What is Standard Notes used for?

Standard Notes is an end-to-end encrypted note-taking app with sync across devices and a self-hostable server, available on web, desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for private note-taking across devices, self-hosting an encrypted notes backend and publishing blog posts from notes.

Is Standard Notes open source?

Yes. Standard Notes is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at standardnotes/app and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Is Standard Notes free?

Yes. Standard Notes is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from $90 per year.

Can I self-host Standard Notes?

Yes. Standard Notes can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Standard Notes an alternative to?

Standard Notes is an open-source alternative to Evernote, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes. Other open-source alternatives to Evernote include Notesnook, Joplin and Memos.

Is Standard Notes actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Standard Notes was on 30 September 2026. The project has 6.6k stars on GitHub.

Standard Notes: open-source alternative to Evernote

About Standard Notes

Standard Notes is a note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, built for digitalists and professionals, aiming to keep notes, files and life's work in one secure place. Only the user can read their notes, and sync across devices is encrypted by default.

You register for an account on the web app and install clients for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. The README highlights fast, free and encrypted sync on an unlimited number of devices, public source code, the option of hosting your own server with a few steps, and a focus on longevity and sustainability. A companion service called Listed turns notes into an online publication with email newsletters, and developers can build and publish extensions.

The web app compiles to static HTML, JavaScript and CSS files that can be served from any web server, and the README includes build and development instructions. Standard Notes is written in TypeScript and licensed under AGPL-3.0, with a forum and help pages for support. It suits privacy-minded users who want encrypted notes with the option to host their own backend.

Key features

End-to-end encrypted notes and files
Sync across unlimited devices
Apps for web, desktop and mobile
Self-hostable sync server
Listed publishing and newsletters
Extensions published by developers

Good fit for

→Private note-taking across devices
→Self-hosting an encrypted notes backend
→Publishing blog posts from notes

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: note-taking; encryption; privacy; end-to-end-encryption; self-hosted; sync; markdown; cross-platform; typescript

Standard Notes: questions and answers

What is Standard Notes used for?: Standard Notes is an end-to-end encrypted note-taking app with sync across devices and a self-hostable server, available on web, desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for private note-taking across devices, self-hosting an encrypted notes backend and publishing blog posts from notes.
Is Standard Notes open source?: Yes. Standard Notes is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at standardnotes/app and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Standard Notes free?: Yes. Standard Notes is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from $90 per year.
Can I self-host Standard Notes?: Yes. Standard Notes can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Standard Notes an alternative to?: Standard Notes is an open-source alternative to Evernote, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes. Other open-source alternatives to Evernote include Notesnook, Joplin and Memos.
Is Standard Notes actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Standard Notes was on 30 September 2026. The project has 6.6k stars on GitHub.