Privacy Tool Spotlight: Notesnook (Updated)
Note-taking is something we all do every day. Yet our notes are rarely simple; perhaps the pinnacle of unstructured data. You might write down a phone number, directions to a restaurant, a favorite recipe, a grocery list, parts for a DIY project, a travel diary, or even a full work notebook (sometimes several if you juggle multiple projects like many of us do).
Different notes need different formats. Some work best as neat checklists. Others flow as paragraphs or random ideas. Many mix both, plus photos, receipts, expense tables, or reminders.
Take a travel journal. It can quickly become a mix of daily entries, scanned receipts, spending breakdowns, photos, and a busy schedule. All those pieces need to live together in one spot and in a way that still make sense when you look back months later.
Everyone has their own note-taking style too. Some love sticky notes. Others prefer a classic bound notebook or a three-ring binder with plastic sleeves. That's why app stores are full of note-taking options, even when you focus only on privacy-focused ones.
We shared our story before: moving from Google Keep to Notesnook via Standard Notes. We always try to choose tools that really fit how we work by listing our real use cases first. In real life, though, not every app turns out to be the perfect match. That doesn't mean the others are bad. It just means some fit your habits better.
After using Notesnook, an open-source note-taking app, as our main tool for a full year, we want to explain why it has become our daily driver.
First Use Case: True Privacy
Many free note-taking apps work well. The downside? They often trade your privacy for it. They scan and collect your data for ads, profiling, or other purposes. As the saying goes: if it's free, your data is the fee.
We had no problem paying for a tool that truly protects our notes.
Notesnook builds privacy in from the beginning. It encrypts everything on your device with strong modern standards (XChaCha20-Poly1305 for encryption and Argon2 for key derivation) in a true zero-knowledge way. That means the company and no third party (not even the cloud provider) can ever read your notes. This sets it apart from many other free or paid apps where the provider can still access your content.
Our favorite fool-proof prime rib recipe (shoutout to Cowboy Kent Rollins!) isn't top-secret, but we don't want it scraped into a profile and sold to advertisers. Notesnook prevents that completely: no trackers, no ads, and no hidden data auctions.
It also offers a vault feature for extra protection. You can move your most sensitive notes into a separate vault that needs its own password to view, encrypt, or unlock. For example, if someone borrows your phone while Notesnook is open, they can see your regular notes but can't access the vault without that password. It's a simple yet powerful way to keep private things private.
Second Use Case: Works Everywhere
Our group of privacy-focused cats uses all kinds of devices and operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android (even GrapheneOS), and the web for those who prefer fewer apps installed on their desktop.
Notesnook is available in official app stores, plus open-source channels like F-Droid for Android users who want that option. We love how the interface stays consistent across devices thanks to responsive design. It always feels familiar.
Seamless cloud sync is a huge win too. The app works great offline, so you can write notes anytime without internet. When you reconnect, everything syncs quietly in the background across your devices. Imagine listing every ingredient for that killer recipe on your desktop or tablet at home. Later at the store with just your phone in hand, the list is right there. No digging through emails or web searching required.
Third Use Case: Secure Sign-In
Authentication isn't the most exciting topic, but it's important to know how a product handles it.
Notesnook uses standard login methods. Your user ID is an email address (you can use an alias), it supports strong passwords, and two-factor authentication via authenticator apps (time-based one-time passwords). It also offers a backup method like a one-time code sent to email.
Like other zero-knowledge services, it generates a unique recovery key when you create your account. If you forget your password, that's the only way to regain access.
We also like the built-in app lock features. Notesnook supports biometrics (fingerprint or face recognition) or a PIN to secure the app itself. On GrapheneOS, for example, you might unlock your phone with a PIN but then open Notesnook quickly with a fingerprint scan.
Fourth Use Case: Easy Import and Export
Switching to a new note app is much smoother when you can bring your old notes along.
Notesnook supports importing from popular apps like Evernote, Google Keep, Joplin, Simplenote, Zoho Notebook, Skiff Pages, and Obsidian. It also handles direct imports from HTML, Markdown, and plain text files. Their documentation is clear, with step-by-step guides like this one for Evernote: https://help.notesnook.com/importing-notes/import-notes-from-evernote
You can export all notes as text, Markdown, or HTML in a single ZIP file, which makes them easy to use elsewhere. Any note can also be printed or saved as a PDF.
Fifth Use Case: A Clean, Powerful Editor
Notesnook has a strong, easy-to-use editor packed with features: rich text with Markdown support, tables, task lists, code blocks, math formulas, embeds, file attachments, tags, pinned favorites, reminders, fast search, bidirectional note linking, and a browser web clipper.
The toolbar is similar to word processors by keeping things simple by showing the most common tools first: bold, italics, underline, font size, headings, basic fonts, plus check, numbered, and bulleted lists. You can add links (external or to other notes inside Notesnook) and clear formatting when needed.
Each app keeps a local revision history for every note, so you can see past changes. Notesnook also supports having multiple tabs open, letting you switch between multiple notes quickly.
Multiple notebooks are easy to set up (just a menu icon), which helps separate projects or topics. For example, each big project can live in its own notebook.
Many features feel intuitive right away, like formatting and lists. Others, like managing multiple notebooks, take a little getting used to, but they're straightforward once you try them.
One Year Later
We love privacy-focused tools that work well for everyone in the family. Notesnook is simple yet powerful for everyday note-taking. Create an account, install the app or visit the web version, sign in, and it just works. We appreciate tools that handle the hard parts upfront so users succeed easily.
We haven't covered every single feature (there are more!), but for our needs it delivers exactly what we want without complicated setups or extra plugins. We especially like how well it imports existing notes (like Markdown files) and handles attachments.
If you're looking for an easy-to-use, privacy-first note-taking app, give Notesnook a try.
Remember: we may not have anything to hide, but everything to protect.
