Standard Notes
A private notes app built around encrypted sync and long-term access.
Standard Notes is a cross-platform note-taking app focused on protecting personal writing, files, and records with end-to-end encryption. It supports uses ranging from Markdown notes and rich text documents to journals, tasks, code snippets, finance notes, and secure file storage, with syncing and offline access across devices.
Why it stands out
- Built around encryption rather than adding privacy as a secondary feature.
- Open-source apps and published independent audits give users more ways to verify security claims.
- Free plan covers unlimited notes and unlimited devices, which is uncommon among privacy-focused note apps.
- Designed for longevity, with the company emphasizing paid-user revenue rather than venture funding.
Good to know
- Some expanded capabilities appear to require paid plans beyond the free note-syncing tier.
- Its zero-knowledge model puts more responsibility on the user to manage account access and recovery safely.
- Although it can store many kinds of private information, it is still a notes/files app rather than a dedicated password manager, legal records system, or medical records platform.
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Privacy-conscious writers, journalists, legal professionals, and individuals who need encrypted notes without giving the service readable access to their data. Keep journals, IDs, contracts, finance notes, and other sensitive records in one protected workspace. Draft Markdown, rich text, outlines, todos, and code snippets across devices. Maintain an offline copy of notes while still using secure cloud sync and automated backups.
End-to-end encrypted notes and file storage; zero-knowledge access model; Markdown and rich text editing; tasks, outlines, journaling, code snippets, and personal records; offline availability; cloud sync across unlimited devices; open-source applications with independent security audits.
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