Notesnook vs Simplenote
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
Where they differ
- Notesnook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential). Simplenote is free.
- Only Notesnook lists a browser extension.
- Notesnook is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Notesnook also covers web clipper.
At a glance
| Notesnook | Simplenote | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Essential) | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | Everything is free: the apps, backups, syncing and sharing. Automattic says it places no restriction on the number of notes. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial on monthly and yearly plans; a payment method is required. The 5-year plan has no trial. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Streetwriters (Private) Ltd. | Automattic |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | simplenote.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Simplenote
- Plain-text notes synced across phone, desktop and browser at no cost
- People who prefer tags and search over folders
- Publishing a note to a public web link
Worth knowing
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.
Simplenote
- Notes are text only: images, PDFs and other files cannot be attached, though Markdown can embed an image hosted elsewhere.
- Notes are encrypted in transit but not at rest, and Automattic advises against storing particularly sensitive information.
- An account is required; Simplenote cannot be used without one.
- Notes are shared one at a time, and an individual note cannot be hidden.
Key features
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.
Simplenote
- Automatic sync
- Notes stay updated across phones, computers and the web app automatically and in real time, with no sync button to press.
- Tags, pins and instant search
- Notes are organized with tags and pins, and search finds them as you type with keyword highlighting.
- Version history
- Notes are backed up with every change, so you can look back at what a note said last week or last month.
- Markdown
- Notes can be written, previewed and published in Markdown. The help center lists Markdown support on the web, Android, iOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Collaboration and publishing
- A note can be shared with another person by email address so both can edit it, or published to a public simp.ly link for read-only viewing.
- Checklists and internal links
- Notes can contain checklists with nested items, and internal links jump from one note to another.
Plans
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.
Simplenote
Free$0
Every app and feature, including sync, version history, collaboration and publishing, with a Simplenote account.
Ways to pay less
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.
Simplenote
No public discounts listed.
