The Cryptee Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Cryptee in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Cryptee
The Insider’s Guide
Encrypted documents, notes and photo storage from Estonia
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Cryptee’s own pages.
Made by Cryptee (Svartlab OÜ) · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Cryptee’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Cryptee’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Cryptee is an end-to-end encrypted service for documents, notes, journals, photos and videos, run by a bootstrapped company in Estonia. Files are encrypted on the device before upload, so the company cannot read them, and an account needs only a username. It runs in the browser and installs as a progressive web app instead of through app stores. Pricing is by storage, in euros, with 100 MB free.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Cryptee, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: pick a username and you're in, with no email to verify.
- 1
Best for private notes and photos nobody else can read
Cryptee encrypts your documents, journals and photos on your device before upload, so the Estonian company that runs it can't read them, and you sign up with only a username.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $3.36 a month
As its pricing page puts it: €3 per month (10 GB).
- 3
There is a free plan
100 MB of encrypted storage, described as free forever. Signing up needs a username and no email address or phone number.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Encrypted document editor
Documents, notes and journals are encrypted with AES-256 on your device before they leave it, and only you hold the keys. They sync across your devices in encrypted form.
- 6
Markdown, math and structure
The editor takes Markdown and hotkeys, inline code and KaTeX math, checkboxes, tables and inline #hashtags, builds a table of contents, and cross-links documents and attached files.
- 7
Encrypted photos and videos
Photo and video storage has albums, hashtags, typo-tolerant search and support for RAW files. Albums can be shared through end-to-end encrypted links.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 22 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Cryptee you could make: notes, documents, Markdown and linked notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Cryptee at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from €3 per month (10 GB)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Cryptee (Svartlab OÜ), since 2017
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for private notes and photos nobody else can read
Cryptee encrypts your documents, journals and photos on your device before upload, so the Estonian company that runs it can't read them, and you sign up with only a username. It's a web app you install from the browser, with no app-store apps, the free plan stops at 100 MB shared with photos, prices are in euros only, and the backend isn't published, so you can't host it yourself.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | €3 a month buys 10 GB of encrypted storage for documents, photos and videos, the same price monthly or yearly. In dollars that's a shade over this category's cheapest quarter and well under its $6 middle. The next step up is a jump: 400 GB at €9 a month billed yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | C | 100 MB free for ever, with no email address or phone number asked for. But 100 MB is the cap, and the same account holds your photos and videos, so one holiday's worth of pictures puts you at the wall. |
| Features | B | An editor with Markdown, KaTeX maths, tables, checkboxes, hashtags and links between documents, all encrypted with AES-256 before it leaves your device. It opens DOCX, ODT and PDF files, imports Evernote notes, keeps photos in albums, and hides whole folders until you type their names. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: pick a username and you're in, with no email to verify. Installing means adding the site from your browser rather than a store, and on an iPhone you have to turn Lockdown Mode off for it. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A web app, and that's the lot. It does install from the browser on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS and works offline once it's in, but there are no native apps and the listing names no integrations or API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Cryptee is for
- Fits if you keep a journal and want it unreadable to everyone, the provider included
- Works for people who'd sign up without handing over an email address or phone number
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want an app from the App Store or Google Play, as it's a browser-installed web app only
- Tight if you're staying free and have photos, because the free plan stops at 100 MB
- Not for you if you want to run it on your own server, since the backend isn't published
- Watch out: on an iPhone you have to turn Lockdown Mode off for the site, and the listing names no integrations or API
- Watch out: prices are in euros only, and after 10 GB at €3 the next step is 400 GB at €9 a month billed yearly
Good to know
Good for
- Private journals and notes that the provider cannot read
- Keeping documents and a photo library in one encrypted account
- Signing up without giving an email address or phone number
Worth knowing
- There are no native or app-store apps: it is a progressive web app installed from the browser, and iOS Lockdown Mode has to be turned off for the site.
- The free plan stops at 100 MB; paid plans are sold by storage size and priced only in euros.
- The client apps are open source, but the backend is not published and the service cannot be run on your own server.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$3.36
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Cryptee has a free plan. Paid plans start at €3 per month (10 GB).
Free
€0
100 MB of encrypted storage for documents, photos and videos.
10 GB
€3
per month, on monthly or yearly billing
10 GB of encrypted storage. The price is the same whether billed monthly or yearly.
400 GB
€9
per month, billed yearly; €11 billed monthly
400 GB of encrypted storage. Yearly billing saves €24 a year compared with monthly.
2000 GB
€27
per month, billed yearly; €30 billed monthly
2,000 GB of encrypted storage. Yearly billing saves €36 a year compared with monthly.
