Joplin
FreeOpen-source, offline-first note-taking with end-to-end encrypted sync
A privacy-first, open-source notes and to-do app. Notes are written in Markdown, kept on your device, and can be synced end-to-end encrypted to your own Nextcloud, Dropbox or OneDrive.
Why we picked it
Joplin makes both the notes and the sync completely free and completely yours. Notes are written in Markdown and kept in a local database you can export to Markdown files at any time, fully usable offline, and when you do sync, you can turn on end-to-end encryption so the key never leaves your device — not even the developers can read your content. No account wall, no ads, no telemetry.
What sets it apart is how wide the escape hatch is: export everything anytime, or run your own sync server so no cloud can ever hold your notes hostage. Official clients span phone, desktop and the command line, plus a browser web-clipper. If you want a free note system to trust for years, Joplin is one of the safest bets.