Standard Notes: End-to-End Encrypted Note-Taking
Standard Notes is a note-taking application that encrypts everything before it leaves your device, so notes, files, and account data stay readable only to you. Creating a note starts with choosing a note type: plain text for quick thoughts, rich text for formatted documents, Markdown for writers who prefer syntax, a task list for to-dos, a code editor for snippets, or a spreadsheet for tabular records. Tags double as folders and can be nested, so a large collection stays organized without a separate filing system. Everything syncs across devices while an offline copy remains stored locally, so the app works whether or not a connection is available.
Security work continues past the editor. Notes can be pinned to the top of the list, archived when a project ends, or moved to the trash and restored later, and individual notes can be locked behind an additional passcode for material that should not be visible when the app is already open. Smart Views build saved queries such as notes edited in the last day or titles containing a keyword, which replaces manual sorting as a collection grows. Accounts can also be protected with two-factor authentication, and the authenticator note type stores those one-time secrets. Anyone comparing options against a lighter, unencrypted tool will find Simplenote quicker to set up but without this privacy model.
Benefits of Using Standard Notes
Standard Notes is built for the notes you would not want a provider to read. Because encryption happens on the device before anything is uploaded, a breach of the sync servers exposes ciphertext rather than text, which makes the app a realistic home for journals, client records, credentials, and family documents. Note types do the heavy lifting that usually pushes people into several apps: the same workspace holds a formatted document, a running task list, a code snippet library, and a small budget spreadsheet. Nested tags keep all of it navigable, Smart Views surface what changed recently, and pinning keeps the handful of notes in daily use at the top of the list. Long-term revision history acts as an undo that reaches back to the beginning of a note, and a one-file export means the archive can leave the service whenever you want.
Standard Notes Software Information
- Developer: Standard Notes
- Current Version: 3.202.0
- File Size: 118 MB
- License: Open Source
- Language: en-US
- Downloads: Estimated 10K+
- Platform: Windows Desktop
System Requirements
- Processor: 2-core CPU
- RAM: 2 GB RAM
- Storage: 2 GB available storage
- Graphics / GPU: Not required
Visit the official Standard Notes website
Standard Notes Features
Note Types for Different Content
A note is created as a specific type, then edited in an interface built for that content: plain text, rich text with formatting, Markdown, tasks and todos with checkable items, a code editor for snippets, a spreadsheet for tabular data, and an authenticator for one-time secrets. Changing the type changes the editing experience, not the stored data.
End-to-End Encryption by Default
Notes are encrypted on the device before they reach the sync server, and the keys needed to read them never leave your control. Standard Notes stores ciphertext it cannot read, which is the practical difference between a genuinely encrypted notes app and one that merely describes itself as private.
Nested Folders from Tags
Tags behave as folders and can be nested, so a structure such as clients, then project, then meeting notes fits naturally without separate workspaces. Tags are added from the editor and reorganized by dragging, which keeps a growing archive tidy as headings and priorities change.
Pinning, Archiving, and Trash
Notes that need recurring attention can be pinned to the top of the list, while finished work is archived out of the way instead of deleted. Anything removed lands in the trash, where it can be restored or permanently cleared later, giving a second chance at the moment a note is needed again.
Smart Views for Saved Queries
Smart Views in Standard Notes turn a search into a saved view: all notes edited in the last day, every note whose title contains a keyword, or any other combination of filters. They replace manual re-sorting, so the same slice of the collection stays one click away instead of being reconstructed.
Revision History and Backups
Notes keep a revision trail, so an earlier version of a long document can be opened and restored instead of reconstructed from memory. A nightly encrypted copy of the text-based data set can be delivered by email as well, which keeps a recoverable archive outside the account.
Locking for App and Single Notes
The whole application can require a passcode on launch, with biometric unlock available where the device supports it. Individual notes can carry their own passcode as well, so a small set of sensitive records stays hidden even while the workspace is open on screen in front of someone.
Import, Export, and Offline Copies
A one-click export writes the entire data set to a single text file that can be imported again later or converted for another service. Every device also keeps an offline copy, so notes open without a connection and changes sync once the network returns.
Standard Notes Old Versions
Version 3.201.21 Updated: March 16, 2026 Download
Version 3.198.11 Updated: July 23, 2025 Download
Version 3.198.7 Updated: July 22, 2025 Download
Version 3.198.8 Updated: July 22, 2025 Download
Version 3.198.9 Updated: July 22, 2025 Download
Standard Notes FAQs
How is Standard Notes different from a regular notes app?
Encryption is the default rather than an optional extra: notes are encrypted on the device before they sync, so the service stores data it cannot read. That design also means the whole account, not just individual notes, is protected by a launch passcode and two-factor authentication.
Do I have to choose between plain text and formatting?
No. Note types are chosen per note. A quick thought can stay plain text, a document can use rich text, a writer can work in Markdown, and a list can become a task note with checkable items, all inside the same account and the same encrypted workspace.
Can Standard Notes store files and spreadsheets?
Yes. The spreadsheet note type handles tabular records such as budgets and inventories, and files can be stored alongside notes inside the encrypted workspace. That keeps sensitive documents, images, and records in one protected place instead of scattered across several services.
What happens if I delete a note by accident?
Deleted notes go to the trash, where they stay until you empty it, so an accidental deletion is reversible. Notes that are finished rather than unwanted can be archived instead, which removes them from the main list without putting them at risk of being lost.
How do I find a note in a large collection?
Use tags in Standard Notes as nested folders for structure, then Smart Views for anything you check often, such as notes changed in the last day or titles containing a particular word. Pinning keeps the notes you use constantly at the top of the list.
Can I move my notes somewhere else later?
Yes. The export option writes the whole data set to a single text file in one click, and that file can be imported back into the app or converted into a format another service accepts, so notes are never locked to one tool.