JotDrop
End to end encrypted notes app: six options compared
Which end to end encrypted notes app should you choose?
Choose an end to end encrypted notes app by checking what is encrypted, whether you must enable it, and how you will recover access. Then check the ordinary requirements: your phone, your budget and whether you can take readable files elsewhere.
We make JotDrop, so read this with that in mind. This is a documentation-based comparison, not a hands-on test or a security ranking. Features and public prices were checked on 30 October 2026.
For this list, end-to-end encryption must cover the normal synced note collection, either by default or through a documented setting. Encrypting selected passages is useful, but it is a different promise.
How do the six apps compare?
"Free" refers to an ongoing tier, not a trial. Desktop means Windows, macOS and Linux unless specified. Prices retain the vendor's displayed currency and billing period; tax, region and checkout terms can differ. Apple Notes qualifies only where Advanced Data Protection is available and enabled.
Who is JotDrop for?
JotDrop suits someone who wants colourful cards rather than a large workspace, especially on Android or in Obsidian. Cloud sync is optional. Local use needs no JotDrop account or server; using another sync service does not mean that service has no server. The web app does need JotDrop Cloud.
Cloud notes and synced attachments are encrypted on the device before upload. The code uses AES-256-GCM and an Argon2id passphrase wrapper. Keep the recovery code shown once when you create the Cloud. The server does not hold a key that lets it read the protected content.
Free includes a 25 MB synced-file limit and 30 days of Time Machine history. Plus provides 10 GB, no plan limit on devices, 200 MB per synced file and full available history. Time Machine previews and restores a saved board state. Versions must still exist, and restoring can change or remove notes absent from that moment. It is not an unlimited backup.
JotDrop is a poor fit for native iPhone access or real-time collaboration. Local Markdown files are not automatically encrypted, and public source code is not an independent audit.
Who is Standard Notes for?
Standard Notes is worth considering if you mainly write text and want encrypted sync without configuring a separate storage provider. Its Free plan includes end-to-end encryption, offline access, plain-text notes and unlimited device sync.
Check the editor you need before paying. The same pricing page places richer editors in Productivity and encrypted file storage in Professional. Do not read "free encrypted notes" as a promise that every attachment or editor feature is free.
Standard Notes documents encrypted and decrypted backups. Its decrypted ZIP includes individual plain-text note files. Those copies need their own protection. A backup export is a different workflow from editing a folder of live .md files.
Who is Notesnook for?
Notesnook suits readers who want a conventional notes app across desktop, phone and browser with E2EE enabled by default. Its documentation says encryption happens on the device before data reaches its servers.
The current Free plan allows unlimited notes and devices, with 50 MB of attachment uploads per month and a 10 MB per-file limit. That monthly upload allowance is not a claim of 50 MB total storage. Checklists and other advanced editor features appear in paid Essential on the reviewed pricing page.
Its export guide documents text, HTML, Markdown and PDF. Try an export containing your actual formatting before deciding that migration is solved. Having an export button and preserving every useful detail are different things.
Who is Joplin for?
Joplin suits someone who wants an open-source notebook app and control over the sync destination. Joplin documents several sync targets; its own Cloud is a paid option, not a requirement to use the app.
Its E2EE instructions require enabling encryption, preferably on one desktop device first, and completing sync before configuring other devices. Do not tick a mental "encrypted" box just because Joplin is installed.
Joplin stores local notes in a database. Markdown editing does not mean every live note is a standalone Markdown file. Its JEX export keeps notes and metadata, and is meant for backups you re-import into Joplin. Its terminal app documents Markdown export for files you want to open elsewhere.
Who is Obsidian with Sync for?
Choose this combination if you want a file-based knowledge base rather than only short notes. Obsidian's files and properties remain local, while its paid Sync service moves data between devices.
E2EE is the default option for a new remote vault, but a provider-managed encryption option also exists. Check which you selected. Obsidian explicitly says Sync does not encrypt the local vault, and some operational metadata remains readable to its server.
Obsidian's security page publishes independent audit reports. That is a distinct fact from being open source, and it should not be transferred to a community plugin merely because the plugin runs inside Obsidian. For smaller card-based workflows, see our Obsidian and Keep guide.
Who is Apple Notes with Advanced Data Protection for?
Apple Notes can suit an Apple-device household, but ordinary iCloud Notes and ADP-protected Notes must not be treated as identical. Apple's security table lists Apple-held keys for Notes under standard protection and trusted-device keys under ADP.
ADP must be enabled. It requires compatible devices and a recovery method. Apple's UK notice says new UK users cannot enable it. For those readers, Apple Notes is not an available whole-library E2EE recommendation on this basis.
