Free Simplenote alternatives

All Simplenote alternatives

1. 

   

   Standard Notes

   4.7(3.8K) · App StoreLike

   Standard Notes is an open source note-taking app focused on privacy, with end-to-end encryption for every note and file and apps on all major platforms. Notes work offline and sync across devices, and paid plans add rich editors, file storage and longer revision history. The company became part of Proton in 2024, and the sync server can be self-hosted.

   9 Standard Notes alternatives

   Pros

   • End-to-end encryption for every note and file
   • Open source apps on all major platforms
   • The sync server can be self-hosted

   Cons

   • Rich editors, file storage and longer history need a paid plan
   • Collaboration features are minimal compared with mainstream apps

   Cost / License

   FreemiumOpen source

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroidSelf-hosted

   Features

   Cross-device syncEnd-to-end encryptionMarkdown supportOffline mode

   Visit websiteMore about Standard Notes
2. 

   

   Google Keep

   4.6(29K) · App StoreLike

   Google Keep is a free note app for quick thoughts, checklists, voice memos and photos, shown as colorful cards that can be pinned, labeled and shared. Reminders can be tied to a time or a place, text can be extracted from images, and notes are available from Gmail, Google Docs and Android devices.

   8 Google Keep alternatives

   Pros

   • Fast capture of notes, checklists, voice memos and photos
   • Reminders tied to a time or a place
   • Integrated with Gmail, Google Docs and Android

   Cons

   • No desktop app outside the browser
   • Limited formatting makes it a poor fit for long documents
   • Organization relies on labels only, with no folders or nesting

   Cost / License

   FreeProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge BasesTo-do Lists & Task Managers

   Platforms

   WebiPhoneAndroidBrowser extension

   Features

   Cross-device syncOCRReal-time collaborationReminders

   Visit websiteMore about Google Keep
3. 

   

   Apple Notes

   Like

   Apple Notes is the free notes app included with iPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through iCloud and also reachable on the web at iCloud.com. It handles checklists, tables, Apple Pencil sketches, document scanning and searchable text in images, plus shared notes and folders, tags, smart folders and locked notes.

   9 Apple Notes alternatives

   Pros

   • Free and built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac
   • Document scanning, Pencil sketches and text search inside images
   • Shared notes and folders with real-time collaboration

   Cons

   • No native apps for Windows or Android, only iCloud.com
   • Fewer organization options than dedicated knowledge tools

   Cost / License

   FreeProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WebMaciPhone

   Features

   Cross-device syncOCROffline modeReal-time collaboration

   Visit websiteMore about Apple Notes
4. 

   

   Notesnook

   4.7(676) · App StoreLike

   Notesnook is an open source note-taking app that encrypts every note end to end on your device before syncing it. It offers notebooks, tags, rich text with Markdown shortcuts, an app lock, a private vault and a web clipper, on the web, desktop and mobile. A free plan is available, and the sync server can also be self-hosted.

   9 Notesnook alternatives

   Pros

   • Every note is end-to-end encrypted on your device before syncing
   • Open source apps on web, desktop and mobile
   • The sync server can be self-hosted

   Cons

   • Fewer integrations and plugins than mainstream note apps
   • Some features are limited on the free plan

   Cost / License

   FreemiumOpen source

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroidSelf-hosted

   Features

   Cross-device syncEnd-to-end encryptionMarkdown supportOffline modeWeb clipper

   Visit websiteMore about Notesnook
5. 

   

   Bear

   4.7(6.9K) · App StoreLike

   Bear is a writing and note-taking app for Mac, iPhone and iPad from Shiny Frog, built on Markdown with nested tags, links between notes and a choice of themes. The app is free to use on a single device, while Bear Pro adds iCloud sync across devices, OCR search in images and PDFs, and more export formats.

   12 Bear alternatives

   Pros

   • Elegant Markdown editor with a choice of themes
   • Nested tags and note links keep things organized without folders
   • Native, fast apps designed for Mac, iPhone and iPad

   Cons

   • Apple only, with no Windows, Android or web version
   • Sync across devices requires the Pro subscription
   • No shared notes or real-time collaboration

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   MaciPhone

   Features

   Bidirectional linksCross-device syncDark modeMarkdown supportOCR

   Visit websiteMore about Bear
6. 

   

   UpNote

   4.7(1.1K) · App StoreLike

   UpNote is a note-taking app with a clean editor, notebooks, tags and links between notes, available on the web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Notes are stored locally for offline use and synced across devices, with a web clipper and Markdown shortcuts. The free version is capped at a small number of notes, and Premium can be bought once or as a subscription.

   11 UpNote alternatives

   Pros

   • Clean editor with notebooks, tags and links between notes
   • Apps on every platform, including Linux and the web
   • Premium is available as a one-time purchase

   Cons

   • The free version is capped at a small number of notes
   • No shared notebooks or real-time collaboration

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   Cross-device syncDark modeMarkdown supportOffline modeWeb clipper

   Visit websiteMore about UpNote
7. 

   

   Joplin

   4.1(478) · App StoreLike

   Joplin is an open source note-taking app with Markdown notes, notebooks, end-to-end encrypted sync and a web clipper.

   11 Joplin alternatives

   Pros

   • Open source, with Markdown notes stored in an open format
   • End-to-end encrypted sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV or Joplin Cloud
   • Web clipper and plugins extend the core app

   Cons

   • Interface feels dated next to newer note apps
   • Sync setup takes more effort than turnkey services
   • No web app for reaching your notes from a browser

   Cost / License

   FreemiumOpen source

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   End-to-end encryptionMarkdown supportOffline mode

   Visit websiteMore about Joplin
8. 

   

   Obsidian

   4.5(2.8K) · App StoreLike

   Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device, links them into a knowledge graph and extends with a large plugin ecosystem.

   17 Obsidian alternatives

   Pros

   • Notes are plain Markdown files stored on your device
   • Large ecosystem of community plugins and themes
   • Graph view and backlinks for connected notes

   Cons

   • Official sync and publishing are paid add-ons
   • Plugin-heavy setups take time to configure and maintain
   • No real-time collaboration on notes

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Note-taking & Knowledge Bases

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   End-to-end encryptionMarkdown supportOffline mode

   Visit websiteMore about Obsidian