FUTO Notes vs Notesnook
We give FUTO Notes a 3.2 GPA and Notesnook a 4.0, out of 4.0. Notesnook grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Notesnook
Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAFUTO NotesVery good | 4.0GPANotesnookExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree. The FAQ says version 1.8.0 has no paid tier, no licence key and no in-app purchase. The only cost that could turn up is whatever you run the sync server on. | AEssential is $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year on the US App Store, a third of the $5.99 this category typically starts at. Pro is $6.99. Paid plans mainly buy storage, so plenty of people will never need one. Students get Pro for $19.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free on iOS, Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, and you don't need an account. The sync server is free to host yourself as well. There's nothing to upgrade to. | AFree forever, no card: unlimited encrypted notes on unlimited devices. Most people could stay here. The caps are 50 MB of attachments a month, 10 MB a file, 50 notebooks, 50 tags and 10 active reminders. |
| Features | BMarkdown styled as you type, wikilinks, tables, checklists, search on the device and sync encrypted with AES-256-GCM, file names included. It even opens an Obsidian vault where it sits. But sync carries notes and images only, so PDFs stay put, and the builds are labelled beta. | AEnd-to-end encryption on everything, an editor with tables, task lists, code, maths and attachments, notes that link to each other, a vault behind a second password, reminders, a web clipper and publishing a note as a web page. |
| Ease of use | CThe app itself is install and type, with no sign-up. Getting notes from one device to another is the hard bit: you run a sync server yourself, set up with Docker, and look after its backups. No App Store rating is on record either. | A4.7 from about 670 App Store ratings. The encryption happens without you doing anything, and the free plan needs no card. The plans take a minute to compare, as they differ mostly in storage numbers. |
| Platforms and integrations | BNative iPhone and Android apps and a desktop app for Linux, macOS and Windows, so every device is covered. There's no web version, and the listing shows no integrations. English and Simplified Chinese are the only languages. | AWindows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and the web, plus a clipper for Chrome and Firefox. An inbox API lets Zapier, IFTTT or your own script drop notes in, encrypted with your key. |
| Best for | free Markdown notes with sync you host yourself | private, encrypted notes that are free to keep |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FUTO Notes and Notesnook. How we grade
Where they differ
- FUTO Notes is free. Notesnook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential).
- Only Notesnook lists a web app.
- Only Notesnook lists a browser extension.
- Notesnook also covers linked notes and web clipper.
At a glance
| FUTO Notes | Notesnook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential) |
| Free plan | Every feature is free. The FAQ says version 1.8.0 has no paid tier, no license key and no in-app purchase, and no account is needed. | Free forever, no card: unlimited encrypted notes on unlimited devices, with 50 MB of attachment storage a month, 10 MB per file, 50 notebooks, 50 tags and 10 active reminders. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial on monthly and yearly plans; a payment method is required. The 5-year plan has no trial. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | FUTO | Streetwriters (Private) Ltd. |
| Price read from | notes.futo.tech | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FUTO Notes
- People who want Markdown notes as plain files on every device
- Self-hosters comfortable running a small sync server
- Obsidian users who want another app for an existing vault
Notesnook
- People who want notes the provider cannot read
- Unlimited notes across many devices on a free plan
- Users who want open source clients and sync server
- Students and educators, who can get Pro for $19.99 a year
Worth knowing
FUTO Notes
- Syncing between devices needs a server you run yourself; FUTO does not offer a hosted sync service today.
- Sync carries Markdown notes and images only. PDFs and other files stay on the device they are on.
- The source is public, but the licenses are not OSI-approved: modifying and redistributing the code is limited to non-commercial use.
- The download page labels the builds a beta release, and the app is available in English and Simplified Chinese only.
Notesnook
- The free plan allows 50 MB of attachment uploads a month and 10 MB per file, and caps notebooks and tags at 50 each.
- Paid tiers mainly raise storage and limits: Essential gives 1 GB a month, Pro 10 GB and Believer 25 GB.
- Prices on notesnook.com are localized by country and shown with tax; the dollar prices here come from the US App Store listing.
- The 5-year plan is prepaid and does not include the 14-day trial.
Key features
FUTO Notes
- Plain Markdown files
- Each note is one .md file named after its title, and each folder in the app is a real folder on disk. There is no database, so any text editor can open the notes.
- Markdown styled as you type
- Headings, bold text, checklists, tables, wikilinks and fenced code are formatted while you write, with the syntax fading out of view.
- Apps for five platforms
- Native iOS and Android apps use the same editor as the desktop app, which is built on Tauri for Linux, macOS and Windows. Search runs on the device.
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Notes and images are encrypted on the device with AES-256-GCM before upload, along with file names and folder paths. The server stores only ciphertext.
- Self-hosted sync server
- Sync goes through a server you run yourself, installed with one command using Docker. The docs cover reverse proxies, backups and storage growth.
- Works with an Obsidian vault
- On desktop the app opens an Obsidian vault folder where it is. Notes, folders, wikilinks, tags, checklists and tables carry over; embeds, aliases and plugins do not.
Notesnook
- End-to-end encryption
- Everything is encrypted on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2 before it syncs, so the servers hold only data they cannot read.
- Rich editor
- The editor handles tables, task lists, outlines, code blocks, maths formulas, images and file attachments, with Markdown support.
- Vault and app lock
- The app can require a fingerprint, PIN or password to open, and a vault puts selected notes behind a second password.
- Linked notes
- Notes link to one another, and each note lists both the notes it points to and the notes that reference it.
- Web clipper and published notes
- An open source clipper for Chrome and Firefox saves pages or selections into notes. A single note can be published as a web page, optionally behind a password.
- Reminders and Inbox API
- Reminders can be set on any note and fire from the device. An inbox API lets Zapier, IFTTT or your own script add notes, encrypted with your key.
Plans
FUTO Notes
FUTO Notes$0
The full app on iOS, Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, plus the sync server to host yourself.
Notesnook
Free$0
Unlimited notes and devices, 50 MB of attachment storage a month, 10 MB file size, 50 notebooks, 50 tags and 100 versions per note.
Essential$1.99
per month, or $19.99 per year (US App Store prices)
1 GB of storage a month, 100 MB file size, 500 notebooks and tags, 50 active reminders and 1,000 versions per note.
Pro$6.99
per month, or $69.99 per year (US App Store prices)
10 GB of storage a month, 1 GB file size and unlimited notebooks, tags, colors and reminders. Also sold as a prepaid 5-year plan.
Believer$8.99
per month, or $89.99 per year (US App Store prices)
25 GB of storage a month and 5 GB file size, with every limit removed. Also sold as a prepaid 5-year plan.
Ways to pay less
FUTO Notes
No public discounts listed.
Notesnook
- Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
The pricing page labels yearly billing as 2 months free. On the US App Store, Essential is $19.99 a year against $1.99 a month, and Pro is $69.99 against $6.99.
- Education
Pro for $19.99 a year for students and educators
Students and educators can apply with an EDU email address or an official document to get Notesnook Pro for 19.99 USD per year. It lasts one year and can be reclaimed.
- Other savings
Prepaid 5-year plans for Pro and Believer
Pro and Believer can be paid for five years at a time, at a lower monthly rate than the standard yearly price shown on the pricing page.
