PrivateNotes AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

The best Note-taking alternative to PrivateNotes is Obsidian. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Joplin or Logseq. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to PrivateNotes and loads of them are Note-taking Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Note-taking Tool alternatives to PrivateNotes are Notion, Anytype, Standard Notes and Microsoft OneNote.

filter to find the best alternatives

PrivateNotes alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools but may also be Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of PrivateNotes.
  • ...

PrivateNotes (formerly Exocortex) is an encrypted note-taking app designed for networked thought. It allows you to link ideas together, creating a web of interconnected notes that mimic how your mind works.

More about PrivateNotes
PrivateNotes alternatives page was last updated Jan 29, 2025
  1. Obsidian icon
     927 likes

    Obsidian is a note-taking app that lets you create a personal knowledge graph with ease. It is designed for non-linear thinking and allows you to easily link your notes together wiki-style.

    90 Obsidian alternatives
    Obsidian screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Safari

    Top Obsidian Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Local Storage
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Graph view
    5.  Bidirectional links
    6.  Mind Mapping
    7.  Personal Information Manager (PIM)
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    10.  Knowledge Management
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Backlink
    Obsidian iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Obsidian VS PrivateNotes

    Is Obsidian a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
    • Obsidian is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to PrivateNotes.

    • Obsidian is the most popular free alternative to PrivateNotes.

    • Obsidian is Free Personal and ProprietaryPrivateNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
  2. Joplin icon
     800 likes

    Joplin is a open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, can be copied, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.

    66 Joplin alternatives
    Desktop and mobile apps

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  End-to-End Encryption
    4.  Web Clipper
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Local Storage
    7.  Tagging
    8. Android icon  Android Sync
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  File Sync
    11.  Encrypted Notes
    12.  WebDAV Support
    Joplin iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Joplin VS PrivateNotes

    Is Joplin a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
    • Joplin is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to PrivateNotes.

    • Joplin is the most popular Open Source alternative to PrivateNotes.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourcePrivateNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focusedPrivateNotes is not according to our users
  3. Logseq icon
     257 likes

    Logseq is a platform for knowledge sharing and management. It focuses on privacy, longevity, and user control. Notice: the backend code will be open-sourced as soon as we’re sure that the backend service meets the security standards.

    117 Logseq alternatives
    Logseq screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid

    Top Logseq Features

    1.  Bidirectional links
    2.  Graph view
    3.  Local Storage
    4.  Outliner
    5.  Backlinks
    6.  Knowledge base
    7.  Support for MarkDown
    8.  Knowledge Management
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Note organization
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Full-Text Search
    Logseq iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Logseq VS PrivateNotes

    Is Logseq a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
    • Logseq is the most popular Web-based alternative to PrivateNotes.

    • Logseq is Free and Open SourcePrivateNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
  4. Notion icon
     605 likes

    Enhance team collaboration and content organization with Notion. Experience real-time access, intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities, and visually simple interfaces designed for productivity in managing tasks, notes, and databases effectively. Ideal for teams of every size.

    93 Notion alternatives
    Notion screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)

    Top Notion Features

    1.  Database Management Tool
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Wiki
    4.  Custom templates
    5.  Team Collaboration
    6.  Visual bookmarks
    7.  Relational Database
    8.  Knowledge Base structuring
    9.  Data export/import
    10.  Kanban Board
    11.  Real time collaboration
    12.  Hierarchical Structure
    Notion iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Notion VS PrivateNotes

    Is Notion a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
    • Notion is the most popular SaaS alternative to PrivateNotes.

    • Notion is Freemium and ProprietaryPrivateNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Anytype icon
     222 likes

    E2E encrypted, local-first, p2p and open. A knowledge graph of your ideas, tasks, wikis, projects, and databases. Supported on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android & iOS. Offline access, markdown export, and on-device storage.

    100 Anytype alternatives
    Movie Database

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Synchronization
    3.  End-to-End Encryption
    4.  Visual Organization
    5.  Decentralized
    6.  Knowledge Management
    7.  Support for MarkDown
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Local Storage
    10.  Team Collaboration
    11.  Cross-Platform
    12.  Wiki
    Anytype iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Anytype VS PrivateNotes

    Is Anytype a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  6. Standard Notes icon
     642 likes

    Standard Notes is a simple and private notes app. It allows you to write and sync your notes across all your devices, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, MacOS, and web browser.