Sharing has conditions. Apple says protected shared Notes require all participants to have ADP enabled; sharing with anyone who has a link does not support ADP. Some Notes metadata remains under standard protection. Web access is off by default with ADP; enabling it allows temporary access to data-specific keys for the browser and Apple. These details come from Apple's security overview.
Why are Keep, Evernote, Notion and OneNote absent?
The selection rule is whole-collection protection, not a judgement that other apps have no security.
- Google Keep documents encryption in transit and at rest, and content processing for features. We could not confirm a Keep E2EE setting in its documentation.
- Evernote documents transit and storage encryption, plus manual encryption of selected text. Evernote says you cannot encrypt an entire note or notebook that way.
- Notion documents AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS in transit. We could not confirm whole-workspace E2EE in that documentation, so it does not meet this list's evidence requirement.
- OneNote documents password protection for individual sections. We could not confirm a whole-library E2EE mode in that documentation.
What does E2EE leave unprotected?
E2EE addresses content access between endpoints. It does not make the endpoints trustworthy. Someone using your open session, or software that can read your screen and files, may still get the notes.
It also does not automatically conceal account details, billing information or all metadata. JotDrop explicitly excludes those categories from its content-encryption promise. Apple and Obsidian document metadata exceptions too.
Keep recovery material somewhere safe, protect exported copies, and maintain a separate backup. An encrypted deletion can still be a deletion. Before moving an existing collection, use our Keep export checks.
FAQ
Should I pick AES over XChaCha20?
An algorithm name alone is not a product assessment. Notesnook documents XChaCha20-Poly1305; Obsidian documents AES-256-GCM. Key handling, recovery, implementation and device security also matter. This article does not rank their cryptography.
Does self-hosting automatically mean end-to-end encryption?
No. Hosting location and who can decrypt content are different questions. Joplin's encryption instructions still require enabling E2EE rather than treating a chosen server as the setting itself.
Can I keep an encrypted app for only sensitive notes?
Yes. You can choose a limited role for an app rather than moving everything. Decide which copy is authoritative, and avoid leaving extra plaintext copies in an old app, email or downloads folder.
Sources
- https://jotdrop.net/#pricing and https://github.com/Diexar-Labs/jotdrop: JotDrop plans, encryption, recovery, platform limits and files.
- https://standardnotes.com/ and https://standardnotes.com/plans: encryption, free features and paid plans.
- https://standardnotes.com/download and https://standardnotes.com/help/46/is-the-standard-notes-source-code-public: platforms and source availability.
- https://standardnotes.com/help/14/how-do-i-create-and-import-backups-of-my-standard-notes-data: encrypted and decrypted backups.
- https://notesnook.com/downloads and https://notesnook.com/pricing/: platforms, GPLv3, default encryption, current features, limits and displayed price.
- https://notesnook.com/help/export-notes-from-notesnook and https://notesnook.com/help/how-is-my-data-encrypted: formats and encryption design.
- https://joplinapp.org/help/ and https://joplinapp.org/help/apps/web/: open-source app, platforms, sync choices and browser access.
- https://joplinapp.org/help/apps/sync/e2ee/: manual encryption setup.
- https://joplinapp.org/help/faq/, https://joplinapp.org/help/apps/import_export/ and https://joplinapp.org/help/apps/terminal/: database storage and export formats.
- https://joplinapp.org/plans/: Cloud prices and billing periods.
- https://obsidian.md/pricing and https://obsidian.md/download: local free use, Sync prices and platforms.
- https://obsidian.md/terms and https://obsidian.md/help/bases: proprietary licence and local Markdown.
- https://obsidian.md/help/sync/security and https://obsidian.md/security: defaults, local-file limitation, metadata and published audits.
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651 and https://support.apple.com/en-us/108756: ADP scope, setup, web and sharing exceptions.
- https://support.apple.com/en-gb/122234: UK availability restriction.
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/108047: free iCloud storage and Euro-region monthly price.
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/118442 and https://support.apple.com/guide/notes/import-export-and-print-notes-not201900c07/mac: Apple Notes platforms and Mac export.
- https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/en/terms.html: proprietary service/software terms.
- https://support.google.com/keep/answer/10431250?hl=en: Keep's documented encryption and processing.
- https://evernote.com/security and https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/209005547-Encrypt-text-in-a-note: Evernote's general protections and selected-text encryption.
- https://www.notion.com/security: Notion's published encryption model.
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/onenote-help-and-learning/protect-your-notes-with-a-password: OneNote section-level password protection.