~/tools/notes
Notes
last updated 2026-06-17 · 6 recommendations · what changed
Notes are where your unfiltered thinking lives: drafts, plans, journals,
passwords you swore you'd move to the vault. Most note apps sync all of it in
plaintext to someone else's analytics pipeline.
The fix is either end-to-end encryption or keeping notes local,
ideally both, split by purpose.
before you pick
The two picks here aren't rivals; they're layers. An E2EE notes app for the
quick-capture, everywhere-synced stuff; a local-first vault for structured,
long-form thinking. Trying to force one tool to do both jobs is how people
end up back on Google Keep.
what actually matters
encryption model
E2EE means the sync server holds ciphertext. "Encrypted in transit" is not that; it just means HTTPS, which everything has.
data ownership
Local files in an open format (Markdown) survive any company's death. A proprietary cloud database survives exactly as long as the subscription.
export honesty
Can you get everything out, with formatting and attachments, in one operation? Test it before you've written ten thousand notes, not after.
audit status
Encryption claims need outside eyes. Both encrypted picks here publish independent audits: that's the bar.
recommendations
Notesnook
the encrypted-sync pick
e2ee by designopen sourceauditedall platformsfree tier · from ~$2/mo
The current best answer for encrypted cloud notes: open source, E2EE by
design rather than as a feature, independently audited, and
priced competitively with Standard Notes while offering a more
capable featureset: rich text, notebooks, tags, web clipping,
publishing. This is the everywhere-synced, quick-capture layer of the stack.
Pricing now splits into three paid tiers (Essential, Pro, Believer) instead
of one flat Pro plan.
good
- E2EE on everything including attachments: zero-knowledge sync
- Open source clients and server, with published audits
- More features than the established alternative, at a comparable price
- Proper export (Markdown/HTML) when you want out
mind the
- Smaller and less battle-tested historically than Standard Notes
- Free tier is genuinely limited (no sync of attachments, fewer notebooks)
- Search inside E2EE data has the usual speed limits
Obsidian
the local-first pick
local markdown filesclosed sourceplugin ecosystemsync optionalfree personal
For structured, long-form, interlinked thinking, a knowledge base built on
plain Markdown files sitting in a folder you own. Closed
source, but local-first blunts most of what that usually costs: your data
never has to touch their servers at all. Sync the vault through
Filen or Syncthing to keep the storage layer
consistent with the rest of your stack instead of adding another vendor.
good
- Your notes are files: readable by anything, forever
- Backlinks, graph view, and a plugin ecosystem with no ceiling
- Free for personal use; works fully offline
- E2EE official sync exists if you'd rather pay than self-sync
mind the
- Closed source: local-first mitigates, doesn't erase, the trust question
- Plugins are third-party code with vault access; install with judgment
- Mobile capture is heavier than a dedicated quick-notes app
Standard Notes
the established pick
e2eeopen sourcelong audit historyproton-ownedfree tier · ~€7/mo
The elder statesman of encrypted notes: a decade of E2EE, multiple published
audits, and a deliberately boring reliability record, now under Proton's
roof. The honest comparison: more expensive and less capable than
Notesnook for most people. It earns its slot on track record and on
the longevity reassurance of its new ownership.
good
- Longest E2EE track record in the category, repeatedly audited
- Proton acquisition answers the small-company longevity question
- Free tier does unlimited plain-text notes, synced
mind the
- Features live behind the priciest subscription on this page
- Free tier is plain text only: no formatting at all
- Development cadence has been sedate for years
Logseq
the open-source outliner pick
local markdown/orgopen sourceoutliner modelsync diyfree
The open-source counterpart to Obsidian: local-first Markdown (or org-mode)
with an outliner model: everything is a bullet, days are the
default unit, and structure emerges from linking rather than folders. As of
May 2026 the project split in two: this is "Logseq OG," the original
file-based Markdown app. A separate, newer database-backed "Logseq" now
exists with its own (faster) development pace, but it's a different app with
a $15/mo sponsor tier required for its new sync and mobile apps. If
Obsidian's closed source bothers you, or daily journaling is your entry point
to notes, the Markdown version covered here is still a reasonable place to
start.
good
- Fully open source and local-first: no trust questions at all
- Outliner + daily-notes workflow is excellent for journaling
- Same file-based freedom: sync with Syncthing/Filen, export is just files
mind the
- This Markdown version ("Logseq OG") is now maintenance-only and feature-frozen; it never reached 1.0
- The newer database-backed "Logseq" is actively developed but needs a $15/mo sponsor tier for sync and mobile
- The outliner model genuinely isn't for everyone, try before committing
- Mobile apps trail desktop in polish
Joplin
the bring-your-own-sync pick
open sourcemarkdowne2ee syncany backendfree
Open source, Markdown-based notes with end-to-end encryption for sync, and
no vendor lock-in on the sync layer itself. Point it at
Nextcloud, Dropbox, WebDAV, or whatever you already use; Joplin encrypts
before it leaves the device either way. The pick if you want E2EE notes
without adopting a new sync provider just for them.
good
- End-to-end encryption applies regardless of which sync backend you pick
- Flexible sync: Nextcloud, Dropbox, WebDAV, S3, and more
- Open source, Markdown files, easy export
- Official paid Joplin Cloud sync option exists too, if you'd rather not run your own backend
mind the
- You're responsible for choosing and maintaining a sync backend
- UI is more utilitarian than Notesnook or Obsidian
- Encryption must be turned on: it isn't forced by default
Cryptee
the notes-and-photos pick
e2eezero-knowledgenotes + photosweb-basedoffline pwa
End-to-end encrypted notes and photo storage in one place, zero-knowledge,
web-based, with offline support as a PWA. Useful if you want one
encrypted home for both written notes and a small personal photo
library instead of running separate apps for each.
good
- E2EE, zero-knowledge for both notes and photos
- Offline-capable PWA: no native app install required
- One encrypted vault covers two different data types
mind the
- Only the frontend is open source; the backend is closed
- Smaller, less established than the dedicated notes or photo specialists
- Web-based-first: native mobile experience is thinner
- Not a full Google Photos replacement at scale; Ente Photos on the Cloud Storage page is the dedicated answer for large photo libraries
at a glance
"diy" sync = pair with syncthing or an e2ee cloud.
worth knowing
Run the two-layer stack. Notesnook (or Standard Notes) for
capture-anywhere encrypted notes; Obsidian (or Logseq) for the long-form vault.
Each does its job better than either does both.
Keep the sync vendor count down. A local-first vault synced
via Filen or Syncthing means your notes ride
infrastructure you've already vetted: no new company learns your thinking.
Notes apps quietly become password managers. Every "temporary"
credential pasted into a note is a vault entry that never got made. Sweep your
notes once and move secrets to the
actual vault.
Journals deserve your strongest protection. If a note would
hurt in a custody dispute, a border search, or a breach dump, it belongs in an
E2EE app with a strong passcode, not in whatever syncs to the account you
log into on work machines.