Joplin vs Standard Notes
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right productivity tool for your needs.
The Winner
Joplin
Has a slight advantage based on user ratings and overall value. Both tools are excellent - Standard Notes may still be better for specific use cases.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Joplin |  Standard Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free tier Best | Free tier |
| User Rating | 4.9 Best | 4.6 |
| Review Count | 14 | 14 |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
| Best For | Privacy-focused note-takers | Privacy-first encrypted note-taking |
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Joplin Standard Notes Joplin
- Truly free and open-source
- End-to-end encryption
- Offline-first design
- Self-hosting options
- Basic collaboration
- Utilitarian interface
- Search limitations
Standard Notes
- Military-Grade Encryption
- Truly Free Tier
- Open-Source Transparency
- Complete Offline Access
- No Real-Time Collaboration
- Basic Interface Design
- Limited Free Features
Joplin Overview
Best for: Privacy-focused users, developers, and open-source advocates needing offline-first note-taking with encryption. Not ideal for: Teams needing real-time collaboration. The free tier is fully featured-paid plans ($2.99-$7.99/mo) add cloud sync convenience.
Best For:
- Privacy-focused note-takers
- Developers and technical users comfortable with Markdown
- Open-source advocates who want data ownership
- Users needing offline-first access to notes
- Students and educators (50% discount available)
- Personal knowledge management (PKM) systems
- Multi-platform users (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)
- Users wanting to self-host their notes
Standard Notes Overview
Standard Notes is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes app built for users who refuse to compromise on privacy. With zero-knowledge architecture and four independent security audits, it ensures only you can read your notes. The free tier includes unlimited devices and E2E encryption, while paid plans ($7.50-$10/mo) add markdown editing, 100GB storage, and team sharing.
Best For:
- Privacy-first encrypted note-taking
- Legal, healthcare, and finance sectors requiring GDPR compliance
- Journalists, activists, and researchers handling sensitive information
- Remote teams needing secure shared notes (Professional plan)
- Users who value open-source and audited security
- Cross-platform users needing offline access with encryption
Our Verdict
Joplin has a slight edge based on user ratings and overall value. Both tools are excellent - Standard Notes may still be better for Privacy-first encrypted note-taking.
Try Joplin Free