide real-time collaboration [10]. | | Features | Tables and databases | Not published | 0/5 | A spreadsheet note type exists, but database views are not described [11]. | | Features | Handwriting and drawing | Not published | 0/5 | | | Price | Free sync | Yes | 10/10 | The free plan includes unlimited device sync on web, desktop and mobile [1]. | | Price | Cheapest paid plan | $7.50/mo | 4/10 | Productivity, $90 a year [1]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Free | Free [1] | $0 | | Productivity | $90/year [1] | $7.50 | | Professional | $120/year [1] | $10 | No monthly billing is offered. Refunds are possible within 14 days on Productivity and 90 days on Professional; students get 30% off [1]. ## Strengths - The free plan syncs unlimited devices and keeps end-to-end encryption [1]. - Trail of Bits reviewed the encryption in 2020 and Cure53 tested the server in 2022, with reports published [3]. - The app source code is public under AGPL-3.0 [4]. - It works fully offline, even without an account [6]. ## Limits - Free notes are plain text; Super notes, folders and the Web Clipper need a paid plan [1]. - There is no real-time collaboration [10]. - Paid plans are sold yearly only, at $90 or $120 [1]. - Bulk export produces plain-text files; exporting every note to Markdown or HTML is not documented [7]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Standard Notes says its design makes it impossible for the server to read or decrypt your data [2]. ## Sources 1. [Plans](https://standardnotes.com/plans), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Standard Notes encryption whitepaper](https://standardnotes.com/help/security/encryption), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Has Standard Notes completed a third-party security audit?](https://standardnotes.com/help/2/has-standard-notes-completed-a-third-party-security-audit), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [standardnotes/app](https://github.com/standardnotes/app), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Features](https://standardnotes.com/features), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Can I use Standard Notes totally offline?](https://standardnotes.com/help/59/can-i-use-standard-notes-totally-offline), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [How do I create and import backups of my Standard Notes data?](https://standardnotes.com/help/14/how-do-i-create-and-import-backups-of-my-standard-notes-data), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [How do I clip web pages and articles?](https://standardnotes.com/help/usage/how-do-i-clip-web-pages), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Can I create a link to another note?](https://standardnotes.com/help/84/can-i-create-a-link-to-another-note), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [Can I collaborate with others on a note?](https://standardnotes.com/help/50/can-i-collaborate-with-others-on-a-note), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [What are note types and editors?](https://standardnotes.com/help/77/what-are-editors), Standard Notes, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [Proton and Standard Notes are joining forces](https://proton.me/blog/proton-standard-notes-join-forces), Proton, accessed 2026-10-08