Standard Notes

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Country: United States (US)
Founded: 2017
Developer: Standard Notes (self-developed)
Pricing: Freemium
Open source: Yes
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web

Indexes

Note-Taking Web Clipping

Overview

Standard Notes is an end-to-end encrypted note-taking app that enables users to write, organize, and sync notes across devices. It supports personal notes, tasks, passwords, code, journals, and more, with tagging, pinning, locking, and trash recovery features.¹³ Designed for privacy-focused users, it stands out with open-source code, offline access, no device or note limits, and encryption ensuring only the user can read notes.¹²

Key Features

End-to-End Encryption - Notes are encrypted with XChaCha20, accessible only by the user, even from the provider.¹
Cross-Device Sync - Seamless syncing across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, and web with no device limits.¹⁴
Offline Access - Downloaded notes available without internet connection.¹
Tagging System - Organize notes with tags like #work or #passwords.¹
Passcode & Biometric Lock - Protect app with passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.¹
Note Types & Editors - Supports Markdown, rich text, checklists, spreadsheets, and more via extensions.⁵
Trash Recovery - Recover deleted notes from trash before emptying.¹

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	Free	Unlimited notes and devices, sync, offline access, tagging, basic editors.¹
Pro	Paid (subscription)	Advanced editors, themes, web clipper, two-factor authentication, more features.⁴

Platforms & Requirements

Available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS via App Store; Android, Windows, Linux desktop apps; and web browsers. Supports offline access on all platforms with no noted minimum requirements beyond standard OS versions. Fully cross-platform with consistent experience.¹⁴

Integrations & Ecosystem

Web Clipper (Pro)
Self-hosted sync server
Two-factor authentication (Pro)
Import/export via open formats
Extensions for editors (Markdown, Spreadsheet, etc.)
API access via open-source

Alternatives

App	Difference
Obsidian	Local-first Markdown notes with graph view, less emphasis on sync encryption.
Joplin	Open-source with E2E encryption, focuses on Markdown and self-hosting.
Notion	All-in-one workspace with databases, lacks default E2E encryption.
Evernote	Feature-rich with search and scanning, proprietary with optional premium encryption.

Reputation

Standard Notes is praised for its strong privacy via end-to-end encryption, open-source transparency, and simple cross-platform sync, appealing to users storing sensitive data like passwords or journals.¹²⁴ Criticisms include a basic free tier lacking advanced editors like spreadsheets, requiring Pro upgrade for full functionality.⁴ It maintains a solid reputation for security with no usage data collection.⁶

Sources (6)