Good free note taking apps give you the writing part for nothing and put the limit on storage, sync or hosting. Choose by where you'll hit that limit first: a small cloud storage cap, sync you have to arrange yourself, or a server you run. Test with your real files, including PDFs and a second device, before you move years of notes.
The usual mistake with a free note app is judging it on the first afternoon. Typing a few notes on one laptop is free everywhere. The limits turn up later, when you add a phone, drop in a scanned contract or record a voice memo, and by then you've got months of notes sitting inside the app and you don't want to move them.
So before any list, here's what to try in your first week. Do it with the files you'll really store, not a test note that says hello.
What to test in your first week with a free notes app
- The storage cap. Add a week of real notes, including images and a PDF or two, then check how much of the free allowance you've used.
- The single file limit. Upload your largest typical attachment. A scanned document or a short audio clip often hits a per-file cap long before total storage runs out.
- Sync to a second device. Install it on your phone and edit the same note on both. If sync isn't part of the free plan, find out now, not after a year.
- Export. Export everything and open the file somewhere else. If your notes come out as plain text or Markdown, you can leave whenever you like.
- History. Change a note, then try to get the old version back. Some free plans keep a short history and some keep none past the current session.
Storage, sync or servers: where the free note plan stops
The writing part is almost never what's held back. Sync and storage are. On most of the apps below, free means a small remote storage or file-size cap, or free means local files only until you add your own sync, or it means you run the server yourself. The free forever line on a vendor's page gets tested the first time you add scanned PDFs, audio or a second device. Here's how the ten split, with free-plan limits as of Nov 2026.
Free, with a small cloud storage cap
Four apps give you a hosted account and meter what you put in it. Notesnook's free plan allows 50MB of storage a month, single files up to 10MB, 50 notebooks and 7 colours. Anytype gives you 100MB of remote storage and 10 shared channels, with unlimited private channels, so the cap mostly bites when you start collaborating. AppFlowy's free cloud stops at 100MB of storage and 7MB uploads, with one form, one chart, 7 days of version history and only a limited trial of its AI features. Zoho Notebook is the roomiest at 500MB, but each note card is capped at 3MB, uploaded files at 10MB, audio recordings at 30 minutes and video at 30 seconds.
Free on your device, with sync as the extra
Three apps put no meter on the notes themselves and draw the line at moving them between devices. Obsidian's vendor says the app is free without limits and needs no sign-up; its own sync and web publishing are optional add-ons on a subscription, so free means local Markdown files unless you set up sync yourself. A commercial licence is encouraged for work use, but its page says it isn't required.
Joplin's app is free and open source, and its own hosted sync, publishing and collaboration sit in a separate subscription service. The free route is pointing the app at storage you already have, such as Dropbox or OneDrive. SiYuan keeps local storage free; syncing to your own S3 or WebDAV storage is a PRO feature, and the storage itself isn't included, while its official cloud sync and backup is a subscription with an 8GB limit.
Free because you run the server
Memos is MIT-licensed, self-hosted and open source, per its page. There's no hosted free account on show, only installation steps and a demo, so free here means you run the server, keep it updated and back it up yourself. That's real work, and it's worth being honest with yourself about whether you'll do it every month.
Free with features held back, not storage
Simplenote's page says apps, backups, syncing and sharing are all free, and it names no upgrade tier, so the trade-off is features: tags and search instead of folders, and a deliberately simple editor. Standard Notes gives you end-to-end encryption, unlimited device sync, offline access and full export on its free plan, but free notes are plain text only, folders sit on the upgrade and note history covers the current session only.
