The BEST Private Notetaking Apps Explained

[@techlore]

What's your favorite note-taking app?! Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments! 🗒

[@firex.6273]

Joplin and standard notes for me. Joplin's cross platform feature is horrendous, though.

[@jonathanking4097]

Obsidian for sure is the best

[@user-cl5gv9ep6g]

Vim with it syslinked to a mega synced directory ( or a nextcloud one )

[@mrajax_0101]

Mine is Notion

[@duckmeat4674]

@@mrajax_0101 we are talking about private. Closed source is bad enough, I don't know why closed source software was included in the list anyway, but notion and obsidian both closed source and online is just terrible

[@vlmath314]

joplin can be self-hosted, allowing the sync without paying

[@im1random263]

Good to know! For me cloud solutions aren't an option so I never used Joplin

[@thiefinbluejeans]

Try syncthing

[@ismailariyan]

Perfect timing i was just looking for privacy respective digital note taking app

[@thomaseriksen6885]

Google knew that already

[@siddheshswami2565]

@@thomaseriksen6885 😂😂😂😂😂

[@luysv]

Me too!!! Hahahahha

[@asishreddy7729]

Imagine hearing about these awesome apps for the first time, despite regularly looking at the App Store for cool stuff. Thank you so much. Great video.

[@michelleadams5609]

Great video! For you office fans, remember when Michael asked Dwight why he kept a diary and Dwight said “to keep secrets from my computer “.

[@alexwr]

Obsidian is great! I do wish it was open source, but given it's completely offline, that is less of an issue for me. With Obsidian and Syncthing, I can still carry all my notes around on all devices.

[@gbessone]

But syncing is $8 per month, right? no way to do it free

[@alexwr]

@@gbessone You can use any way to sync to your devices that you choose, not just the built in one in Obsidian. Hence me saying that I use Syncthing to do it. It's a fantastically simple open source tool, totally free (in both senses of the word) and nice and quick, I just have to make sure it's always running on my devices, but that's a fine trade off when somebody is asking me for $8 per month to put my data on their server.

[@gbessone]

@@alexwr i will google that tool! thanks!

[@Will_Moffett]

I don't think it's completely offline. It is giving me unsolicited updates.

[@Ultrajamz]

But since its open source how do you really* know the data stays “offline”?

[@w1t3k_88]

I will stick to standard notes as I recently bought a 5 years plan. Obsidian would be too complicated for me. Thanks for the video!

[@bennihtm]

I also use Standard Notes with a self hosted server and really like it so far.

[@Aaron-tk7vc]

I gave up on Standard Notes. It's so buggy.

[@wildcard5]

I just downloaded Obsidian and don't understand whats going on in the app.

[@Busterblade20]

@@wildcard5 check linking your thinking KZbin channel. Obsidian is not the most intuitive note taking app so I highly recommend watching some videos to learn markdown and eventually learn all the obsidian features if you want but you could be perfectly fine just writing the basic stuff in obsidian. Good luck.

[@codeartha]

Same

[@fshahariar323]

I was so excited to see Standard Notes on Top 2! I've switched from Google Keeps to Standard Notes yesterday. It was super easy to import my Google Keeps data on it. It has both Linux and Android version of it. It's Awesome 🙌

[@CyberDocUSA]

Henry and Team, I work so much now that I have to play catch up with your vids and it's worth every minute. Thanks as always for all that you all do!

[@Sam-Social4763]

I will also add when it comes to self hosting, I recently discovered syncthing which I'm sure makes a later comer to the party but it also feels like it opens up the door where any local note taking app would also 'just work'. If the data only ever lives on your personal devices, then doesn't matter what the app you use. As long as you can disable their cloud behavior all you're choosing (closed or open) is the UI that you like best.

[@NemoHoes323]

Henry, I have a suggestion for the follow up on this video, I think you should do 5 privacy productivity apps 🧐

[@5555minimum]

Yes please!

