The Best Secure Notes Apps in 2026
We researched secure notes apps through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on each app’s core privacy and note-taking job, value for money, and verified features such as encryption, offline access, platform coverage, and export options within the secure notes category.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Joplin#1 of 309.2/10A flexible, low-cost choice for encrypted notes across desktop, mobile, and web.
Free plan · 14-day trial
-
Runner-up
Standard Notes#2 of 309.0/10A privacy-focused notes app with offline editing and several editor types.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
Notesnook#3 of 308.8/10A low-cost encrypted notes app with broad platform coverage and useful integrations.
Free plan · 14-day trial
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 30 tools, best first
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Best forBroad, low-cost encrypted notes across platforms
A flexible, low-cost choice for encrypted notes across desktop, mobile, and web.
- Offline access
- Open source
Free plan · 14-day trial Our Joplin verdict → Visit JoplinFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #1 · $149/mo →9.2/10★★★★★Visit Joplin -
Best forCross-platform encrypted notes with rich editors
A privacy-focused notes app with offline editing and several editor types.
- Offline access
- Open source
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Standard Notes -
Best forAffordable encrypted notes with integrations
A low-cost encrypted notes app with broad platform coverage and useful integrations.
- Offline access
- Open source
Free plan · 14-day trial Our Notesnook verdict → Visit NotesnookFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #3 · $79/mo →8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Notesnook -
Best forPrivacy-focused personal note-taking across devices
A privacy-focused notes workspace with offline access and broad platform coverage.
- File attachments
- Offline access
- Open source
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit PrivacyNotes -
Best forEncrypted notes with large storage options
A privacy-focused notes and storage app with offline access and plans up to 2000 GB.
- File attachments
- Offline access
- Open source
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Cryptee -
Best forSelf-hosters who want flexible sync and clipping
A flexible, open-source notes setup for people comfortable choosing and managing their own sync.
- Offline access
- Open source
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit QOwnNotes -
Best forEncrypted collaborative knowledge management
A broad, privacy-focused workspace for structured knowledge and encrypted teamwork.
- Offline access
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Anytype -
Best forEncrypted notes with sharing and self-hosting
Turtl combines encrypted notes, sharing, offline access, and self-hosting.
- Offline access
- Open source
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Turtl -
Best forSecure notes with device sync and sharing
A privacy-focused notes app with offline editing, sharing, and optional encrypted sync.
- Offline access
- Open source
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Dash -
Best forSelf-hosted encrypted notes with rich media
A self-hosted vault for encrypted notes, rich media, diagrams, search, and version history.
- File attachments
- Open source
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit OpenVLT -
Best forSelf-hosted encrypted web notes
A focused web notes app for people who want encrypted storage on hardware they control.
- Open source
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Lockpad -
Best forEncrypted web notes with attachments and sync
A capable open-source encrypted notes app, limited by its web-only scope and archived status.
- File attachments
- Offline access
- Open source
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit ZeroNote -
Best forEncrypted Markdown notes with GitHub sync
A free, local-first secure notes app for Markdown users who want GitHub sync.
- Offline access
- Open source
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit VaultNote -
Best forFree encrypted notes on major platforms
A free, open-source secure notes app with device-side encryption and offline access.
- Offline access
- Open source
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Notyra -
Best forFree encrypted notes across trusted computers
A free, privacy-focused notes app for syncing encrypted content across trusted computers.
- Offline access
- Open source
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Paste -
Best forPrivate mobile notes with media support
A mobile-first private notes app with offline storage, media, and encrypted sync.
- File attachments
- Offline access
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Snug -
Best forFree encrypted notes on Windows and Android
A focused free note app for private, encrypted syncing across Android and Windows.
- Offline access
- Open source
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit SilentNotes -
Best forFeature-rich encrypted notes on Android
A feature-rich encrypted notes app for Android, with web access and shared editing.
- File attachments
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit SecNotes -
Best forCommand-line encrypted notes with WebDAV
A focused open-source option for encrypted notes in terminal and Neovim workflows.
