Lockbook vs Notesnook
We give Lockbook a 3.2 GPA and Notesnook a 4.0, out of 4.0. Notesnook grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lockbook
Open-source encrypted notes app with Markdown and drawing
Notesnook
Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform
How we grade them
| 3.2GPALockbookVery good | 4.0GPANotesnookExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APremium is $2.99 a month for 30 GB, which is the cheap end of notes apps here. It's the only paid plan and it has the same features as Free, so you're only ever paying for space. You buy it inside the app. | 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 | BFree has every feature: sharing and collaboration, Markdown, drawing and offline mode. The limit is storage, 25 MB of it. That goes a long way on plain text and not far at all once you add drawings and files. | 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 | BEncryption that covers file names too, a Markdown editor, an SVG canvas, sharing with read or write access, offline use and a command-line client. Solid. But the site says it's in its infancy, and document history, comments and a browser clipper are listed as coming soon. | 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 | BPick a username and you're in, with no email or password. Do look after the secret key it gives you, a 24-word phrase, because it's the only way in and can't be recovered. No App Store rating is on record, so a B is as high as we go. | 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 apps for iPhone, Mac, Windows, Linux and Android, plus a command-line client, and you can self-host the server. There's no web app, and the listing shows no integrations. | 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 | encrypted Markdown notes and sketches, cheaply | 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: Lockbook and Notesnook. How we grade
Where they differ
- Lockbook starts at $2.99 per month. 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
| Lockbook | Notesnook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.99 per month | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential) |
| Free plan | 25 MB of storage with sharing and collaboration, Markdown and drawing support, and offline mode. | 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 | Lockbook LLC | Streetwriters (Private) Ltd. |
| Price read from | lockbook.net | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Lockbook
- People who want notes and files the provider cannot read
- Markdown writers who also sketch or keep files beside their notes
- Developers who want a command-line client and open formats
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
Lockbook
- The free plan holds 25 MB. The only paid plan is 30 GB for $2.99 a month, bought inside the app.
- The secret key is the only way into an account and cannot be recovered if it is lost.
- There is no web app: the site lists native apps for iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android, and a CLI.
- The site says the product is in its infancy; document history, comments and a browser clipper are listed as coming soon.
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
Lockbook
- End-to-end encryption
- Content, including file names, is encrypted on the device. The vendor's staff can see only what the server needs, such as file counts, document sizes and the shape of the file tree.
- Key-based accounts
- Signing up takes a username and creates a secret key, shown as a 24-word phrase or a QR code. No email, phone number or password is collected.
- Markdown editor and SVG canvas
- Notes are written in Markdown and drawings are saved as SVG, both open formats that other tools can read. PDFs and images can be previewed.
- Sharing and collaboration
- A file or folder can be shared with read or write access, and the recipient can place it anywhere in their own file tree. Only the owner is billed for the space it takes.
- Native apps, offline support and a CLI
- Each platform has its own native client that works offline and syncs later. A command-line client keeps an encrypted local store and syncs on request.
- Self-hosting
- The server can run on your own infrastructure. Accounts on a self-hosted server cannot collaborate with users on the main Lockbook server.
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
Lockbook
Free$0
25 MB of storage with sharing and collaboration, Markdown and drawing support, and offline mode.
Premium$2.99
per month
30 GB of storage with the same features as Free. It is bought inside the app; the US App Store lists it as a $2.99 in-app purchase.
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
Lockbook
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.
