Standard Notes is an encrypted notes app for Mac made by Standard Notes Ltd. Every note is end-to-end encrypted before it leaves your Mac and synced to your other devices, so only you can read it.
The free Standard plan covers plain-text notes, tags, offline access, password protection for single notes, two-factor authentication, daily encrypted email backups and a full export in encrypted or plain form. The Productivity plan adds Super notes with Markdown, rich text, checklists and code, plus spreadsheets, folders, daily notebooks, a web clipper and a year of revision history. Professional adds 100 GB of encrypted file storage.
Standard Notes says its encryption is audited by outside security researchers, and that the company is funded by paying users rather than venture capital. It suits people who want simple, private notes that sync to Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and the web.
The code is public under AGPL-3.0, and you can self-host your own sync server. Mac downloads come as separate Apple silicon and Intel builds, and Homebrew has a cask. Listed, a blogging service from the same team, lets you publish notes as a blog.
Frequently asked questions
Is Standard Notes free?
Yes. The Standard plan costs nothing and syncs encrypted plain-text notes on unlimited devices. Productivity ($90 a year) and Professional ($120 a year) add Super notes, spreadsheets, a web clipper, longer revision history and, on Professional, 100 GB of file storage.
Is Standard Notes safe and open source?
Notes are end-to-end encrypted on your device, and Standard Notes says its code is audited by independent security researchers. The source is public under AGPL-3.0, and you can run your own sync server if you prefer.
How do I install Standard Notes?
Download the Apple silicon or Intel build from standardnotes.com/download, or run brew install --cask standard-notes in Terminal. Register an account to turn on encrypted sync.
What macOS version does Standard Notes need?
Standard Notes does not state a minimum macOS version on its download page, and the Homebrew cask lists none. It ships native builds for both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
How does Standard Notes compare to Evernote and Bear?
Evernote's free plan stops at 50 notes and sync on one device. Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad and needs Bear Pro ($2.99 a month or $29.99 a year) for iCloud sync. Standard Notes syncs unlimited notes on unlimited devices for free, including Windows, Linux and Android, but free notes are plain text; richer Super notes need a paid plan.
Can I lock a single note in Standard Notes?
Yes. Even on the free plan you can password-protect individual notes, on top of the encryption that covers your whole account.
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