    71 Standard Notes alternatives
    Standard Notes screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Clean design
    3.  Security-focused

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  Encrypted Notes
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Encrypted Backup
    8.  AES Encryption
    9.  Sync on many devices
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Mobile friendly
    12.  Client side encryption
    Standard Notes iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Standard Notes VS PrivateNotes

    Is Standard Notes a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  7. Microsoft OneNote icon
     1134 likes

    Comprehensive digital notebook offering organizers, shared notes, multi-device syncing, and optical character recognition, plus cloud-based data management for efficient information handling and accessibility.

    86 Microsoft OneNote alternatives
    Microsoft OneNote screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire

    Top Microsoft OneNote Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  Web Clipper
    3.  Visual Organization
    4.  Hierarchical Structure
    5.  Text formatting
    6.  Insert images
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Cloud Sync
    9.  Support for styluses
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Pressure Sensitivity
    12.  Multiple Account support
    Microsoft OneNote iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Microsoft OneNote VS PrivateNotes

    Is Microsoft OneNote a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  8. AppFlowy icon
     158 likes

    AppFlowy is an open source alternative to Notion. You are in charge of your data and customizations.

    57 AppFlowy alternatives
    AppFlowy screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Self-Hosted
    • Rust
    • iPhone
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Note organization
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Kanban Board
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Support for MarkDown
    7.  WYSIWYG Support
    8.  Cloud Sync
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Notebook
    11.  Wiki
    12.  Portable
    AppFlowy iconPrivateNotes Icon

    AppFlowy VS PrivateNotes

    Is AppFlowy a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  9. Zettlr icon
     212 likes

    From idea to publication in one app: Zettlr accompanies you while writing your blog post, newspaper article, term paper, thesis, or entire book.

    159 Zettlr alternatives
    Zettlr Main Window (dark mode)

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Zettelkasten note method
    3.  File Tagging
    4.  Multiple export options
    5. Zotero icon  Zotero integration
    6.  Note organization
    7.  Link files
    8.  Built-in themes
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Syntax Highlighting
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  Hierarchical Structure
    Zettlr iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Zettlr VS PrivateNotes

    Is Zettlr a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  10. Google Keep icon
     816 likes

    Google Keep has several features including color coding notes, inserting images, creating lists, geo-fencing, shareable notes, and search by color.

    70 Google Keep alternatives
    Google Keep screenshot 1
    Google Keep screenshot 2
    +4
    Google Keep screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Android Wear

    Top Google Keep Features

    1.  Sync on many devices
    2.  Visual Organization
    3.  Share notes
    4.  Grocery List
    5.  Web-Based
    6.  Multiplatform
    7.  Photo notes
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Handwritten Notes
    11.  Reminders
    12. Google Calendar icon  Sync with Google Calendar
    Google Keep iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Google Keep VS PrivateNotes

    Is Google Keep a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  11. sNotes – Students Notes icon
     119 likes

    Students Notes is a note-taking app designed for online learners to overcome information overload, organization, and memorization challenges.

    41 sNotes – Students Notes alternatives
    sNotes – Students Notes screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Knowledge base
    2.  Note organization
    3.  Hierarchical Structure
    4.  Handwritten Notes
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Full-Text Search
    9.  Ad-free
    sNotes – Students Notes iconPrivateNotes Icon

    sNotes – Students Notes VS PrivateNotes

    Is this a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
  12. Notesnook icon
     120 likes

    Notesnook is a simple and cross-platform private notes app that keeps your notes organized and synced on your phone, tablet and computer. Take notes, capture ideas, create to-do lists, keep a journal, write your assignments and manage projects, we have got you covered.

    236 Notesnook alternatives
    Notesnook screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Encrypted Notes
    2.  Private notes
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Note organization
    5.  End-to-End Encryption
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Support for MarkDown
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Cloud Sync
    11.  Web Clipper
    12.  Reminders
    Notesnook iconPrivateNotes Icon

    Notesnook VS PrivateNotes

    Is Notesnook a good alternative to PrivateNotes?
     
12 of 60 PrivateNotes alternatives