- Offline access
- Open source
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Notr -
Best forHighly sensitive self-destructing Android notes
A specialized Android vault for notes that expire, self-destruct, or disappear on demand.
- Offline access
- Open source
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit NULVEX -
Best forFree local encrypted Markdown vaults
A free, open-source desktop vault for offline Markdown notes and local encryption.
- Offline access
- Open source
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Binderus -
Best forOffline encrypted Android notes with attachments
A focused choice for private Android notes, attachments, and encrypted backups.
- Offline access
- Open source
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit NoteSR -
Best forMinimal password-protected web notepads
A focused choice for password-protected notes without accounts or local setup requirements.
- Open source
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit SealNotes -
Best forSimple private notes on Android
A private, free Android notes app with local encryption and no account requirement.
- Offline access
- Open source
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Cipher Notes -
Best forPortable encrypted notes on Windows
A free, open-source choice for encrypted local notes on Windows.
- Open source
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Crypto Notepad -
Best forSecurity-focused local notes on Windows and Linux
A free, open-source desktop vault with unusually broad privacy tools and limited platform coverage.
- File attachments
- Offline access
- Open source
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Safe Notes -
Best forEncrypted Windows notes with AI assistant access
A focused Windows notes app with local encryption and Claude assistant connectivity.
- Offline access
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Snoq -
Best forOpen-source encrypted hierarchical notes
A free open-source vault for structured notes with per-note encryption.
- Open source
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Nolio -
Best forSimple encrypted web notes
A focused browser notepad for private, organized notes without registration.
- Offline access
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit MadNotes -
Best forLocal encrypted notes across multiple devices
A focused, open-source vault for private notes stored and processed on your devices.
- Open source
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit LocalNotes
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Encryption model | Offline access | Open source | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joplin | Yes | €2.40/mo | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 2 | Standard Notes | Yes | $90/yr | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 3 | Notesnook | Yes | $1.67/mo | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 4 | PrivacyNotes | Yes | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 5 | Cryptee | Yes | €3/mo | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 8.4 |
| 6 | QOwnNotes | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 7 | Anytype | Yes | Yes | No | 8.2 | ||
| 8 | Turtl | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | ||
| 9 | Dash | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 10 | OpenVLT | Free | End_to_end | Yes | 7.8 | ||
| 11 | Lockpad | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.7 | ||
| 12 | ZeroNote | Yes | Free | Local | Yes | Yes | 7.6 |
| 13 | VaultNote | Yes | Free | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 7.5 |
| 14 | Notyra | Yes | Free | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 7.3 |
| 15 | Paste | Yes | Free | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 7.2 |
| 16 | Snug | Yes | Local | Yes | 7.1 | ||
| 17 | SilentNotes | Yes | Free | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 7.0 |
| 18 | SecNotes | Yes | Local | 6.9 | |||
| 19 | Notr | Free | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 6.8 | |
| 20 | NULVEX | Yes | End_to_end | Yes | Yes | 6.7 | |
| 21 | Binderus | Yes | Free | Local | Yes | Yes | 6.6 |
| 22 | NoteSR | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.5 | ||
| 23 | SealNotes | Free | End_to_end | Yes | 6.4 | ||
| 24 | Cipher Notes | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.3 | |
| 25 | Crypto Notepad | Yes | Free | Local | Yes | 6.2 | |
| 26 | Safe Notes | Yes | Local | Yes | Yes | 6.1 | |
| 27 | Snoq | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.0 | ||
| 28 | Nolio | Yes | Free | Local | Yes | 6.0 | |
| 29 | MadNotes | Yes | $3/mo | Privacy_focused_sync | Yes | 6.0 | |
| 30 | LocalNotes | No | Local | Yes | 6.0 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Joplin vs Standard Notes
- Joplin vs Notesnook
- Joplin vs PrivacyNotes
- Joplin vs Cryptee
- Joplin vs QOwnNotes
- Joplin vs Anytype
- Joplin vs Turtl
- Standard Notes vs Notesnook
- Standard Notes vs PrivacyNotes
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How we rank secure notes apps
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update