Introduction
Notesnook is a privacy-focused note-taking app where all notes are encrypted on the client before syncing. It offers apps for every platform so you can access your notes anywhere without exposing them to the server.
What Notesnook Does
- Encrypts all notes client-side using XChaCha20-Poly1305 before sync
- Provides rich text editing with markdown support and inline formatting
- Syncs across desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), mobile (iOS, Android), and web
- Organizes notes with notebooks, tags, colors, and favorites
- Supports note publishing to share a read-only link with others
Architecture Overview
Notesnook is a monorepo containing a React web app, React Native mobile apps, and an Electron desktop app. The encryption layer sits in a shared core library. The sync server stores only encrypted blobs, so even the server operator cannot read note contents.
Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Clone the monorepo and build the web app with the Nx build system
- Deploy the self-hosted sync server using the provided Docker image
- Configure the client apps to point at your custom sync endpoint
- Set up a reverse proxy with TLS for secure transport
- Back up the encrypted data store on a regular schedule
Key Features
- Zero-knowledge encryption ensures only you can read your notes
- Cross-platform apps with offline support and automatic sync
- Note locking with an additional password or biometric layer
- Built-in note export to Markdown, HTML, and plain text
- Monograph publishing for sharing individual notes publicly
Comparison with Similar Tools
- Standard Notes — also encrypted but has a smaller editor feature set; Notesnook offers richer formatting
- Obsidian — local-first with plugins but no built-in E2E sync; Notesnook encrypts sync natively
- Joplin — open-source with encryption but relies on third-party sync (Dropbox, OneDrive); Notesnook has its own sync server
- Logseq — graph-based knowledge management; Notesnook is a traditional note editor with notebooks
- Apple Notes — platform-locked and not open source; Notesnook runs on all platforms
FAQ
Q: Can I self-host the sync server? A: Yes, the Notesnook sync server can be self-hosted using Docker so your encrypted data never touches a third-party server.
Q: What encryption algorithm does Notesnook use? A: Notes are encrypted with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and keys are derived using Argon2.
Q: Can I import notes from other apps? A: Yes, Notesnook supports importing from Evernote, Standard Notes, Google Keep, and plain text or Markdown files.
Q: Is the mobile app fully open source? A: Yes, all client apps including iOS and Android are open source under the GPL-3.0 license.