Ten free note apps side by side
| Tool | Type of app | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Anytype | Local-first workspace | Private notes and small shared spaces, end-to-end encrypted |
| AppFlowy | Notes and project workspace | Notes, docs and projects, in the cloud or self-hosted |
| Joplin | Open source notes app | Markdown notes and web clips, synced through your own storage |
| Memos | Self-hosted quick notes | A private timeline of quick notes on your own server |
| Notesnook | Encrypted notes app | Private encrypted notes on every major platform |
| Obsidian | Local Markdown notes | Linked Markdown notes kept as files on your device |
| Simplenote | Minimal synced notes | Quick text notes synced everywhere with no setup |
| SiYuan | Local-first knowledge base | Block-based notes, databases and flashcards stored locally |
| Standard Notes | Encrypted plain-text notes | Encrypted plain-text notes synced to unlimited devices |
| Zoho Notebook | Card-based notes | Text, checklist, audio, photo and sketch cards |
The ten note apps, in no particular order
Anytype
Best for: People who want a local-first, end-to-end encrypted workspace for notes and objects, with unlimited private channels and a small remote storage allowance on free.
AppFlowy
Best for: Small teams wanting notes, docs and projects in one open workspace, hosted or self-hosted, who can work within a tight free cloud storage and upload cap.
Joplin
Best for: Anyone happy to sync through Dropbox or OneDrive who wants open format notes, end-to-end encryption, a web clipper and desktop, mobile and terminal apps.
Memos
Best for: Tinkerers who'd rather run their own server for quick Markdown timeline notes, with REST and gRPC APIs for wiring them into other tools.
Notesnook
Best for: Privacy-minded writers wanting encrypted notes on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and the web, who can live within a monthly storage allowance.
Obsidian
Best for: Writers and researchers who like owning plain Markdown files on their own device, with sync and web publishing left as optional extras.
Simplenote
Best for: Lists, drafts and quick notes synced across phone, desktop and browser, organised by tags and search, with a change history you can roll back.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
SiYuan
Best for: Students and researchers who want block references, two-way links, databases and flashcards kept on their own machine, with cloud sync as an optional extra.
Standard Notes
Best for: Anyone who needs end-to-end encrypted plain-text notes on unlimited devices, with offline access, tags and full data export on the free plan.
Zoho Notebook
Best for: Visual note takers who like separate cards for text, checklists, audio, photos, sketches and files, with the roomiest free cloud allowance here.
My plain advice on choosing a free note app
Start with where your notes need to live. If you only write on one computer, a local-first app with no storage meter will stay free for years, and you can add sync later if you get a phone habit. If you need the same notes on three devices from day one, pick an app that includes sync on its free plan and check its storage cap against a month of your real files, not a week of typing.
If privacy matters most, favour the end-to-end encrypted options and test export before you commit, because encryption is only half of control; leaving easily is the other half. And if you like the idea of running your own server, try the demo first and be realistic about updates and backups. For a wider look that isn't limited to free plans, our guide to note taking apps for every kind of writer covers more ground, and students juggling lectures and reading lists will find note apps picked for studying useful too.
Do you make a note taking app with a free plan? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Are free note taking apps safe for private notes?
Several apps here use end-to-end encryption, which means your notes are encrypted before they leave your device. That's a strong start, but also use a long password, turn on two-factor sign-in where it's offered, and keep your own export somewhere safe.
Can I use a free note app on my phone and laptop?
Yes, but check how sync works first. Some apps include sync to every device on their free plan, some only sync if you connect storage you already have, and some keep sync as an optional extra on a subscription.
What happens when I hit a free storage cap?
Usually you can still read and edit what you've got, but new uploads stop until you clear space or upgrade. Check the vendor's own help pages for the exact behaviour, because it varies between apps.
What does local-first mean for a notes app?
It means your notes are saved on your own device first, and syncing to the cloud is an extra layer rather than the main home for your data. You can work offline, and your notes don't vanish if a service shuts down.
How do I move my notes between apps?
Export from the old app, ideally as Markdown or plain text, then import into the new one. Images and attachments are the part that most often goes wrong, so check a few notes with pictures after the move.
Is a self-hosted note app free?
The software can be free to use, but you'll need a server to run it on, plus time for updates and backups. If you've never looked after a server, a hosted app with a free plan is the easier start.
