Standard Notes vs Apple Notes

Why Consider Standard Notes over Apple Notes?

Apple Notes is one of the better-designed default note apps in any operating system. It is also closed-source, tied to iCloud, and operated by a US company. By default, Apple holds the keys to your notes. Advanced Data Protection — Apple’s opt-in end-to-end encryption — does fix that, but only if you enable it, and it disables some features like web access. Most users never turn it on.

Standard Notes, now part of Switzerland’s Proton AG, takes the opposite approach: every note is end-to-end encrypted from the moment you write it. The clients are open source and inspectable. The servers are in Switzerland. And the company’s revenue model is paid subscriptions, not advertising or ecosystem lock-in.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Standard Notes	Apple Notes
End-to-end encryption	Always on, by default	Optional (Advanced Data Protection)
Open source	Yes — clients and server	No
Jurisdiction	Switzerland	United States
Cross-platform	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web	macOS, iOS, iPadOS, web (limited)
Self-hostable	Yes	No
Markdown / rich text	Yes (with extensions)	Rich text only
Drawing / Apple Pencil	No native pen support	Excellent
Document scanning	No	Yes
Collaboration	Note-sharing on paid plans	Shared Notes via iCloud
Pricing model	Paid subscription	Bundled with iCloud

Pricing

• Standard Notes Free — Unlimited notes, all devices, end-to-end encrypted, plain text
• Productivity — $7.50/month (billed annually) — markdown editor, rich text, code editor, sheets, tasks, themes, two-factor authenticator
• Professional — $11.50/month (billed annually) — adds note history, file uploads (up to 100 GB), and Proton Unlimited integration
• Apple Notes — Free with any Apple device; storage counts against iCloud quota ($0.99–$10.99/month for additional space)

Apple Notes is “free” in the sense that it is bundled. Standard Notes is explicit: you pay for the software, and the company is therefore not incentivised to monetise you.

Privacy and Data Sovereignty

• Headquartered in Switzerland — outside the EU but with stricter data protection than most EU countries
• Not subject to the US CLOUD Act or FISA Section 702
• Zero-knowledge architecture: even subpoenaed, Standard Notes can only produce encrypted blobs
• Open-source clients allow independent audit of the encryption implementation
• No telemetry, no analytics, no advertising
• Self-hosting option for teams that want full control

Apple Notes, by contrast, is operated by a US company whose iCloud data — outside of Advanced Data Protection — is regularly produced under US legal process.

Migration Considerations

Estimated time: 1–3 hours depending on note volume. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.

1. Create a Standard Notes account at standardnotes.com. Set a strong master password and save a recovery key.
2. Install the apps on each device you use. Sync is automatic and encrypted.
3. Export your Apple Notes. On macOS, select notes and File → Export as PDF, or use a third-party tool to extract them as Markdown. Apple does not provide a clean Markdown export, so very large libraries may need a script.
4. Import into Standard Notes. Drag-and-drop text and Markdown files into Standard Notes; one note per file or use the bulk importer.
5. Decide what to leave behind. Hand-drawn sketches, scanned documents, and Shared Notes with family are better kept in Apple Notes. Migrate written content and sensitive notes first.
6. Turn off iCloud Notes sync once you are confident the migration is complete, so you do not maintain two sources of truth.

The Bottom Line

Apple Notes is a beautifully integrated app that happens to live inside a US data ecosystem. Standard Notes is an encrypted-by-default vault under Swiss jurisdiction, with open-source code anyone can audit. If your notes contain anything you would not want a court order — anywhere in the world — to surface, the choice is straightforward.

Apple’s app remains the better experience for sketching, scanning, and quick captures alongside other Apple workflows. But for anything written, anything sensitive, and anything you want to outlive your current device ecosystem, Standard Notes is the right home for your thoughts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Standard Notes really end-to-end encrypted?

Yes. Every note is encrypted on your device before it leaves, using XChaCha20-Poly1305 with keys derived from your password via Argon2. The server only stores encrypted blobs — Standard Notes itself cannot read your content. This has been independently audited.

How does this compare to Apple Notes' encryption?

Apple Notes offers optional end-to-end encryption for notes locked with Advanced Data Protection. By default, however, Notes are accessible to Apple, subject to US legal process. Standard Notes is encrypted by default, with no opt-out, under Swiss jurisdiction.

What happens if I forget my password?

Standard Notes cannot reset it for you — that is the trade-off for true zero-knowledge encryption. You can configure a recovery key during setup. Treat your Standard Notes password the same way you treat a password manager master password.

Is the Proton acquisition a privacy risk?

Proton acquired Standard Notes in 2024 with explicit commitments to keep it open-source and end-to-end encrypted. Proton itself is a Swiss non-profit-foundation-owned company with a strong privacy track record — Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Pass. The acquisition added resources and integration with Proton's broader ecosystem without changing the encryption model.

Can I import my Apple Notes?

Yes, with some manual work. Apple Notes does not offer a clean export, but you can export notes as PDFs or use third-party tools to convert your Notes database. For very large libraries, plan to migrate gradually, prioritising sensitive notes first.