Joplin vs Standard Notes

Joplin and Standard Notes are both open-source, end-to-end encrypted note apps with free tiers, but they differ in what's free versus paid and how…

Best for Joplin: Joplin fits users who want a Rich Text/Markdown editor toggle, a web clipper, community plugins, and the flexibility to sync for free via Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, or WebDAV instead of paying for Joplin Cloud.
Best for Standard Notes: Standard Notes fits users who want unlimited device sync included in the free tier, self-hosting of the web app, and the Listed feature for publishing notes as a public online publication.

At a Glance

 JoplinStandard Notes
Primary categoryProductivityProductivity
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFreemiumfreemium subscription
Starting priceFree (app); Joplin Cloud from EUR2.99/monthFree (Productivity plan from about 90 dollars per year)
Free planYesYes
Free trialNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Mac, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesNot documented

Key Differences

Pricing Transparency

Joplin: Joplin publishes specific Joplin Cloud prices: Basic €2.99/month, Pro €5.99/month, Pro 100GB €9.99/month, Teams €7.99/user/month.

Standard Notes: Standard Notes' Productivity and Professional plan prices are not consistently published outside the app or website checkout flow, per its documented cons.

Published pricing lets buyers compare costs upfront without needing to start a checkout flow.

Free Tier Sync

Joplin: Joplin's free app supports free sync backends (Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV); full Joplin Cloud sync starts at €2.99/month for 2GB.

Standard Notes: Standard Notes' free tier includes syncing across unlimited devices as a documented feature.

Whether device sync is free by default or requires configuring a third-party backend affects setup complexity for new users.

Editing Modes

Joplin: Joplin offers a switchable Rich Text and Markdown editor.

Standard Notes: A rich-text/Markdown toggle is not documented for Standard Notes; it instead extends functionality via community-built third-party extensions.

Editor flexibility matters for users who move between visual and plain-text writing styles.

Web Publishing

Joplin: Joplin supports publishing individual notes to the web via Joplin Cloud, with a customizable publishing banner on the Pro plan.

Standard Notes: Standard Notes has a dedicated Listed feature to publish notes as an online publication.

Native publishing removes the need for a separate blogging tool to share notes publicly.

Self-Hosting

Joplin: Self-hosting the core Joplin app isn't documented; only self-hosting Joplin Server for team sync is mentioned, which requires additional technical setup.

Standard Notes: Standard Notes' web app can be deployed on a user-run server, per its documented self-hosting feature.

Full self-hosting gives users complete control over where their data lives, beyond just choosing a sync backend.

Feature-by-Feature

Sync & Storage

FeatureJoplinStandard Notes
Free-tier unlimited device syncNot documentedAvailable
Free alternative sync backendsAvailableNot documented
Paid cloud storage tierAvailableAvailable
End-to-end encryptionAvailableAvailable
Self-hostingLimitedAvailable

Editing & Publishing

FeatureJoplinStandard Notes
Rich Text and Markdown editor toggleAvailableNot documented
Web publishing of notesAvailableAvailable
Web clipperAvailableNot documented
Third-party extensions/pluginsAvailableAvailable

Platforms & Extensibility

FeatureJoplinStandard Notes
Native desktop + mobile appsAvailableAvailable
Terminal clientAvailableNot documented
Family/team sharingAvailableAvailable
Notebook/note collaboration sharingAvailableNot documented

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Joplin

Free (App) — $0 N/A
Joplin Cloud Basic — EUR2.99/month monthly (EUR2.40/month yearly)
Joplin Cloud Pro — EUR5.99/month monthly (EUR4.79/month yearly)
Joplin Cloud Teams — EUR7.99/month per user monthly (EUR6.69/month yearly), minimum 2 users

Standard Notes

Free — $0 N/A
Productivity — About $90/year annual
Professional — About $120/year annual

Pros & Cons

Joplin

Pros

  • Fully free and open source with no feature paywall on the core apps
  • True end-to-end encryption available regardless of sync backend
  • No vendor lock-in: notes are plain markdown, exportable at any time
  • Choice of sync backend, including self-hosted options at no cost
  • Active plugin ecosystem for extending functionality

Cons

  • Interface and collaboration features feel less polished than commercial tools like Notion
  • Small core team means slower feature development than VC-funded competitors
  • Real-time collaborative editing is limited compared to Notion or Google Docs
  • Self-hosted sync setup requires technical comfort for non-Joplin-Cloud users
  • Mobile app UX lags behind some native mobile-first note apps

Standard Notes

Pros

  • Strong, audited end-to-end encryption with a zero-knowledge architecture
  • Generous free tier covering core note-taking needs
  • Cross-platform apps for web, desktop, and mobile
  • Open-source clients allow independent security review
  • Now backed by Proton's broader privacy infrastructure after the 2024 acquisition

Cons

  • Advanced features like extended history and large file storage require a paid plan
  • Editor and organization features are more minimal than some mainstream note apps
  • No built-in real-time collaborative editing comparable to Notion or Google Docs
  • Pricing and product direction may shift as integration with Proton continues

Use Cases

Choose Joplin: Joplin fits users who want a Rich Text/Markdown editor toggle, a web clipper, community plugins, and the flexibility to sync for free via Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, or WebDAV instead of paying for Joplin Cloud.
Choose Standard Notes: Standard Notes fits users who want unlimited device sync included in the free tier, self-hosting of the web app, and the Listed feature for publishing notes as a public online publication.
Need both: There's no clear scenario for running both simultaneously as primary note apps - a user would more realistically migrate between them based on whether they value Joplin's published Cloud pricing and rich-text editing or Standard Notes' free unlimited sync and self-hosting option.

Joplin

  • Privacy-focused personal note-taking — Individuals who want encrypted, exportable notes use Joplin instead of closed commercial note apps to avoid vendor lock-in.
  • Developer and technical documentation — Developers use Joplin's markdown-native notes, plugin system and API to maintain technical notes and documentation.
  • Self-hosted team knowledge base — Small teams deploy a self-hosted Joplin Server or Joplin Cloud Teams plan to share and collaborate on notes while keeping control of their data.

Standard Notes

  • Private personal journaling and notes — Individuals who want a private place to keep journals, ideas, and sensitive information use Standard Notes' encrypted storage to keep content away from third-party access.
  • Secure notes for journalists and researchers — Professionals handling sensitive sources or research material rely on Standard Notes' zero-knowledge encryption to protect their notes.
  • Shared encrypted notes for small teams or families — The Professional plan's subscription sharing lets small teams or families maintain their own encrypted note libraries under one subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Standard Notes' paid plan pricing public?

Not consistently - Productivity and Professional plan prices are shown primarily at checkout, unlike Joplin's published Cloud tier prices.

Does the free plan include sync on both?

Standard Notes' free tier includes unlimited device sync by default. Joplin's free app supports free sync backends (Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV), while full Joplin Cloud sync requires the paid Basic tier at €2.99/month.

Can I self-host either app?

Standard Notes' web app can be deployed on your own server. Joplin's core product doesn't document self-hosting in the same way - only Joplin Server for team sync, which needs extra technical setup.

Which one lets me publish notes as a public page?

Both do - Standard Notes via its Listed feature, and Joplin via Joplin Cloud publishing with a customizable banner on the Pro plan.

Does either support family or team plans?

Standard Notes' Professional plan includes family subscription sharing. Joplin's Teams plan (€7.99/user/month) adds multi-user management and consolidated billing.

Which has more granular editing modes?

Joplin, which lets users toggle between Rich Text and Markdown editors natively; this isn't documented for Standard Notes.

Read the full Joplin review · Read the full Standard Notes review