# Notes privacy ratings

Note-taking apps.

| Name | Grade | Jurisdiction | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Standard Notes](https://privacyratings.com/notes/standard-notes/) | A (90/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | 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. |
| [Fossify Notes](https://privacyratings.com/notes/fossify-notes/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Open source Android note-taking app for text notes and checklists, with a home screen widget. Works offline with no internet permission. |
| [Markor](https://privacyratings.com/notes/markor/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | 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. |
| [Memos](https://privacyratings.com/notes/memos/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | 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. |
| [Poznote](https://privacyratings.com/notes/poznote/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | 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. |
| [SiYuan](https://privacyratings.com/notes/siyuan/) | B (80/100) | China | 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. |
| [Trilium Notes](https://privacyratings.com/notes/trilium-notes/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | 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. |
| [VNote](https://privacyratings.com/notes/vnote/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Qt-based note-taking app for Linux, Windows and macOS focused on Markdown editing. Notes are stored as plain files on the local system. |
| [Obsidian](https://privacyratings.com/notes/obsidian/) | C (70/100) | Canada (Five Eyes) | 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. |
| [Notesnook](https://privacyratings.com/notes/notesnook/) | C (65/100) | Pakistan | 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. |
| [QOwnNotes](https://privacyratings.com/notes/qownnotes/) | C (65/100) | Unknown | 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. |
| [Turtl](https://privacyratings.com/notes/turtl/) | C (65/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | 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. |
| [Zettlr](https://privacyratings.com/notes/zettlr/) | C (65/100) | Unknown | 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. |
| [AppFlowy](https://privacyratings.com/notes/appflowy/) | D (50/100) | Singapore | 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. |
| [Cryptee](https://privacyratings.com/notes/cryptee/) | D (50/100) | Estonia | 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. |
| [Joplin](https://privacyratings.com/notes/joplin/) | D (50/100) | Unknown | Open source note-taking and to-do app for desktop, mobile and terminal, using Markdown notes organised in notebooks. Supports end-to-end encrypted sync through Joplin Cloud, Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive or S3. |
| [Logseq](https://privacyratings.com/notes/logseq/) | D (50/100) | Unknown | Open source outliner and knowledge base that stores notes as local Markdown or Org-mode files, with linked references, a graph view and journals. Available for desktop and mobile. |
| [AFFiNE](https://privacyratings.com/notes/affine/) | D (40/100) | Singapore | Workspace that combines documents, whiteboards and databases on one canvas, with local-first storage, real-time collaboration, AI features and optional cloud sync or self-hosting. |
| [Anytype](https://privacyratings.com/notes/anytype/) | F (35/100) | Switzerland | Local-first workspace for notes, documents, tasks and databases built from linked objects and types. Data is end-to-end encrypted and syncs peer to peer or through the Any network, which can be self-hosted. |
| [Apple Notes](https://privacyratings.com/notes/apple-notes/) | F (35/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Apple's built-in notes app for iPhone, iPad and Mac, with checklists, attachments, scanned documents, folders and tags. Notes sync through iCloud and are end-to-end encrypted only when Advanced Data Protection is turned on. |
| [Notable](https://privacyratings.com/notes/notable/) | F (35/100) | Unknown | Markdown-based note-taking app for desktop that stores notes and attachments as plain files on disk. No mobile app, built-in sync or encryption. |
| [Evernote](https://privacyratings.com/notes/evernote/) | F (30/100) | Italy (Fourteen Eyes) | Proprietary note-taking app for text, web clips, images, PDFs and tasks, with notebooks, tags and search across devices. Notes are stored on Evernote's servers without end-to-end encryption. Owned by Bending Spoons. |
| [Google Keep](https://privacyratings.com/notes/google-keep/) | F (30/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Google's note-taking app for quick text notes, checklists, images, drawings and voice memos, with labels, colors and reminders. Notes sync through a Google account and are not end-to-end encrypted. |
| [Microsoft OneNote](https://privacyratings.com/notes/microsoft-onenote/) | F (30/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Microsoft's note-taking app that organizes typed, handwritten and audio notes in notebooks, sections and pages, synced through OneDrive. Free with a Microsoft account and included in Microsoft 365. |
| [Simplenote](https://privacyratings.com/notes/simplenote/) | F (25/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Plain-text note-taking app from Automattic with Markdown support, tags, version history and sync across devices. Free, with open source client apps. |
| [Bear](https://privacyratings.com/notes/bear/) | F (20/100) | Ireland | Markdown note-taking app for Apple devices with nested tags, backlinks, note encryption with a password and iCloud sync. A Pro subscription adds sync, themes and export options. |
| [Notion](https://privacyratings.com/notes/notion/) | F (20/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Proprietary workspace app that combines notes, documents, wikis, databases and project management, with real-time collaboration and built-in AI features. Content is stored on Notion's servers without end-to-end encryption. |

## Criteria

- **Open source** (weight 3): Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
- **No trackers or telemetry** (weight 3): Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
- **No ads or data sales** (weight 2): Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
- **Independent audit** (weight 2): Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?

Source: https://privacyratings.com/notes/