PrivacyNotes
Zero-knowledge notes, tasks, files, passwords and journal secured by a single 12-word recovery phrase, with no email or password required. The crypto core and database schema are published for audit. No subscription model.
Best Notion Alternatives in 2026
10 private alternatives, vetted against our public criteria.
Notion is fast and flexible because everything in your workspace sits readable on Notion’s servers, where it can be accessed, scanned, and tied to your account. The notebooks below keep your thinking to yourself, encrypting your notes on your device first.
Standard Notes
Free accounts come with a good set of features already, even in the long run if you are fine with plain text notes.
Notesnook
Developers decided recently to open-source their application. Comes with a generous free version, rich text editor and import functionality from: Files (txt, html, and .md…
Joplin
Synchronize notes across devices, publish and collaboration are for paid subscriptions only.
Anytype
A local-first, end-to-end encrypted knowledge base and note-taking app with peer-to-peer sync, built as a privacy-respecting alternative to Notion.
Cryptee
Free accounts come with 100MB storage. Your documents are encrypted before they leave your device, so Cryptee can't see your documents. Use the code "privacytools" at the…
Turtl
Free accounts come with storage of up to 50MB of note data and collaborate with 3 people each space.
Logseq
Not encrypted , but the server will never store or analyze your private notes. Your data are plain text files.
Memos
A lightweight self-hosted memo and note-taking app with a timeline-style interface, built on Go and SQLite, released under the MIT license.
Org-mode
A GNU Emacs major mode for keeping notes, managing to-do lists, planning projects, and authoring documents in plain text. Files are stored locally on Windows, Mac, and Linux; no account or cloud dependency required.
Why settings won’t fix Notion. The real-time sync and the all-in-one workspace work because Notion can read your content. There is no privacy setting that keeps the convenience while closing the server’s eyes, because the readable copy is the engine. Privacy means notes encrypted before they ever reach a server, even if that costs some of Notion’s flashier features.
What actually matters in a notes app. End-to-end encryption, an open-source client you can audit, dependable offline access, sync across your devices, and export to an open format like Markdown so you are never trapped. The trade-off worth naming: you swap some database wizardry for encryption, offline speed, and ownership.
How to switch. Export your workspace as Markdown and CSV, import it into the new app, and rebuild any complex databases by hand where the structure did not survive. Move your active notes first so you feel the change, keep Notion in read-only mode as a reference for a while, and let the simpler, private setup prove itself before you fully commit.
Frequently asked
- Can I import my Notion pages?
- Yes. Notion exports to Markdown and CSV, which these apps import. Simple pages come across cleanly; heavily linked databases may need some manual rebuilding, since that is where Notion's format is most its own.
- Will I lose Notion's databases?
- Possibly some of the more elaborate database views. Encrypted notebooks favour fast, private writing over Notion's all-in-one database power. It is an honest trade: you give up some structure to gain encryption and offline speed.
- Does it work offline?
- Most of these work fully offline and sync when you reconnect, which is often a noticeable upgrade over Notion. Your notes stay available with no connection and no waiting for a server.