Free Standard Notes alternatives
Top Note-taking & Knowledge Bases like Standard Notes
The most popular alternative to Standard Notes is Notesnook, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Standard Notes are Joplin, Obsidian, Simplenote, and UpNote.
Most alternatives to Standard Notes are in the Note-taking & Knowledge Bases category, compared here by price, platform and features.
All Standard Notes alternatives
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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesJoplin is an open source note-taking app with Markdown notes, notebooks, end-to-end encrypted sync and a web clipper.
11 Joplin alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesObsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device, links them into a knowledge graph and extends with a large plugin ecosystem.
17 Obsidian alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesSimplenote is a free note app from Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, that sticks to plain text with optional Markdown, tags and quick search. Notes sync instantly across web, desktop and mobile apps, every change is kept in version history, and notes can be shared with collaborators or published as a web page. The apps are open source.
8 Simplenote alternativesPros
- Free, ad-free and fast plain-text notes
- Instant sync across web, desktop and mobile
- Version history keeps every change to a note
Cons
- No images, attachments or rich formatting
- Organization is limited to tags and search
Cost / LicenseFreeOpen sourceCategoriesUpNote 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesBear 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesEvernote is a long-standing note-taking app, owned by Bending Spoons since 2023, that stores notes, web clips, PDFs, scans and audio in notebooks with tags and full-text search, including text inside images. Recent versions add tasks, calendar integration and AI features, while the free plan has become very limited compared with the paid tiers.
12 Evernote alternativesPros
- Mature web clipper and full-text search, even inside images
- Stores notes, PDFs, scans and audio in one place
- Tasks and calendar integration alongside notes
Cons
- The free plan is very limited compared with paid tiers
- Paid plans are expensive compared with many note apps
- Apps can feel heavier and slower than lighter note tools
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesAnytype is a local-first workspace for notes, databases and collaboration, with peer-to-peer sync and end-to-end encryption.
10 Anytype alternativesPros
- Local-first data with end-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer sync
- Objects, types and relations enable flexible, database-like notes
- Works offline on desktop and mobile alike
Cons
- The object and type model takes time to learn
- No web app, only desktop and mobile clients
- Fewer integrations and plugins than mainstream workspaces
Cost / LicenseFreemiumSource availableCategoriesGoogle 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreeProprietaryPlatforms
Standard Notes vs its alternatives at a glance
Pricing, platforms and the key features of Standard Notes, compared with its most popular alternatives.
| App | Pricing | Platforms | Cross-device sync | End-to-end encryption | Markdown support | Offline mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard Notes | FreemiumOpen source | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Self-hosted | ||||
 Notesnook | FreemiumOpen source | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Self-hosted | ||||
 Joplin | FreemiumOpen source | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android | ||||
 Obsidian | Freemium | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android | ||||
 Simplenote | FreeOpen source | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android | ||||
 UpNote | Freemium | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android |
Standard Notes alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Standard Notes?
The most popular alternative to Standard Notes is Notesnook: Open source, end-to-end encrypted alternative to Evernote. Other great alternatives are Joplin, Obsidian, Simplenote, and UpNote.
Is there a free alternative to Standard Notes?
Yes, 9 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Notesnook, Joplin, Obsidian, and Simplenote.
Is there an open source alternative to Standard Notes?
Yes, 3 open source alternatives are listed, including Notesnook, Joplin, and Simplenote.
Is Standard Notes free?
Standard Notes has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.
Compare Standard Notes with its alternatives
Sponsored listings and products made by the publisher of this site are always labeled. How we rank · Know a good alternative? Submit it