Best Standard Notes Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.2 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated August 2026

Looking for free standard notes apps? 19 of our 250+ tracked titles are free to download — no subscription, no trial. The rest are premium picks worth paying for.

Compare top Standard Notes Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Standard NotesStandard NotesFree4.7★ (3.7K)NoYesAug 2026
2SimplenoteSimplenoteFree4.7★ (4.3K)NoNoAug 2026
3Notesnook: Private notepadNotesnook: Private notepadFree4.7★ (639)NoYesAug 2026
4Less NotesLess NotesFree5.0★ (3)NoNoJul 2026
5JoplinJoplinFree4.2★ (472)NoNoAug 2026
6NotesNotesFree4.8★ (620K)NoNoAug 2026
7Notepad - Simple Notes & MemoNotepad - Simple Notes & MemoFree4.8★ (6.4K)YesYesAug 2026
8Keep Notes : note-takingKeep Notes : note-takingFreeYesNoJul 2026

Top Picks for Standard Notes

Standard Notes#1

Standard Notes by Standard Notes Ltd.

End-to-end encrypted notes
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(3.7K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Standard Notes screenshot 1
Standard Notes screenshot 2
Standard Notes screenshot 3
Standard Notes screenshot 4
Standard Notes screenshot 5

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
  • 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 📚 Great for organizing notes

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
  • 💰 Expensive premium subscription
Simplenote#2

Simplenote by Automattic

Simple notes, todos and memos
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(4.3K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Simplenote screenshot 1
Simplenote screenshot 2
Simplenote screenshot 3
Simplenote screenshot 4
Simplenote screenshot 5

Capture ideas, create to-do lists, and jot down thoughts effortlessly. Organize your notes with tags and pins, and find them instantly with search. Your content syncs across all devices for free, ensuring it's always accessible.

What We Love

  • 💻 Cross-platform availability
  • 🔍 Reliable search functionality
  • 🌐 Seamless syncing across devices
  • 📝 Simple, distraction-free interface

Room to Improve

  • 🔖 Limited formatting options (no bold, italic, etc.)
  • 🗂️ Lack of folder organization
  • 🔄 Occasional syncing issues
Notesnook: Private notepad#3

Notesnook: Private notepad by Streetwriters LLC

Encrypted notes & secure vault
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(639 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Notesnook: Private notepad screenshot 1
Notesnook: Private notepad screenshot 2
Notesnook: Private notepad screenshot 3
Notesnook: Private notepad screenshot 4
Notesnook: Private notepad screenshot 5
Notesnook: Private notepad screenshot 6

This open-source app offers secure, encrypted note-taking and organization across all your devices. It features a robust editor, to-do lists, and a private journal with advanced security to protect your personal information.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
  • 👍 Cross-platform compatibility

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Sync and login issues
  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes
  • 💰 Expensive premium tier

More Standard Notes apps to explore

4
Less Notes
Less Notes
Less Notes
Less then 1 MB
Free

A minimalist note-taking app designed for creatives who appreciate simplicity and aesthetics. It offers a distraction-free space to capture thoughts and ideas, with a focus on timeless design and local storage for privacy.

Distraction-free note-takingElegant and minimalist interfaceTimeless and unchanging design
📊 Productivity
(3)
free
5
Joplin
Joplin
Joplin
Note taking and to-do app
Free

A privacy-focused note-taking and to-do application that allows you to capture multimedia notes, organize them with notebooks and tags, and sync across devices. It offers end-to-end encryption and an offline-first approach for secure and accessible information management.

Capture multimedia notes (speech, photos, videos, PDFs)Organize notes with notebooks and tagsCreate to-dos and set reminders
📊 Productivity
(472)
free
6
Notes
Notes
Notes
Take note of almost anything
Free

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking app. Attach various file types, scan documents, create checklists, and even sketch directly within your notes. Organize with folders, tags, and smart searches, and collaborate with others on shared notes.

Add attachments (PDFs, images, links)Scan paper documentsCreate checklists
📊 Productivity
(620K)
free
7
Notepad - Simple Notes & Memo
Notepad - Simple Notes & Memo
Notepad - Simple Notes & Memo
Open Fast to Jot Notes & Lists
Free

This app provides a straightforward way to jot down thoughts, create lists, and save temporary information. It offers features like search, dark mode, and customizable widgets for quick access to your notes. Data is stored locally for enhanced privacy.

