Notesnook
The zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted note app with cross-device sync, notebooks and a web clipper — open source, self-hostable, and truly private.
Notion
EvernoteAbout Notesnook
Notesnook starts from a promise the big note apps can't make: nobody but you can read your notes. Everything is end-to-end encrypted with a zero-knowledge architecture — not even the Notesnook team can see your content.
Despite the encryption, it feels like a normal, polished note app: rich-text editing, notebooks and tags, cross-device sync, a web clipper and app lock. The sync server is open source too, so you can self-host the entire stack.
GPL-3.0 licensed and independently developed, Notesnook is the strongest choice when privacy is the feature you care about most.
Key features
- Zero-knowledge encryption — Every note is end-to-end encrypted — only your devices can decrypt them.
- Notebooks, tags & clipper — Organize with notebooks and tags, and capture pages with the web clipper.
- Sync everywhere — Encrypted sync across desktop, web, iOS and Android.
- Self-hostable server — The sync server is open source — run the whole stack on your own hardware.
The honest read
- True zero-knowledge, E2E-encrypted notes
- Polished apps on every platform
- Open-source client and sync server
- Web clipper and app lock included
- Painless import from Evernote and others
- No real-time team collaboration
- Best features need the paid plan (unless self-hosted)
- No databases or project views like Notion
- Search is limited by encryption trade-offs
FAQ
Yes — the core app is free and open source under GPL-3.0. A paid Pro plan unlocks extras on the hosted service, or you can self-host the sync server for free.
No — it's zero-knowledge: notes are encrypted on your device before syncing, so only you hold the keys.
Notesnook matches the everyday features — notebooks, tags, clipper, sync — while adding end-to-end encryption and open source. Evernote has more integrations but none of the privacy guarantees.
Yes — the sync server is open source and can be run with Docker, keeping the entire stack under your control.
Yes — notes are stored locally and sync when you reconnect.
TypeScriptReact Native
C# (.NET)
Docker
