Notesnook

Open source alternative to Evernote, Standard Notes and Notion

14.8K stars
GPL-3.0
Active this week
Last commit 2 days ago

Last verified Oct 20, 2026

Secure private notes with end-to-end encrypted sync across desktop, mobile, and web.

Visit website GitHub14.8K Deploy on Hostinger

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Notesnook is for#

Professionals storing sensitive notes

Notesnook fits lawyers, journalists, clinicians, consultants, and researchers who need notes that remain private across devices.

Skip if:

Skip it if your main need is shared project documentation or a collaborative team wiki.

Privacy-focused users leaving Evernote

Users can move toward a note app where encryption, open source clients, and data ownership are primary design goals.

Skip if:

Use Evernote or Notion if you value broad integrations and workspace features more than cryptographic privacy.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Notes often contain sensitive material: client details, research, legal notes, medical information, credentials, interview notes, and personal journals. If the note service can read the content or lock it behind a proprietary sync system, privacy depends on vendor promises rather than cryptography and portability.\u000A\u000AMany popular note apps also mix note-taking with broad workspace features, which can make privacy, export, and offline reliability harder to reason about. Privacy-focused users need a focused notes app where encryption and ownership are central.

how Notesnook solves it

How it solves it#

End-to-end encrypted notes

Notesnook encrypts note content so the service provider cannot read private notes. This is the key difference from many general productivity workspaces.

Open source client apps

The repository includes open source app code across desktop, web, and mobile surfaces. Users and teams can inspect the privacy-critical parts of the note-taking stack.

Self-hostable sync server

Notesnook supports a self-hosted sync path for users who want control over where encrypted note data is stored. This reduces dependence on a single hosted provider.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Privacy is a product boundaryNotesnook puts encryption and private sync at the center instead of treating privacy as an add-on. That makes it a better fit for sensitive personal and professional notes.
Focused alternative to workspace bloatNotesnook is designed for notes rather than project management, databases, and team wikis. Users who want private writing and retrieval do not need to adopt a larger workspace system.

Trade-offs

-Not a Notion-style team workspaceNotesnook is strongest for private notes. Teams needing relational databases, public docs, project boards, and rich collaborative workspaces should choose a different tool.
-Self-hosting adds sync responsibilityRunning the sync server means owning uptime, backups, TLS, and upgrades. Many users will prefer the hosted sync option even if they value open source clients.

versus alternatives

Notesnook vs alternatives#

Notesnook vs Evernote

Notesnook and Evernote both store notes across devices, but Notesnook centers end-to-end encryption and open source clients while Evernote is a proprietary hosted productivity product.

Criterion	Notesnook	Evernote
License	GPL-3.0 repository	Proprietary SaaS
Encryption	End-to-end encrypted notes	Hosted proprietary service model
Hosting	Hosted sync or self-hosted sync server	Managed SaaS
Best fit	Sensitive private notes	Broad hosted note capture and organization

Notesnook is the better choice when privacy and source transparency matter. Evernote is still stronger when users want a mature hosted workflow with broad integrations and minimal setup.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaJavaScriptTypeScript
Frameworks: ReactReact Native
Tooling: esbuild

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is Notesnook end-to-end encrypted?

Yes. Notesnook is built around end-to-end encrypted note storage. That means note content is designed to remain unreadable to the service provider.

Can I self-host Notesnook?

Yes. Notesnook provides a self-hostable sync server path. Self-hosting gives more control over where encrypted data is stored, but it also requires operations work.

How does Notesnook compare to Evernote?

Notesnook prioritizes encrypted private notes and open source clients, while Evernote provides a mature hosted productivity product with broad capture and organization features. Choose Notesnook for privacy; choose Evernote for hosted convenience.

Looking for more

Other ways to replace Evernote, Standard Notes and Notion#

AppFlowy

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AFFiNE

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Outline

#3 in the Notion guide

Polished team wiki and internal knowledge base

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Macro Docs

#4 in the Notion guide

Markdown-native docs that agents and teammates edit together

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by category

Open source tools in these categories#

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Who Notesnook is for#