[@arcoiris_sky]

yesss! I am looking out for that video too!

[@leatherwiz]

The problem with all these is that they can be sold and the new owner changes everything as the new owner of Evernote did.

[@sedanchair2]

... Yup on Evernotes sneak attack on it's customers. That's why I keep two note keepers.

[@revfastnobrevnobfast557]

I'm looking for a FREE Notes app that lets me zoom out of the paragraphs I'm typing because my phones default notes app is too hard to read all close.

[@G4M3RSH311]

Great video! One question though: What‘s your view on obsidian regarding the lack of open sourcing and also the obsidian sync feature in terms of security and privacy?

[@nevoyu]

Obsidian uses plain text files, so using something like sync thing works perfectly for note sync

[@Beho1der]

Thanks a lot bro for making such videos. My thoughts are that signal is still the best for day to day tasks like making grocery lists etc or storing links. However, obsidian is all in one where you can do much more from making notes to trip itineraries, coding and anything in between. It may look complex at first but after some tutorials obsidian is really the king of all note making apps.

[@robertmaxey5406]

To the new Obsidian user demanding simplicity and no frills, do this. Turn off almost every stock plugin. Some plugins are not required in your case. Second, use the stock template/theme. Works well in dark mode. Then get your ass to work 😄 Obsidian can be a simple notes app or a complex application with few limits. And it is offline and the free version is not at all crippled. By free, I mean you do not need to pay for things you might not need like Obsidian Sync. I just copy one folder to Dropbox and my backup is done. Great video, by the way. I am a fan,.

[@bsaednnmgointuvtjstairhvrqujnb]

Make a video about the bests 2FA off-line apps (LOCAL BACKUP CODES)

[@shreyanshumaheshwari150]

Obsidian vs Standard Notes. Which one is best for privacy?

[@im1random263]

Please make a video about privacy friendly hand writing apps for shool. Currently I'm using Xodo with all network access blocked, but it just doesn't feels right

[@thelazyninja3381]

Great video, informative and humor was on point with the little video clips and thought bubbles. 10/10

[@Christopher-rp3bi]

Thank you for all you do on this channel. Do you have any updates on private Notetaking apps two years later?

[@techlore]

Notesnook!

[@videofrat3115]

Why do you mention Craft for example if its not E2EE? would be good to do a video like this but only including E2EE as there are very few options to choose from

[@mpxz999]

Does Obsidian accept stylus “hand-written” notes? If not, would you have any suggestions that work with stylus created notes?

[@eurimontero1883]

Obsidian is so good, unfortunately it is proprietary...

[@shakenigiri8596]

Here are some open source apps that support handwritten notes: Xournal Xournal++ Rnote OpenBoard Jarnal NoteLab MrWriter

[@misoompa88]

hi you're still looking for that "hand-written" notes? well Obsidian doesn't have a native drawing feature but there's a community plugin called "Excalidraw" that lets you draw and write

[@cheery-hex]

glad to see Joplin is here... I like it!

[@skybox-101]

In my 60's need to get 350 folder w 3000 files off noteverything into a differnt note keeper. It works fine perfect for me but no longer supported. What is good option to 1. Get my 3000 files out of that app 2. To continue simply taking notes and organized by title and folders. It would be nice to be able to put them onto my pc. I use android and pc.

[@alirubaii4839]

Techlore community! How would I replace Google Sheets for my personal finances? (1) I like to do my budget and tracking on a spreadsheet, (2) I need it to be a web-app at least, and (3) needs to be E2E encrypted.

[@peenweinerstein9968]

Standard notes paid version has a spreadsheeting function

[@davidcrawford6631]

Signal note to self is all that is needed in my simple life.

[@robertmaxey5406]

I think a big issue some people have with these types of apps is how difficult the mobile version is to use compared to the desktop version. I am on a Android tablet and some features of some apps are not available to me but they are to the desktop user. For example, the "/" slash is useless to the Mobile Notion user. Simply not available. What some find easy can be impossible for me and my situation.

