SideNotes alternatives · Note-Taking
Self-hosted alternatives to SideNotes
The SideNotes listing does not say it can be self-hosted. 20 of the 146 other note-taking apps in this directory can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.
SideNotes is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac. All of them are free or have a free plan.
20 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to SideNotes
- Free
Jotty
Self-hosted notes and checklists stored as Markdown files
- Jotty is free. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Jotty has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Jotty lists a web app.
- Only SideNotes lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
- Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic). SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Joplin has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Joplin lists a web app.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Free plan · from $90/yr
Standard Notes
End-to-end encrypted notes app with open source clients
- Standard Notes starts at $90 per year (Productivity). SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Standard Notes has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Standard Notes lists a web app.
- Only Standard Notes lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Notesnook
Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform
- Notesnook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential). SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Notesnook has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Notesnook lists a web app.
- Only Notesnook lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Free
Trilium Notes
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base
- Trilium Notes is free. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Trilium Notes has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Trilium Notes lists a web app.
- Only Trilium Notes lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Free
Memos
Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes
- Memos is free. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Memos has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Memos lists a web app.
- Only Memos lists a browser extension.
- Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Lockbook
Open-source encrypted notes app with Markdown and drawing
- Lockbook starts at $2.99 per month. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Lockbook has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lockbook lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Lockbook is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Free
FUTO Notes
Local-first Markdown notes with self-hosted encrypted sync
- FUTO Notes is free. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- FUTO Notes has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FUTO Notes lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- FUTO Notes is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $5.99/mo
Blinko
AI-assisted card notes, self-hosted or on Blinko Cloud
- Blinko starts at $5.99 per month, billed monthly (Blinko Cloud Pro). SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- Blinko has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Blinko lists a web app.
- Only Blinko lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Free plan · from $50/yr
SilverBullet
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop
- SilverBullet starts at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use). SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- SilverBullet has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SilverBullet lists a web app.
- Only SilverBullet lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Free
flatnotes
Self-hosted notes web app on a flat folder of Markdown files
- flatnotes is free. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- flatnotes has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only flatnotes lists a web app.
- Only SideNotes lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Free
NoteDiscovery
Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base that runs in the browser
- NoteDiscovery is free. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- NoteDiscovery has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only NoteDiscovery lists a web app.
- Only SideNotes lists macOS and iOS apps.
8 more that can be self-hosted
All 20 in one tableCommon questions
Is there a self-hosted alternative to SideNotes?
Yes. Jotty, Joplin, Standard Notes, Notesnook, Trilium Notes, Memos, Lockbook, FUTO Notes and 12 more can be self-hosted, according to their own sites.
Can SideNotes be self-hosted?
The SideNotes listing does not say it can be self-hosted. The listing was checked on Oct 9, 2026 against the pages it cites.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to SideNotes: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.