Standard Notes review

Standard Notes is built for people who keep sensitive records in their notes, such as ID documents, contracts or account numbers. Every plan, including the free one, uses end-to-end encryption; the plans page names XChaCha20-Poly1305. The free Standard plan gives unlimited device sync on web, desktop and mobile, offline access, tags, password-protected notes, two-factor authentication and daily encrypted email backups, but only plain text notes. Productivity, at $90 a year, unlocks the Super note type for Markdown, rich text, checklists and code, plus spreadsheets with formulas, Daily Notebooks, folders, a web clipper and 1 year of revision history. Professional, at $120 a year, adds 100 GB of encrypted file storage, sharing with up to 5 accounts and hardware security key support. When we checked, the plans page also advertised 50% off annual plans for Black Friday. The weak spots for Evernote users are that folders and rich text sit behind the paywall and only annual prices are shown.

Who it is for

people storing sensitive records

Price

Free plan; Productivity $90 a year; Professional $120 a year.

Productivity $ 90 / year
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• End-to-end encryption with XChaCha20-Poly1305 on every plan
• Unlimited device sync and daily encrypted email backups on the free plan
• Productivity adds Super notes, spreadsheets, folders and a web clipper
• 1 year of note revision history on Productivity
• Professional adds 100 GB of encrypted file storage and sharing with up to 5 accounts

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free plan includes end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication
• Strength: 14-day refund period on Productivity and 90 days on Professional
• Strength: Full data export in encrypted or plain text format
• Weakness: Free plan is limited to plain text notes
• Weakness: Folders require a paid plan
• Weakness: Plans page lists annual prices only

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, plain text notes with end-to-end encryption
• Productivity: $90 a year
• Professional: $120 a year, 100 GB encrypted files
• Encryption: XChaCha20-Poly1305

Where it ranks

Standard Notes is No. 10 in our Best Evernote Alternatives verdict.