Notesnook

Zero-knowledge encryption without giving up a modern editor.

By Streetwriters · since 2019 · notesnook.com · Open source

7.2

B · out of 10

Notesnook is open source, end-to-end encrypted, and unlike most privacy apps it has a proper rich text editor with tables, maths, checklists and attachments. Notebooks nest, tags cross-cut, and you can publish a note as a public Monograph. The free plan is generous, and you can self-host the sync server.

How it scores

  • Features25% of score

    7.0

    Depth and breadth of what the app can do.

  • Ease of use20% of score

    7.6

    Speed, polish and how long it takes to feel at home.

  • AI15% of score

    3.2

    Quality and usefulness of the built-in AI, not just its presence.

  • Sync & reliability15% of score

    8.2

    How dependably notes move between devices.

  • Value15% of score

    8.6

    What you get for what you pay.

  • Platform coverage10% of score

    9.4

    How many places you can actually use it.

Pricing

$4.49/month · $49.99/year

Free tier: Unlimited encrypted notes and devices, with limits on attachments and file size.

Pro is about $4.49/month or $49.99/year, and there is a family plan.

Platforms

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Web

39 tracked features supported

What it does well

  • Encryption plus an editor that does not feel like a compromise
  • Free plan covers unlimited notes and devices
  • Importer pulls from Evernote, OneNote, Notion and more
  • Self-hostable if you want the whole stack

Where it falls short

  • No AI features
  • No graph or linked-thinking layer
  • Smaller team means slower fixes
  • Attachment limits arrive quickly on the free plan

Our take

The best balance of privacy and usability in the category, and cheap for what it does.

Best for: People who want Evernote-style notes with Signal-style privacy.

Privacy & ownershipGenuinely free

Feature by feature

YesPartlyVia pluginNo

Capture & input

How notes get into the app in the first place.

  • Voice recordingPartly
  • Audio transcription
  • Speaker identification
  • Meeting recording
  • Handwriting / stylus
  • Drawing canvas
  • OCR / handwriting search
  • Web clipper
  • Share extension
  • Quick capturePartly
  • Images
  • PDF & documents
  • Document scanning

Organization

How notes are structured, linked and found again.

  • Tags
  • Folders / notebooks
  • Multi-level folders
  • Internal links
  • BacklinksPartly
  • Graph view
  • Databases / boards
  • Daily notes / journalPartly
  • Note templatesPartly
  • Saved searchesPartly
  • Pins / favorites
  • Merge notes

AI

Assistants, generators and meaning-based search.

  • AI chat / writing assistant
  • AI agent with tools
  • Custom AI agents
  • Semantic search
  • AI web search
  • Connected apps for AI
  • Prompt templates
  • Custom AI instructions
  • AI memory
  • Scheduled AI tasks
  • Flashcard generator
  • Spaced repetition
  • Quiz generator
  • Fill in the blank
  • Mind maps
  • AI image generation
  • Infographic generator
  • Slide deck generator
  • AI mini apps
  • Brainrot video generator
  • AI audio overview
  • Bring your own model
  • AI job notifications

Writing & editing

What the editor itself can actually do.

  • MarkdownPartly
  • Rich text
  • Code blocks
  • Math / LaTeX
  • Tables
  • Find and replace
  • Version history
  • Note info

Sync & data ownership

Where your notes live and how easily they leave.

  • Cloud sync
  • Sync through your own cloud
  • Offline support
  • Offline-first / own your dataPartly
  • Self-hosting
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Locked notes
  • Daily backup
  • Import
  • Export
  • Public API
  • Command line tool
  • Remote MCP server
  • Plugins / extensions

Sharing & collaboration

Working with other people inside your notes.

  • Share with people
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Comments
  • Public sharing

Experience

The everyday polish around the writing surface.

  • Dark mode
  • Custom themes
  • Multi-languagePartly
  • Command palettePartly
  • Split view
  • Focus mode
  • Home screen widgetsPartly
  • Apple Shortcuts

Compare with

All Notesnook alternatives

Notesnook vs Grape

Adds: AI agent with tools, AI memory

9.0

Notesnook vs Obsidian

Plain markdown files on your disk, with a plugin ecosystem bolted on top.

8.4

Notesnook vs Apple Notes

Already on your phone, and better than it has any right to be.

8.1

Notesnook vs Microsoft OneNote

An infinite paper notebook that has quietly been free for twenty years.

7.8