The DeepNotes Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about DeepNotes 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.
DeepNotes
The Insider’s Guide
End-to-end encrypted infinite canvas for nested notes
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from DeepNotes’s own pages.
Made by Gustavo Toyota · 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 DeepNotes’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on DeepNotes’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
2.2
GPA, above 12 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
DeepNotes is an open-source note-taking tool built around infinite canvases. Notes float freely on a page, can hold other notes inside containers, and are joined by arrows, while pages link to one another instead of sitting in a folder tree. Everything stored in a page is end-to-end encrypted, and the Pro plan adds shared groups for collaborating in real time.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about DeepNotes, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: double-click to make a note, drag it where you want it, draw an arrow.
- 1
Best for encrypted notes you arrange on an endless canvas
DeepNotes is an open-source canvas notes tool where notes float, nest inside other notes and join with arrows, and every page is end-to-end encrypted.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $3.99 per month, billed yearly ($47.88).
- 3
There is a free plan
Basic plan: up to 50 pages for personal use, with end-to-end encryption, use across your own devices and two-factor authentication. Groups need Pro.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 5
Infinite canvas pages
Each page is an unbounded canvas. Double-clicking creates a note, and notes can be moved, expanded, colored and connected with arrows.
- 6
Nested notes and linked pages
Containers hold notes inside other notes, and pages link to one another, so navigation follows the links you make and not a fixed page hierarchy.
- 7
End-to-end encryption
Notes and arrows are encrypted under a key hierarchy that starts from the user's password, set out in a public whitepaper. Email addresses and metadata are not end-to-end encrypted.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 12 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 DeepNotes you could make: notes and mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
DeepNotes at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $3.99 per month, billed yearly ($47.88)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Gustavo Toyota, since 2022
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for encrypted notes you arrange on an endless canvas
DeepNotes is an open-source canvas notes tool where notes float, nest inside other notes and join with arrows, and every page is end-to-end encrypted. Pro is $3.99 a month billed yearly. There's no offline mode, text can't be searched across pages, free stops at 50 pages, Pro pages go read-only if you stop paying, and its phone store listings came back not found.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $3.99 a month billed yearly ($47.88), or $4.99 month by month, past this category's lowest-priced quarter and under its $6 middle. Working with other people costs more than it looks, too, because every member of a group needs their own subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Basic is free and includes end-to-end encryption, two-factor sign-in and use across your own devices. Then it stops: 50 pages, personal use only, no groups and no page history. |
| Features | C | Infinite canvases, notes nested inside notes, arrows between them, pages that link to one another, real-time editing in groups on Pro. But the vendor owns up to two big holes: no offline use at all, and no searching text across pages. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: double-click to make a note, drag it where you want it, draw an arrow. It runs in a browser, so there's nothing to install before you start. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Computers only: the browser, a Windows app in the Microsoft Store, Mac and Linux builds on GitHub. The download page shows App Store and Google Play badges, but both listings came back not found, and no integrations are listed. |
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 DeepNotes is for
- Fits if you map ideas as boxes and arrows rather than a list of pages
- Works for people who want encrypted notes with source code they can read
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you work on trains and planes, as DeepNotes doesn't support offline use
- Not for you if you find things by searching, since text can't be searched across pages
- Tight if you're staying free, because Basic stops at 50 pages for personal use, with no groups or page history
- Watch out: pages made on Pro turn read-only when the subscription ends, and every group member needs their own Pro plan
- Watch out: the App Store and Google Play badges lead to listings that came back not found, and email and metadata aren't end-to-end encrypted
Good to know
Good for
- Visual thinkers who map ideas as notes and arrows on a canvas
- People who want encrypted notes with the source code published
- Small groups editing canvases together, each on a Pro subscription
Worth knowing
- There is no offline mode: the help center says DeepNotes does not support offline usage.
- Text cannot be searched across pages; the vendor gave that up as a trade-off of encrypting each page separately.
- The Basic plan stops at 50 pages and is for personal use; pages created on Pro become read-only when the subscription expires.
- The download page shows App Store and Google Play badges, but both store listings returned a not-found page on 2026-10-09.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
DeepNotes has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3.99 per month, billed yearly ($47.88).
Working with other people costs more than it looks, too, because every member of a group needs their own subscription.
Basic
$0
Up to 50 pages for personal use, with end-to-end encryption, graph-based navigation, use across your own devices and two-factor authentication.
Pro
$3.99
per month, billed yearly ($47.88)
Unlimited pages, private, public and password-protected groups, user roles and 14-day page history. $4.99 if billed monthly; full refund within 7 days.
The free plan
Basic plan: up to 50 pages for personal use, with end-to-end encryption, use across your own devices and two-factor authentication. Groups need Pro.
Read from deepnotes.app on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
The pricing page labels yearly billing as saving 20%: Pro comes to $3.99 per month ($47.88 per year) against $4.99 when billed monthly.
Stated on deepnotes.app
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
End-to-end encrypted infinite canvas for nested notes. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, end-to-end encrypted, real-time collaboration, notes, whiteboard, mind mapping.
