Secure Notes vs Standard Notes (2026): Simple Locked Vault vs Cross-Platform E2EE

Quick answer: Standard Notes is the stronger choice for encryption: it is open source, audited and end-to-end encrypted on every platform. Secure Notes is a simpler phone vault: no account, Face ID locks for the app, folders and notes, a decoy PIN and voice notes. Choose Standard Notes for encrypted sync across computers, Secure Notes for a quick private lock on your iPhone or Android phone.

Secure Notes vs Standard Notes at a glance

Competitor details checked against standardnotes.com in October 2026. Prices change, so check their site before you buy.

How does Standard Notes encrypt notes?

Standard Notes encrypts each note on your device with XChaCha20-Poly1305. The key comes from your password through Argon2, a memory-hard function that slows down guessing. Only encrypted data reaches the sync server, the code is open source, and independent audits back the claims. That is genuine end-to-end encryption.

You can also run your own sync server with the official Docker setup, which few note apps offer. The tradeoffs: you need an account, the company cannot reset a forgotten password, and the most capable editors and file storage sit on the paid plans. Standard Notes has been part of Proton since 2024.

How does Secure Notes protect notes?

On iPhone and iPad, Secure Notes stores notes on the device, where iOS Data Protection encrypts storage, and puts them behind its own passcode, Face ID or Touch ID lock. The app does not add its own encryption layer to notes, and it is not end-to-end encrypted. Optional sync (Pro) runs through your own private iCloud database, and PixelPort has no server that stores notes.

On Android, Secure Notes does encrypt the whole vault with AES-256 (SQLCipher), with the key protected by your PIN through Argon2id, and the vault never leaves the phone except in a password-encrypted backup file. Our security page lists exactly what each app protects against and what it does not.

• Locks where you need them. Lock the whole app, a folder or a single note, with Face ID or Touch ID as the fast way in.
• Decoy PIN (Pro). A second PIN opens a separate, harmless notebook if someone pressures you to unlock the app.
• No account. Nothing to sign up for, no email address to hand over.
• Encrypted backups (Pro). From version 3.8.1 on iPhone, export an AES-256-GCM backup file protected by a password only you know.

Which should I use?

Pick Standard Notes if you write on several computers, want open-source code, want to self-host, or need end-to-end encryption you can verify. On Linux it is one of very few serious options.

Pick Secure Notes if you want a private notebook on your phone that opens with Face ID, stays locked when other people borrow your phone, offers a decoy PIN, and needs no account. Many people pair it with a password manager for credentials; see how to store passwords safely.

Which has better recovery if I forget my password?

They solve different problems. Standard Notes cannot reset your account password, because it never knows it. Secure Notes gives you 12 recovery words at setup that restore access to the app if you forget your passcode. Either way, write your recovery details down and keep them offline.

Final recap

Standard Notes wins on cryptography, openness and platform reach. Secure Notes wins on simplicity and phone-first privacy features like folder locks and a decoy PIN. If end-to-end encryption is your top requirement, start with Standard Notes; if a simple locked vault on your phone is, try Secure Notes. More options are in the best encrypted note apps and Standard Notes alternatives.

Frequently asked: Secure Notes vs Standard Notes