There are plenty of note-taking apps to choose from when it comes to your own productivity workflow. But increasingly, proprietary services are limiting what users can do on free plans. And even if you're a paying user, you're not immune to price increases, especially as AI bloat gets rolled into paid plans.

If you're looking for a break from business as usual, here are a few open-source apps you can try. While some do offer paid plans and features, those with cloud capabilities don't limit device syncing, offering essential features without any cost.

Standard Notes

Simple, privacy-focused note-taking

I'm starting with the simplest Evernote alternative, aimed at those who want straightforward note-taking without device limits. What I love about Standard Notes is its privacy-focused approach.

Its free plan includes all the essential features you'll need: plain-text notes, end-to-end encryption, unlimited device syncing, organization with tags, and offline access. You can also set PINs for notes to add additional protection.

You can opt for a paid plan if you want more advanced note-taking features, such as Markdown notes, checklists, spreadsheets, and access to the web clipper tool. But importantly, regardless of which plan you're on, your encryption and number of devices aren't limited based on how much you pay.

Simeplenote

Completely free, but not completely open

Simplenote is completely free to use, though there are a few caveats to take into account. While the Simplenote client apps are open source, the server code is not. The service is also owned by Automattic, best known as the company behind WordPress.com. The company is not without its own controversy in the open-source community.

With that said, it has some notable features. If you like to write in Markdown, you'll be happy to hear that Simplenote supports Markdown notes. This means you can format code snippets, headings, and other styled text. However, you only see this formatting when selecting the preview of the note. When editing, it returns to the Markdown syntax.

You can also add checklists to your notes. The service also supports auto-saving and syncing for free, along with supplying a version history for notes.

When it comes to organization, like Standard Notes, you can sort your notes with tags. You are also able to share your notes with other users or even publish these notes.

Notesnook

Privacy-focused, but also feature-rich

Notesnook is another app that includes both free and premium plans. While it reminds me most of Evernote, its free plan is actually much more permissive in many ways.

First off, there's no limit on devices. This is a significant bonus, because I've tried note-taking apps that are limited to a single device, and they've never worked for me.

Notesnook also offers more storage and notebooks on its free plan than Evernote does. The open-source app gives you 50MB per month in terms of storage, 10MB file uploads, 50 notebooks, and 50 tags. I couldn't find any limit on the number of actual notes. On the other hand, Evernote's free plan gives you 50 notes, one notebook, 20 tags, 20MB of storage in total, and a single device.

As a test, I created over 50 notes in Notesnook, and did not encounter any limit. But it would be a disservice to Notesnook to only write about what its potential limitations are.

What are its features? It actually has a few great perks for people who enjoy feature-rich note-taking apps. First off, it supports rich-text notes, which means you can easily format your notes with visual editing tools. This means adding checklists, headings, formatted text, bullet lists, code snippets, different colored text, and even links. I was even surprised to see that I could add formatting to denote mathematical formulas and embeds from other sites.

In addition, you can add images and attachments to your notes, which is handy when your text refers to something you have also captured in an image or document. The app also supports reminders, though the number you can have active depends on your plan. Overall, though, this is one of the most feature-rich open-source note-taking apps there is.

And if you're worried about privacy, you'll be glad to know that all your notes are end-to-end encrypted. You can also choose to self-host Notesnook, though I haven't personally tried this.

Jotty Page

My personal favorite note-taking app

Jotty Page is my replacement for Google Keep and Obsidian, but you can also use it as an Evernote alternative and as a replacement for Notion's Kanban boards.

The important caveat here is that Jotty Page is a self-hosted app, which means that it's not as simple as just downloading an installer on your device. I currently host Jotty on my NAS and access it from outside my home network using a Cloudflare Tunnel.

A few of my favorite features of Jotty include the ability to create rich text notes, checklists, and Kanban boards. I am also able to organize my notes and tasks into different folders, pinning the most important checklists to the top of my homepage.

While it doesn't have a dedicated mobile app, the web app is mobile responsive. You can also save it as a progressive web app on your phone's home screen.

AppFlowy

Notion's open-source competition

If you want a note-taking app that supports project management, templates, and various databases, then AppFlowy is a great open-source alternative to Notion. You can also choose to self-host the service.

While it doesn't have as many ways to display databases as Notion, it does allow you to organize data in grids (tables), calendars, and boards.

For those interested in AI features, AppFlowy supports them; however, the free plan has limited tokens. But it does support unlimited pages and blocks, as well as syncing with the mobile app.

I also like that the app has a quick notes feature that allows you to quickly jot down thoughts and tasks. Like Notion, though, the service definitely has a learning curve.

Joplin

Local-first note-taking with various syncing solutions

Joplin has all the features of a great note-taking app, which is why it's such a highly recommended open-source option. The app is free, with multiple options that you can choose for syncing your notes and to-do lists.

This includes self-hosting your server or using a service like Dropbox or OneDrive. Joplin also offers a cloud service called Joplin Cloud, but this requires a subscription.

One of the things I like about Joplin is the ability to attach files and images to your notes. While it is primarily a Markdown editor, it also supports rich text formatting. A really unique feature is the ability to add drawings to the app, which is useful if you're more visually oriented.

There are plenty of free, open-source offerings

If you're unsatisfied with Evernote and Notion, or you're just curious about what other services offer, it's worth looking at the open-source alternatives that are available.

They range from the no-fuss, privacy-focused options like Standard Notes to more feature-rich services like Notesnook. And while many of these apps do offer paid plans, they aren't limiting how many devices you can sync to.