Best Standard Notes Alternatives in 2026: Six Honest Picks

Quick answer: The best Standard Notes alternatives in 2026 are Notesnook (closest match, always end-to-end encrypted, richer free plan), Joplin (bring your own sync), Obsidian (linked Markdown, not encrypted locally), Bear (best writing experience), Apple Notes (free, end-to-end encrypted with Advanced Data Protection) and Secure Notes (a simple locked notebook with a decoy PIN).

Why switch from Standard Notes at all?

People rarely leave Standard Notes over its cryptography. Every plan, including the free one, encrypts on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305, the code is open source and audited, and you can self-host. The reasons are practical: the free plan supports plain text notes only, and Markdown, folders and files need a paid plan.

As of October 2026, Productivity costs $90 per year and Professional $120 per year, more than most note apps. Recovery is password-only: forget it and the notes are cryptographically gone. And since Proton acquired the company in 2024, some users prefer a tool whose direction they can predict. If you are unsure what end-to-end encryption buys you, read zero-knowledge architecture, explained.

Standard Notes alternatives compared

Prices come from each vendor's site in October 2026 and change often.

The six best Standard Notes alternatives in 2026

1. Notesnook: closest like-for-like replacement

Notesnook shares Standard Notes' security approach: notes are encrypted on the device (XChaCha20-Poly1305 with Argon2 key derivation, per its docs) before sync, and the code is open source. It flips the freemium model, though: the free plan includes the rich-text editor.

Organization adds notebooks on top of tags, and a vault can lock sensitive notes. Apps cover iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and the web, and you can self-host the sync server. Paid plans start at $19.99 per year (Essential), with Pro at $69.99 per year. The trade: recovery uses a long recovery key you must store safely, and the project is younger than Standard Notes.

2. Joplin: best for bring-your-own sync

Joplin suits people whose loyalty was to open source rather than to Standard Notes itself. It is free, Markdown-native software with apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and a terminal client. You choose the sync: Joplin Cloud from €2.99 per month, or Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV or your own server for free.

End-to-end encryption exists but is off by default; Joplin's docs say you must enable it manually on one device first. A large plugin ecosystem covers almost anything. The trades: the interface is functional rather than polished, and the most important security switch is the one most users never flip.

3. Obsidian: best for linked knowledge bases (not encrypted locally)

Obsidian comes with a caveat up front: your notes sit on disk as plain Markdown files. For some Standard Notes users that is disqualifying; for others it is the point, since your vault is a folder of portable files no vendor can hold hostage.

The app is free, runs on every desktop and mobile platform, and its backlinks, graph view and plugins are unmatched for building a connected knowledge base. Obsidian Sync, from $4 per month billed yearly, is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256, but local copies stay unencrypted unless your disk encryption covers them.

4. Bear: best writing experience

Bear is for people leaving Standard Notes over the writing experience. It is arguably the best Markdown editor on Apple devices: live styling, lovely typography, nested tags and rich export. Bear Pro costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year and is needed for sync.

On privacy it is a step down, but not zero. Regular notes sync through iCloud with Apple's standard protection, while Bear Pro can encrypt individual notes with a Note Password and Face ID. Bear runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with Bear Web in beta, and has no Windows or Android app.

5. Apple Notes: best zero-friction default

Apple Notes' privacy is better than its reputation, with conditions. By default, iCloud notes use Apple-managed keys. Locking a note encrypts its body with a key from your notes password or device passcode. With Advanced Data Protection on, all iCloud notes become end-to-end encrypted.

It is free, preinstalled and handles attachments, scanning and collaboration well. The limits: shared notes cannot be locked, there are no per-folder locks, and there is no Windows or Android app beyond iCloud.com. If you move to Apple Notes, turn on Advanced Data Protection the same day.

6. Secure Notes: a simple locked notebook, honestly described

Secure Notes is a different kind of app, and you should know exactly what it is. On iPhone and iPad it does notend-to-end encrypt your notes, so it does not match Standard Notes' zero-knowledge guarantee. Notes stay on your device, protected by iOS Data Protection, behind the app's passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, with locks for single notes and folders.

What it offers instead is simplicity and some features Standard Notes lacks: a decoy PIN that opens a separate harmless notebook, 12 recovery words to get back in if you forget your passcode, voice notes, and no account to create. Pro adds sync through your own private iCloud and, from version 3.8.1, AES-256 encrypted backup files that only your password opens. The Android app does encrypt the whole vault with AES-256 on the phone. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android only, with no desktop or web app, and is closed source. Read the full model on our security page and the head-to-head at Secure Notes vs Standard Notes.

What is the best free alternative to Standard Notes?

Joplin is the best free alternative if free must mean free forever: the whole app is open source with no feature paywall, and syncing through your own Dropbox or WebDAV costs nothing. Notesnook's free plan is the better daily experience, with rich editing and always-on encryption included.

Apple Notes and Secure Notes are free too, but they are Apple-centric answers rather than cross-platform ones (Secure Notes also has a separate Android app that does not sync with iPhone).

Which alternative keeps real zero-knowledge encryption?

Only Notesnookmatches Standard Notes' zero-knowledge guarantee out of the box, on every platform. Joplin joins it after you enable its optional end-to-end encryption, and Apple Notes gets there with Advanced Data Protection. Obsidian (plain files locally), Bear (regular notes) and Secure Notes on iPhone do not.

If zero-knowledge was your reason for choosing Standard Notes, your shortlist is Notesnook, or Joplin with encryption switched on. Our encrypted note apps comparison covers the iPhone options in more depth, and Notesnook alternatives covers the rest of that shortlist.

How should I choose?

• Want Standard Notes with a nicer free plan: Notesnook, same security class.
• Open source absolutist, own server: Joplin with WebDAV or self-hosted sync, encryption switched on.
• Building a linked knowledge base: Obsidian, accepting plain files on disk or adding Sync.
• Writing first: Bear, with Pro encryption for the few sensitive notes.
• Minimum effort on Apple hardware: Apple Notes with Advanced Data Protection on.
• Want a fast locked notebook with a decoy PIN and no account: Secure Notes, knowing it is not end-to-end encrypted on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions about Standard Notes alternatives