[@Murasaki29]

Yeah that the thing I have with all of these. I really like their Desktop version but the app version just lagged or accidently delete things...

[@xenstarnetwork5333]

Many of us are using devices with stylus pen. It would be great if you make a video with the apps that supports stylus support too.

[@amirahaidary4187]

Yes! - and what have you learned about apps that support a stylus

[@amirahaidary4187]

Also what devices for using stylus are good options?

[@tec4303]

6:42 If the notes will be stored on my phone without being encrypted, can't all apps with the permission to read storage access my notes and do with them whatever they want?

[@Mikein203]

Good question 🤔. . I hope someone answer's this.

[@ashkb7511]

Exactly that's the problem. It stores texts in .md file which is like .txt file easily accessible to any app or anyone.on top of that it stores images local you can show pictures stored in obsidian in photo app. He didn't mention any of that. Not even in top 5 if you consider that

[@SagheerAhmed-gq4ne]

Only good use case of this tool is, if you use on desktop and inside cryptomator encrypted folder.

[@zainalu]

Please make a video on privacy friendly word processors 'unlike' Microsoft Word.

[@duckmeat4674]

Libreoffice Onlyoffice Any latex processes

[@zainalu]

@@duckmeat4674 Thanks!

[@beachbumnz]

@Duck Meat - quack quack 🦆

[@chapps80]

Why a note taking app is offering E2EE? who is the other end?

[@jayvr.]

Where does simplenotes stand...?

[@crix_h3eadshotgg992]

Just checked if Obsidian was on the list, but the others are actually better for me. Thank you.

[@Funkfreed]

Was trying to replace google keep. Unfortunately, both joplin and obsidian don't have a web UI which means I can't use it on my work laptop. Standard notes has but the android app is too simple not even a checkbox list.

[@sedanchair2]

... I keep two note keeping apps due to the sneak attack of Evernote on it's customers,Google Keep being one of them,Zoho notebook being the other.

[@wawi_08]

Joplin, one of the best markdown notes apps. But not for to-do notes, because the alarm feature sucks

[@eurimontero1883]

"Anytype" release will be so exciting...

[@CrptcHpp]

iCloud Notes likely are not E2EE by default but what about notes that you’ve individually locked with a password?

[@sammydepresso]

I would like to see a productivity tools that are privacy respecting video.

[@Μ4́]

Im thinking about using notion Any thoughts about that?

[@Rayzur99]

which is the most secure?

[@timtaylor8305]

I'm still all about my nextcloud notes!

[@Bizarro69]

need my always-visible word count. paragh alignment options. and instant upload! alas I'm a pipe dreamer

[@matthewhendricks396]

What are your thoughts on apple notes now that "advanced data protection" is a thing and end to end encrypts your notes? It seems like for most people, this is now a great option if you have that enabled.

[@JohnSmith-mq2uy]

Henry, how do you use spotify privately? Is there a way to raise the level of privacy when using the service?

[@recklessroges]

There's nothing private about spotify - it's a proprietary platform. (And I'm starting to hear from friends that their playlists can vanish without warning.)

[@JohnSmith-mq2uy]

@@recklessroges I know that. I just heard Henry saying in a video or a surveillance report(cant recall which one) that he still can't give up on Spotify, basically the only controversial (in privacy terms) service in his 'arsenal'. Well, he said that probably more than a year ago though

[@milkgrapes6420]

Use a fake temporary email service for one

[@4thfugee]

I needed this 😇THANK YOU!

[@linuxdragon57]

Etesync supports note syncing, but I haven't found a suitable desktop version for it.

[@destructodisk9074]

As a Mac user I really like the way Craft looks, but when I went to the App Store on my Mac to check it out, it seems like they collect a lot of data. They state on their website they don't sell your data. So why do they need to collect so much of it? What does my purchase history have to do with taking notes? Seems like a scenario where they might not be using my data now, but they have plans to when their user base is big enough.

