Private and open-source alternatives to Microsoft OneNote
15 notes rated against the same public privacy criteria as Microsoft OneNote (OneNote), with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source.
- No trackers or telemetry: no. Exodus finds HockeyApp, App Center Crashes and OpenTelemetry in the Android app, and Office apps send required diagnostic data to Microsoft by default.
- Independent audit: partial. OneNote is covered by independent Office 365 SOC 2 Type 2 audits, but the reports are only available to signed-in Microsoft 365 customers.
See the full Microsoft OneNote rating.
The alternatives
Standard Notes Grade A
End-to-end encrypted notes app for web, desktop and mobile, with open source clients and server. Paid plans add editors, file storage and more; the server can be self-hosted.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Standard Notes scores 90 out of 100 (grade A) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Fossify Notes Grade B
Open source Android note-taking app for text notes and checklists, with a home screen widget. Works offline with no internet permission.
Fossify Notes scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Markor Grade B
Open source Android text editor and notebook for Markdown, todo.txt and plain-text files stored locally. Works offline and can use any sync app for the files.
Markor scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Memos Grade B
Open source, self-hosted note-taking service for quick Markdown notes in a timeline, with tags, file attachments and an API. Runs as a single lightweight server with a web interface and stores data in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL.
Memos scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Poznote Grade B
Self-hosted notes and tasks web app with rich-text, Markdown and drawing editors, tags, multiple users, OIDC login and a REST API. Runs in Docker with PHP and SQLite.
Poznote scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
SiYuan Grade B
Local-first personal knowledge management app with Markdown editing, block-level references, bidirectional links and databases. Data stays on the device, with optional paid end-to-end encrypted cloud sync or third-party storage sync.
Based in China. SiYuan scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Trilium Notes Grade B
Open source hierarchical note-taking app for building a personal knowledge base, with rich text, code, diagrams, scripting and per-note encryption. Runs on the desktop or syncs with a self-hosted server. Maintained by the TriliumNext community.
Trilium Notes scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
VNote Grade B
Qt-based note-taking app for Linux, Windows and macOS focused on Markdown editing. Notes are stored as plain files on the local system.
VNote scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Obsidian Grade C
Knowledge base and note-taking app that works on local Markdown files, with links between notes, a graph view and a large community plugin and theme ecosystem. Optional paid sync and publishing services.
Based in Canada (Five Eyes). Obsidian scores 70 out of 100 (grade C) on the notes criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit.
Notesnook Grade C
End-to-end encrypted note-taking app with rich text notes, notebooks, tags, app lock and private vault. Open source clients and sync server; paid plans add storage and features.
Based in Pakistan. Notesnook scores 65 out of 100 (grade C) on the notes criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
QOwnNotes Grade C
Open source desktop notepad that stores notes as plain-text Markdown files, with optional Nextcloud or ownCloud sync, note versioning, per-note encryption, scripting and a to-do list integration.
QOwnNotes scores 65 out of 100 (grade C) on the notes criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
Turtl Grade C
End-to-end encrypted, collaborative notebook for notes, bookmarks, passwords and files, with desktop and mobile apps. Can be self-hosted or used with the hosted service.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Turtl scores 65 out of 100 (grade C) on the notes criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
Zettlr Grade C
Open source Markdown editor for notes and academic writing, with Zettelkasten linking, citation management through Zotero and CSL, and export through Pandoc. Works on local files.
Zettlr scores 65 out of 100 (grade C) on the notes criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
AppFlowy Grade D
Open source workspace for notes, documents, wikis, databases and kanban boards, with AI features and optional self-hosted or AppFlowy Cloud sync. Local-first desktop and mobile apps.
Based in Singapore. AppFlowy scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the notes criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
Cryptee Grade D
Encrypted documents editor and photo storage with client-side encryption, usable in the browser or as an installable app. Sign-up needs no personal information.
Based in Estonia. Cryptee scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the notes criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: no ads or data sales.