saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

note-taking app · Standard Notes, part of Proton

Standard Notes

End-to-end encrypted, open-source notes app with free sync on unlimited devices.

63/100

#5 of 10 note-taking apps
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

Standard Notes joined Proton in April 2024; Proton said prices would not change and the app would stay open source12.

In short

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 it2,3. The catch: free notes are plain text only, and Markdown, folders and the Web Clipper need Productivity at $90 a year1.

Best for: People who want private notes synced free on every device.

Where the points come from

Systems25 of 25
Your data14 of 30
Features10 of 25
Price14 of 20

Systems 25 of 25 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
AppsWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, WebThe features page lists apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and web browsers5.18 / 18
Works offlineYesWorks offline without an account; synced notes stay available without a connection6.7 / 7

Your data 14 of 30 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Notes as plain filesNot published0 / 10
Export everything to Markdown or HTMLNot publishedBackups export all notes as plain-text files in a zip; Markdown or HTML export of everything is not published7.0 / 6
End-to-end encryptionYesNotes are encrypted on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305; the server cannot decrypt them2.8 / 8
Open sourceYesThe app source code is public on GitHub under AGPL-3.04.6 / 6

Features 10 of 25 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Web clipperYesWeb Clipper for Chrome and Firefox, on the Productivity or Professional plan8.5 / 5
Linked notesYesNotes link to each other with bidirectional links from the Linking menu9.5 / 5
Real-time collaborationNoStandard Notes says it does not provide real-time collaboration10.0 / 5
Tables and databasesNot publishedA spreadsheet note type exists, but database views are not described11.0 / 5
Handwriting and drawingNot published0 / 5

Price 14 of 20 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free syncYesThe free plan includes unlimited device sync on web, desktop and mobile1.10 / 10
Cheapest paid plan$7.50/moProductivity, $90 a year1.4 / 10

The rule behind each line: how we score note-taking apps.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
Free1 personFree1$0Plain-text notes, unlimited device sync
Productivity1 person$90/year1$7.50Super notes, spreadsheets, folders, Web Clipper
Professional1 person$120/year1$10Adds 100 GB encrypted file storage and sharing with up to 5 accounts

No monthly billing is offered. Refunds are possible within 14 days on Productivity and 90 days on Professional; students get 30% off1.

Strengths

  • The free plan syncs unlimited devices and keeps end-to-end encryption1.
  • Trail of Bits reviewed the encryption in 2020 and Cure53 tested the server in 2022, with reports published3.
  • The app source code is public under AGPL-3.04.
  • It works fully offline, even without an account6.

Limits

  • Free notes are plain text; Super notes, folders and the Web Clipper need a paid plan1.
  • There is no real-time collaboration10.
  • Paid plans are sold yearly only, at $90 or $1201.
  • Bulk export produces plain-text files; exporting every note to Markdown or HTML is not documented7.

What Standard Notes, part of Proton says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

  • Standard Notes says its design makes it impossible for the server to read or decrypt your data2.

Other note-taking apps

  1. 1
    AnytypePeople who want Notion-style databases kept encrypted on their own devices
    76/100
    $4/mocheapest paid plan
  2. 2
    LogseqPeople who want linked notes as plain files they control
    72/100
    $5/mocheapest paid plan
  3. 3
    ObsidianPeople who want their notes as plain files they own
    71/100
    $4/mocheapest paid plan
  4. 4
    JoplinPeople who want free, open-source notes with encrypted sync
    67/100
    $2.67/mocheapest paid plan

All 10 note-taking apps

Sources

  1. Plans, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  2. Standard Notes encryption whitepaper, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  3. Has Standard Notes completed a third-party security audit?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  4. standardnotes/app, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  5. Features, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  6. Can I use Standard Notes totally offline?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  7. How do I create and import backups of my Standard Notes data?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  8. How do I clip web pages and articles?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  9. Can I create a link to another note?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  10. Can I collaborate with others on a note?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  11. What are note types and editors?, Standard Notes. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  12. Proton and Standard Notes are joining forces, Proton. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: standardnotes.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Standard Notes, part of Proton.