[@robertmaxey5406]

I use Obsidian but I never sync. I simply copy one Vault folder to my Dropbox. Takes a minute or so. Notion was nice, but no offline access means it is not a true productivity app. I want to decide when to be productive, not my access to a net connection.

[@KeyPeele1]

Thanks for the video! Can you do something similar with calendar apps?

[@Mike09017]

This is why I don’t even trust the offline notes apps for my most intimate notes.

[@YossefMichel]

I will love to get advice about Data Asset Management. Something?

[@Ahmad-cj4ef]

been using stranded notes and signal note to self

[@pacifico4999]

What about Simple Mobile Tools' Simple Notes?

[@jaaan420]

On a 5 year Standard Notes plan myself as well. What I didn't like about it so far: the UI is not intuitive and cumbersome to use at times, lack of keyboard shortcuts. Also the prioritization of their roadmap is a bit of a pain given there are long term issues that are not being addressed.

[@domoel]

Could you elaborate on those issues eventually?

[@jaaan420]

The offline experience on mobile seems to be working now, so I edited my original comment to remove it. The UI not being intuitive was mostly a matter of the previous versions and has improved greatly in the latest builds. The lack of keyboard shortcuts is still a big issue imho but admittedly hard to fix given the app architecture. Roadmap prioritization: there were certain issues open for months-years (offline mobile experience for an example) but the focus was put on building new features and new customer acquisition. Again, not judging just mentioning.

[@teamrabbitalec]

Tomboy notes is nice, only complaint is that it doesn't have images. Self wikis are neat for organizing things (tomboy ng is the next gen one)

[@bild96]

What about simplenote

[@LeeHarrison89]

Hey Henry, have you seen SmarterEveryDay's latest video about big tech/privacy? Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@Glow0110]

How is Notesnook not in here?

[@TheCârtiță]

I mostly use the default note app on the oneplus 7t, i have the most trust in that, someone if needed, contradict me

[@deniswolf5215]

Is community plug-ins safe for Obsidian? Anybody please an answer I'll appreciate. 🙏

[@humansoul8173]

Thank you! I really needed it! Can you also do a safest mind mapping apps too?

[@blackpolygon9306]

Is it just me or are the Links in Description missing?

[@cowwy3130]

Do you think a password managers “secure notes” work?

[@chiofkiofficial]

but craft is not local based for windows and from emailing craft they are not looking to make it local based... maybe im missing something but craft is not that secure

[@TheHandsomeOne]

Obsidian's not opensource?

[@JM.TheComposer]

Thanks, I never knew about Signal's notes.

[@mrgrumpy888]

Where can we get the Henry sticker pack for signal?

[@techlore]

signal.art/addstickers/#pack_id=8b7bebd93360be6e7cd4a43be6a4aa89&pack_key=8a692d24d7b03dbf625c07cd9afa6b876b79c36bbe90e645f7172188eb2d89a6

[@mrgrumpy888]

@@techlore Thanks, dude 😅

[@onjalbabiii]

What is your opinion on Hypernotes? It’s similar like obsidian but is it safe ?

[@FruityHachi]

I tried cryptee but it asked me to disable adblocker, I thought they were privacy app? and I want to highlight and color my notes, does Joplin and Obsidian offer that?

[@balloontune1769]

So my favorite Notetaking app is - *Notepad++*

[@Slugbunny]

Noticed my NAS can actually host the Synology Note Station app. Will need to investigate how the encryption works, but they do promise "AES 256-bit encryption for notes".

[@priscilacanaanoliver683]

What about Trello ?

[@c-LAW]

Why do all these modern apps (post 2015) insist on using icons instead of menus? I don't speak icon.

[@hyperblackhole2105]

Is there any note taking app that allow us to set password for different notes

[@darkcarolineriddle]

Premium standard Notes does this. I have it so I can confirm.

