Notesnook review: encrypted notes across your devices

Notesnook is a free open-source encrypted notes app for people who want the same notebook on a phone and a computer. The app encrypts each note on your device before that note is synced, and the free plan covers unlimited notes on unlimited devices.¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A notes app that locks notes on your device, then syncs them to your other devices.

Works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and the web.¹

Price: Free for unlimited notes, with 50 MB of attachment storage a month. Paid plans start at $1.99 a month.²

Licence: The apps are GPLv3. The sync server is AGPLv3.¹⁵

Best for: People who want private notes on every device they already own.

Official site: notesnook.com

What Notesnook does (and how it protects your privacy)

Notesnook is a notebook with sync built in. You write on one device and open the same note on another. Before the note leaves the device, the app encrypts it with XChaCha20-Poly1305-IETF, a standard lock for the text. Your password is stretched into a key with Argon2i, a slow scramble that makes guessing harder.³

Streetwriters (Private) Limited, based in Pakistan, develops Notesnook and says subscriptions fund the project. The first version shipped in April 2021. Notesnook says hosted notes have been stored in Germany, on Hetzner, since August 2022, and that attachment files have been stored in Germany on iDrive since August 2024. It uses Cloudflare’s network when sending those files to you, and says user data is not stored unencrypted.⁴

The sync server is also public under the AGPLv3. Notesnook says self-hosting is possible, without support, and that the guide is still to come.⁵

Key features of Notesnook

Encryption is on by default. Notes use XChaCha20-Poly1305-IETF, and the password key uses Argon2i.¹³
Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a web app at app.notesnook.com that encrypts notes in the browser before they sync.¹
A free plan with unlimited notes on unlimited devices, and no payment card to create the account.¹
Rich text, tables and notebooks on the free plan, plus 100 saved versions of each note.⁷
An importer for Evernote, Google Keep, Obsidian, Joplin and other apps, which runs on your device.¹
Notes stay readable and editable with no connection. Full offline mode starts on the Essential plan.¹⁷
Two-factor authentication on the account, a second check at sign-in on top of the password.¹
Open-source apps under the GPLv3, and a sync server published under the AGPLv3.¹⁵

Pros and cons

Pros

Notesnook says notes are encrypted on the device, the server stores ciphertext it cannot open, and the company cannot reset a lost password.³
The free plan does not cap how many notes you write or how many devices you sign in on.²
The client apps and the sync server are published as source code.⁵⁷
Desktop 3.4.11 was released on 26 October 2026, and mobile 3.4.15 on 21 October 2026.⁸
If you cancel a paid plan, notes stay readable, editable and exportable on the free plan.²

Cons

Lose both the password and the account recovery key, and the notes cannot be decrypted, including by Notesnook.³
Notesnook says it has not had an independent security audit, an outside review of the security work.⁷
The free plan includes 50 MB of attachment storage a month, files up to 10 MB, and 50 notebooks and 50 tags.²
App lock, a passcode or biometrics on the app, is part of Pro. Full offline mode starts on Essential, at $1.99 a month.²⁷
Running your own sync server is unsupported, and the self-hosting guide is not written yet.⁵
The privacy policy, last updated on 5 June 2023, says Notesnook may ask for an email address and may collect usage data such as an IP address. Telemetry can be turned off in settings.⁶

Is Notesnook safe and private?

Notesnook’s help page says everything you write is encrypted on your device before it is sent, the password never leaves the device, and the server stores ciphertext it cannot open. A data encryption key locks the notes, and a master key from your password protects that key. The algorithms are XChaCha20-Poly1305-IETF for the notes, Argon2i for the master key, and Argon2id for the password hash sent to the server, all from libsodium. Without the password and the recovery key, Notesnook says nobody can decrypt the notes.³

The privacy policy, effective 19 June 2023 and last updated on 5 June 2023, says Streetwriters does not sell, read or distribute notes you create. It says data is stored in Germany, that an account may use an email address, and that the service may collect usage data such as an IP address, browser and device type. Telemetry can be turned off in settings. The website uses Umami, a self-hosted traffic analysis tool.⁶

Notesnook says it has not had a third-party security audit. It points to the open-source clients and the self-hostable sync server as what you can inspect.⁷ Updates are still coming: desktop 3.4.11 on 26 October 2026, and mobile 3.4.15 on 21 October 2026, which shrinks the iOS app.⁸

How to get started with Notesnook

Open the download page at notesnook.com/downloads and install the app for your computer, or use the web app at app.notesnook.com.¹
On Android, choose Google Play or F-Droid from that page. On iPhone or iPad, use the App Store link there.¹
Create a free account and choose a password you do not use elsewhere. No payment card is required.¹
Keep the password and the account recovery key somewhere safe, such as KeePassDX on Android. Without both, the notes cannot be decrypted.³
Write a short note. It is encrypted on the device before it syncs.³
Install Notesnook on a second device and sign in with the same account.¹
Turn on two-factor authentication for the account, so sign-in needs more than the password.¹

Who should use Notesnook (and who might prefer something else)

Notesnook fits if you want private notes on the devices you already use, with sync handled for you. The free plan covers a lot of text. Move to Essential ($1.99 a month) for full offline mode, or Pro ($6.99 a month) for app lock. Yearly billing is marked as two months free, and the 14-day trial on monthly and yearly plans needs a payment method.²⁷

If you would rather keep notes on a computer you run, Trilium Notes is a notebook with a clear hierarchy, and flatnotes keeps self-hosted notes as Markdown files. If a published outside audit matters more than Notesnook’s free editor, Notesnook’s own comparison points to Standard Notes: it says Standard Notes has been audited, and that Notesnook has not.⁷

Frequently asked questions

Is Notesnook free?

Yes. The free plan includes unlimited notes on unlimited devices, encryption by default, and 50 MB of attachment storage a month. No card is required, and the free plan has no time limit. Paid plans are $1.99, $6.99 or $8.99 a month for more storage and larger uploads: 1 GB, 10 GB or 25 GB a month, with file limits of 100 MB, 1 GB or 5 GB.²

Is Notesnook safe?

Notesnook encrypts notes on your device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2, and says the server cannot read them. The apps are open source under the GPLv3. Notesnook also says it has not had an independent security audit, so there is no published outside report beside the code. The password and the recovery key are the way back in.¹³⁷

Does Notesnook work on iPhone?

Yes. It is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and the same account works on Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and the web. Mobile version 3.4.15, released on 21 October 2026, shrinks the iOS app.¹⁸

What happens if you forget your Notesnook password?

The account recovery key is the other way in. Notesnook says the server stores ciphertext it cannot open, and that without the password and that key the notes cannot be decrypted. Save both when you create the account.³