What makes Standard Notes a great Obsidian alternative

Obsidian is a document management application great for high density note-taking and large-scale Markdown-based document management.

  • For example, if you're writing a book or a thesis, Obsidian is a great choice. However, if you're looking for an everyday note-taking app, Standard Notes may be more suitable for everyday tasks.
  • Obsidian stores your data as a folder of plaintext files on your local computer. You are thus responsible for securing this folder and making it available on your other devices. This is particularly difficult on mobile platforms that lack access to a robust file system.
  • Users who like Obsidian's approach to the portability of locally stored files will find a welcome companion in Standard Notes, which supports the same local-first feature set, but with robust end-to-end encrypted sync.

The Standard Notes Approach

Standard Notes takes a hybrid approach to local and cloud, allowing you to gain access to the benefits of both worlds.

  • You can configure Standard Notes to automatically retain local plaintext backups of each note directly on your filesystem, while simultaneously having that note securely synced to your other devices.
  • This sync-with-local-backups approach also applies to file attachments, which are backed up locally and also synced securely to your other devices.
  • With Standard Notes, you get ultimate portability and local storage without sacrificing the convenience of seamless cloud sync.
  • One key distinction between Obsidian and Standard Notes is that with Obsidian, the local text files can be edited with other applications as well. You may find Obsidian a better choice if constantly editing a note with multiple applications is important to your workflow.

Features Comparison Table

ObsidianStandard Notes
End-to-end encrypted
On-device encryption
Third-party security audited
Two-factor authentication
Source code is publicly viewable
Password Protection for Notes
App Lock (Passcode, Face ID, Fingerprint)
End-to-end encrypted file storage
Text Notes
Rich Text
Markdown
Tasks & Todos
Nested Folders
Note Pinning & Archiving
Easy Data Import & Export
Custom Smart Views
Inline images
Bi-directional note linking
Plugin support
Daily email backups
Integrated Blogging Platform
Desktop application
Web application
iOS application
Android application
Web clipper

Switch from Obsidian today to enjoy a richer note-taking experience

Start using Standard Notes completely free on all your devices, with full end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication. Upgrade only when you need more power.