Simplenote vs Standard Notes
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Standard Notes
End-to-end encrypted notes app with open source clients
Where they differ
- Simplenote is free. Standard Notes starts at $90 per year (Productivity).
- Only Standard Notes lists a browser extension.
- Standard Notes is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Simplenote also covers linked notes.
- Standard Notes also covers web clipper.
At a glance
| Simplenote | Standard Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $90 per year (Productivity) |
| Free plan | Everything is free: the apps, backups, syncing and sharing. Automattic says it places no restriction on the number of notes. | Standard plan: end-to-end encrypted plain-text notes, unlimited device sync, offline access, tags, password-protected notes, two-factor authentication and daily encrypted email backups. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Automattic | Standard Notes |
| Price read from | simplenote.com | standardnotes.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Standard Notes
- Private notes that the provider cannot read
- Keeping sensitive records and documents alongside notes
- People who want open source apps and the option to self-host
- Small groups: Professional can be shared with up to 5 accounts
Worth knowing
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.
Standard Notes
- The free plan is limited to plain-text notes; Markdown, rich text, spreadsheets and folders need Productivity at $90 per year.
- The pricing page lists yearly prices only, and there is no free trial; refunds are offered within 14 days (Productivity) or 90 days (Professional).
- Encrypted file storage comes only with Professional, and files cannot be viewed or downloaded after a subscription expires.
- When a subscription lapses, notes in the paid editors become read-only until switched back to plain text.
Key features
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.
Standard Notes
- End-to-end encryption
- Notes, tags and other data are encrypted on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 before syncing, so the server stores only data it cannot read.
- Note types
- A note is plain text on the free plan. A subscription adds Super notes for Markdown, rich text, checklists and code, plus spreadsheets and an authenticator for 2FA codes.
- Sync and offline access
- Notes sync across unlimited devices on the web, desktop and mobile, and an offline copy stays available without an internet connection.
- Revision history and backups
- Daily encrypted email backups come with every plan. Note history covers the current session on the free plan, 1 year on Productivity and is unlimited on Professional.
- Encrypted file storage
- Professional includes 100 GB of encrypted storage for photos, videos and documents, with no file size limit (tested up to 2 GB) and offline file access.
- Web Clipper and folders
- Paid plans add a Chrome and Firefox extension that clips a full page, an article or a selection into a note, and nested folders built from tags.
Plans
Simplenote
Free$0
Every app and feature, including sync, version history, collaboration and publishing, with a Simplenote account.
Standard Notes
StandardFree
Plain-text notes with end-to-end encryption, unlimited device sync, offline access, tags and daily encrypted email backups.
Productivity$90
per year
Adds the Super note type for Markdown and rich text, spreadsheets, Daily Notebooks, folders, the Web Clipper, an authenticator and 1-year revision history.
Professional$120
per year
Adds 100 GB of encrypted file storage, subscription sharing with up to 5 accounts, maximum revision history and hardware security key support.
Ways to pay less
Simplenote
No public discounts listed.
Standard Notes
- Education
30% student discount
Students get 30% off any plan, except offline subscriptions, by emailing the support team from a student email address.
- Other savings
Help for people who cannot afford a plan
Standard Notes invites anyone facing economic difficulty to email support with their circumstances so a plan that works for them can be arranged.
- Other savings
Discounted offline subscription for self-hosting
Offline subscriptions, which unlock the paid features on a self-hosted server, are sold at what the vendor calls a steep discount from the hosted plans.