The free plan
100 MB of encrypted storage, described as free forever. Signing up needs a username and no email address or phone number.
Read from crypt.ee on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save €24 or €36 a year with yearly billing
On yearly billing the 400 GB plan is €9 a month instead of €11, and the 2000 GB plan is €27 instead of €30. The 10 GB plan costs €3 a month either way.
Stated on crypt.ee
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Encrypted documents, notes and photo storage from Estonia. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, works offline, end-to-end encrypted, notes, Markdown, linked notes, documents.
It opens DOCX, ODT and PDF files, imports Evernote notes, keeps photos in albums, and hides whole folders until you type their names.
- Encrypted document editor
- Documents, notes and journals are encrypted with AES-256 on your device before they leave it, and only you hold the keys. They sync across your devices in encrypted form.
- Markdown, math and structure
- The editor takes Markdown and hotkeys, inline code and KaTeX math, checkboxes, tables and inline #hashtags, builds a table of contents, and cross-links documents and attached files.
- Encrypted photos and videos
- Photo and video storage has albums, hashtags, typo-tolerant search and support for RAW files. Albums can be shared through end-to-end encrypted links.
- Ghost folders and albums
- Folders and albums can be hidden from the account entirely and brought back only by someone who knows their names.
- File format support
- It opens and edits DOCX, ODT and PDF files, imports Evernote notes, opens and saves Markdown files and exports documents as PDFs. PDFs and ebooks can sit beside a document.
- Installable web app
- Cryptee runs in a browser and installs as a progressive web app on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS. The installed app also works offline.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Cryptee is made by Cryptee (Svartlab OÜ), and has been around since 2017.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Cryptee's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
It stands best on features (B, above 100 of 147) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 7).
Its paid plans start at about $3.36 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 22 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cryptee’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 147
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 147
- BFeaturesAbove 100 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Cryptee is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Cryptee you could make: notes, documents, Markdown and linked notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 98 of the 147 other note-taking apps grade higher. It costs $40.34 a year. Cryptee is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Notes, documents, Markdown and linked notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Cryptee’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Standard Notes, Notesnook, Lockbook, Mimiri Notes and Joplin
The 5 tools Cryptee is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Standard Notes
Free plan · from $90/yr
End-to-end encrypted notes app with open source clients.
- Only Standard Notes lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Standard Notes lists a browser extension.
- Standard Notes is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Notesnook
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Open source, end-to-end encrypted notes on every platform.
- Only Notesnook lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS apps.
- Only Notesnook lists a browser extension.
- Notesnook is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Lockbook
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Open-source encrypted notes app with Markdown and drawing.
- Only Cryptee lists a web app.
- Only Lockbook lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Lockbook is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Mimiri Notes
Free plan · from $1.20/mo
End-to-end encrypted notes in a tree, with encrypted sharing.
- Only Mimiri Notes lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Mimiri Notes is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Cryptee also covers Markdown, linked notes and documents.
- 3.6GPA
Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Joplin lists a browser extension.
- Joplin is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Cryptee free?
Cryptee has a free plan. 100 MB of encrypted storage, described as free forever.
How much does Cryptee cost?
Cryptee lists 4 plans. Free: €0.
What platforms does Cryptee work on?
Cryptee is available on Web.
Does Cryptee offer any discounts?
Cryptee publicly lists the following: Save €24 or €36 a year with yearly billing.
Does Cryptee have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Cryptee is listed for Web.
Does Cryptee have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Cryptee is listed for Web.
Is Cryptee open source?
Yes. Cryptee is open source, according to its own site.
Is Cryptee end-to-end encrypted?
Cryptee describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Does Cryptee work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Who makes Cryptee?
Cryptee is made by Cryptee (Svartlab OÜ). It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to Cryptee?
The closest alternatives to Cryptee in our directory are Standard Notes, Notesnook, Lockbook, Mimiri Notes and Joplin.
How does Cryptee compare with other note-taking apps?
Cryptee's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 27.
Is Cryptee good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Cryptee C for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $3.36 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 22 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Cryptee?
The plain part of Cryptee you could make: notes, documents, Markdown and linked notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Cryptee’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cryptee's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-31.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Cryptee (Svartlab OÜ). Prices change, so check crypt.ee before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Cryptee, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/cryptee
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Cryptee: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/cryptee
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/cryptee/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Cryptee, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Cryptee’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Cryptee is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Cryptee (Svartlab OÜ). Prices and plans change: check crypt.ee before you buy.