[@kanakshilledar9788]

I was just searching for a note taking app :)

[@smvt_B]

Yaassss finally something I can send to not nerdy people

[@d360ani]

Thank you for the nice Video 👍 A similar video about calendar apps would be awesome! (Or is that topic already covered in one of your videos? Unfortunately I haven't watched all your videos yet)

[@Angel-yq8jd]

You're the best Techlore

[@zweiwing4435]

How about software Engineer on Linux side?

[@yoshidah12]

Was just looking for something! thanks!

[@devang3171]

obsidian isn't FOSS though? I am surprised you didn't mention that bit at all lmao

[@beachbumnz]

FOSS?

[@redeyesdrogon786]

this is a cool video. I will look into these apps since they will be useful for me

[@Tylasian]

Can you self host obsidian

[@nedludd7622]

Isn't "to zuck" a new verb?

[@creytax9802]

Whats about Synology Note if you have a own Synology?

[@techtt6213]

Does anyone know a good alternative for Google Photo's? I really like the facial recognition and ease of use. Google says its complete private but is really vague about it

[@ThePharaohsCat]

Boosted

[@beachbumnz]

@Miguelpt2001 - what the hell language are you speaking?

[@kucnilaptop1624]

what can it be used on de googled phones ?

[@moto-rambler]

Thoughts on Zoho Notebook?

[@AndyP126]

Why avoid iCloud? It’s end-to-end encrypted now.

[@bluelag]

what about Notion? Is it secure enough to use for sensitive information?

[@SooOneArk]

Evernotes and notion do not have end to end encryption. The employers can see your notes anytime if there's a reason. So like if you are trying to make a business, I would suggest investing on private notetaking apps or just on paper since you know ideas can be stolen anytime or anywhere... just like mark Z. stealing the contents from 2 brothers that they were in the same university...

[@bluelag]

@@SooOneArk Got it, thanks for your comment

[@DonaldWyman]

I had never heard of obsidian and just tried it and was not all that impressed with it after playing with it just now. Standard notes are where it is at. I love that one. The great thing about it is there are plugins for it, so if you don't like the editor, for example, you can change it with plugins that other people have made. I just recently went to the paid version so that I could have 2fa, but the free version is awesome too. I tried Joplin before, but for me its downside was the mobile apps are a mess and not very good. The desktop apps though are really nice, and I really liked those.

[@hydronicrocker]

Your comment really helps someone like me who was about to check out joplin, had also tried obsidian and found it wasnt quite what I was after. I have also used Notion but find it slow.. and very easy to overcomplicate. I just want something simple that has the functionality for different things without obstructing my experience.

[@Busterblade20]

I believe obsidian is still pretty mainstream even more than craft.

[@nikkireynolds9514]

iCloud is also E2E encrypted, so what is your beef about that service? Just asking, really. What do you know that I’ve missed?

[@mrandersson2009]

Encryption is only safe until it is not. As soon as the computational power is big enough (maybe even before quantum) all previously private data will be open. Prefer local storage and own servers.

[@adeepagunathilake4931]

I think symmetric encryption is still safe, but if a bad actor get physical access to your data, they can brutefore. I successfully decrypted several pdfs this way so I can confirm this can break encryption with weak passwords.

[@hectorgperez]

It kills me that neither Joplin nor Standard Notes have the widget option on android, they are my favorites of this list.

[@maysamxd6407]

Make a video on word alternatives

[@becka.ca19]

Honestly Cryptee is awesome, minimalist and functional, exactly what it was made for; and I love how the team behind it is super transparent and chill with everything regarding the app :)

[@TILR]

Maybe do a video on news apps? I would like an FOSS version of Google/Apple/Microsoft News

[@buzzlightweight]

Why don’t you like iCloud?

[@RoryVanucchi]

Good post as always

[@ServantStatusMinistries]

There is also FSnotes and upnote as well