Search functionalityDark modeLock screen widget
💼 Business
(6.4K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Keep Notes : note-taking
Keep Notes : note-taking
Keep Notes : note-taking
by SWAINFO SOLUTIONS
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
9
Notebook - Notes and Lists
Notebook - Notes and Lists
Notebook - Notes and Lists
Notes App
Free

Capture thoughts, create to-do lists, and organize tasks with colorful backgrounds and customizable features. Add photos, audio, and set reminders to never miss important items. Sync notes to the cloud for easy backup and sharing.

Quick note-takingChecklists and to-do listsColorful backgrounds
📊 Productivity
(3)
free
10
Notes: Color Notepad, Notebook
Notes: Color Notepad, Notebook
Notes: Color Notepad, Notebook
Notes for Daily Tasks
Free

A fast and simple note-taking application for jotting down ideas, managing daily tasks, and organizing information. It allows for quick note creation, color-coding, and easy searching to keep important details accessible. Customize your notes with formatting options and share them in various formats.

Quick note creationColor-coded notesNotebook organization
📊 Productivity
(1)
free with in-app purchases
11
Simple Notes - Markdown Notes
Simple Notes - Markdown Notes
Simple Notes - Markdown Notes
Simple, cross platform, notes
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
12
Disappearing Notes
Disappearing Notes
Disappearing Notes
Self deleting memos
Free

This app allows you to create temporary notes that automatically delete after a set time. Choose from various expiry durations or opt for no expiry. Notes can be easily managed and synced across devices.

Create notes up to 1000 charactersSet custom expiry timesSwipe to delete notes
📊 Productivity
(0)
free
13
ScribblePad: Notes & PDF
ScribblePad: Notes & PDF
ScribblePad: Notes & PDF
Handwriting notes & PDF markup
Free

A private, free note-taking and PDF annotation app for Apple devices. It offers natural handwriting, organization tools, and optional cloud backup to your own storage. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with no accounts or tracking.

Natural handwriting with Apple PencilPDF annotation and markupOrganize notes with subjects and notebooks
📊 Productivity
(1)
free
14
Notes Book PRO
Notes Book PRO
Notes Book PRO
Organize, create, lock.
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
15
abcNotes - Sticky Note Madness
abcNotes - Sticky Note Madness
abcNotes - Sticky Note Madness
Shopping and Grocery List App
Free

Create realistic, customizable sticky notes and to-do lists on your iOS device. Organize shopping lists, class notes, and projects with a variety of backgrounds and skins. Share and sync your notes across devices.

Realistic sticky note appearanceCustomizable skins and backgroundsVirtual desktops for organization
📊 Productivity
(2.9K)
freemium
16
E&Q Notes
E&Q Notes
E&Q Notes
by Tsigosys
$0.99

A simple and quick notebook app for organizing thoughts with features like alarms, sorting, and code protection. Add images, group notes into customizable categories, and personalize the look with selectable backgrounds and fonts. Easily transfer notes to your calendar or send them via email.

Alarm functionSort and categorize notesCode protection
🔧 Utilities
(0)
paid
17
offnote: offline list notes
offnote: offline list notes
offnote: offline list notes
jot private thoughtspot
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
18
Memo Notes (Password+Pictures)
Memo Notes (Password+Pictures)
Memo Notes (Password+Pictures)
5 in 1 Notepad - Password Lock
Free

This utility app offers a comprehensive note-taking experience with support for text, audio, photo, and video notes. It includes features like passcode protection, reminder timers, and extensive customization options for fonts, sizes, and colors.

Text Notes with LockAudio Recording & PlaybackPhoto Notes with Descriptions
🔧 Utilities
(0)
free with in-app purchases
19
Quick Notes by harpLabs
Quick Notes by harpLabs
Quick Notes by harpLabs
by harpLabs Inc.
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
20
Notes Basic
Notes Basic
Notes Basic
Simple notes with plain text
Free

This app allows users to create, edit, and organize plain text notes. It features a simple interface for managing your notes, with options to pin important entries to the top of the list and delete unwanted ones. Changes are automatically saved when you confirm.

Create and edit plain text notesOrganize notes in a listPin important notes to the top
📊 Productivity
(1)
ad-supported

FAQ about Standard Notes

What are the best standard notes apps for iPhone?
Standard Notes tops our standard notes apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.7-star average from 3.7K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 19 of the top standard notes apps we rank are free to download, including Standard Notes and Simplenote.
Standard Notes has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 250+ standard notes apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
Standard Notes is a private and secure notes app that uses end-to-end encryption to protect your information. It allows you to write and sync notes across all your devices, ensuring that only you can read your content.
Key features include end-to-end encryption, seamless syncing across all devices, offline access, passcode and biometric lock protection, and a tagging system for organization. The app is also open-source, allowing for community audits of its security.

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