Infinite canvases, notes nested inside notes, arrows between them, pages that link to one another, real-time editing in groups on Pro.
- Infinite canvas pages
- Each page is an unbounded canvas. Double-clicking creates a note, and notes can be moved, expanded, colored and connected with arrows.
- Nested notes and linked pages
- Containers hold notes inside other notes, and pages link to one another, so navigation follows the links you make and not a fixed page hierarchy.
- End-to-end encryption
- Notes and arrows are encrypted under a key hierarchy that starts from the user's password, set out in a public whitepaper. Email addresses and metadata are not end-to-end encrypted.
- Real-time collaboration in groups
- Pro subscribers can create private, public or password-protected groups, invite other subscribed members and manage their roles. Public groups can be viewed by anyone with a page link.
- Page history
- The Pro plan keeps 14 days of history for each page. Page history is not in the Basic plan's feature list.
- Web and desktop apps
- DeepNotes runs in the browser, with a Windows app in the Microsoft Store and Mac and Linux builds published on GitHub.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
DeepNotes is made by Gustavo Toyota, and has been around since 2022.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
12/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
DeepNotes's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 12 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 47 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $3.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 23 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 21 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. DeepNotes’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 147
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 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. DeepNotes 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 DeepNotes you could make: notes and mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 126 of the 147 other note-taking apps grade higher. It costs $47.88 a year. DeepNotes is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Notes and mind mapping: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. DeepNotes’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
Heptabase, Scrintal, Kinopio, AFFiNE and Noteey
The 5 tools DeepNotes is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Heptabase
Free trial · from $8.99/mo
Visual notes app that arranges linked cards on whiteboards.
- DeepNotes has a free plan. Heptabase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Heptabase lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Heptabase lists a browser extension.
- 1.6GPA
Scrintal
Free trial · from $9/mo
Visual note-taking on an infinite canvas of linked docs.
- DeepNotes has a free plan. Scrintal does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only DeepNotes lists a Linux app.
- DeepNotes is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Kinopio
Free plan · from $8/mo
Freeform canvas for notes, mind maps and moodboards.
- Only Kinopio lists an iOS app.
- Only Kinopio lists a browser extension.
- DeepNotes is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
AFFiNE
Free plan · from $6.75/mo
Open-source workspace that merges docs, whiteboards and databases.
- Only AFFiNE lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only AFFiNE lists a browser extension.
- DeepNotes is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Noteey
Free plan · from $90/yr
Offline infinite-canvas app for visual notes, PDFs and video.
- Only DeepNotes lists a Linux app.
- DeepNotes is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Noteey can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 DeepNotes free?
DeepNotes has a free plan. Basic plan: up to 50 pages for personal use, with end-to-end encryption, use across your own devices and two-factor authentication.
How much does DeepNotes cost?
DeepNotes lists 2 plans. Basic: $0.
What platforms does DeepNotes work on?
DeepNotes is available on Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does DeepNotes offer any discounts?
DeepNotes publicly lists the following: Save 20% with yearly billing.
Does DeepNotes have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. DeepNotes is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does DeepNotes have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. DeepNotes is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is DeepNotes open source?
Yes. DeepNotes is open source, according to its own site.
Is DeepNotes end-to-end encrypted?
DeepNotes describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Who makes DeepNotes?
DeepNotes is made by Gustavo Toyota. It dates from 2022.
What are the alternatives to DeepNotes?
The closest alternatives to DeepNotes in our directory are Heptabase, Scrintal, Kinopio, AFFiNE and Noteey.
How does DeepNotes compare with other note-taking apps?
DeepNotes's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 12 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 9.
Is DeepNotes good value for money?
ToolGPA grades DeepNotes C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.99 a month, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 23 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of DeepNotes?
The plain part of DeepNotes you could make: notes and mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from DeepNotes’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 DeepNotes' own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-14.
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 Gustavo Toyota. Prices change, so check deepnotes.app before you buy.
- deepnotes.app/pricing
- deepnotes.app/assets/Pricing.03d78857.js
- deepnotes.app/
- deepnotes.app/download
- deepnotes.app/help/what-is-deepnotes
- deepnotes.app/help/offline-usage
- deepnotes.app/help/multi-page-text-search
- deepnotes.app/help/subscription-expiration
- deepnotes.app/help/refund-policy
- deepnotes.app/help/creating-group
- deepnotes.app/whitepaper
- deepnotes.app/terms-of-service
- deepnotes.app/privacy-policy
- raw.githubusercontent.com/DeepNotesApp/DeepNotes/main/README.md
- api.github.com/repos/DeepNotesApp/DeepNotes
- apps.microsoft.com/detail/9ph76w3hpqzj
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
- DeepNotes, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/deepnotes
- 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, "DeepNotes: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/deepnotes
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/deepnotes/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after DeepNotes, 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 DeepNotes’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. DeepNotes is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Gustavo Toyota. Prices and plans change: check deepnotes.app before you buy.