The BEST Private Notetaking Apps Explained

Techlore
22 Oct 202108:14

TLDRDiscover the top private note-taking apps that prioritize user data security and ownership. Craft, with its focus on data portability, Notability and Apple Notes for offline use, Joplin as a Foss alternative to Evernote, Standard Notes with its open-source approach, and Obsidian as a highly customizable personal knowledge base are highlighted. These apps offer end-to-end encryption and emphasize the importance of data privacy in the digital age.

Takeaways

  • 🔒 Privacy is crucial in digital note-taking, as it can reveal personal beliefs, preferences, and struggles.
  • 🔑 Encryption and data ownership are key to ensuring the safety and privacy of your notes. End-to-end encryption is recommended.
  • 📝 Craft is appreciated for its commitment to data ownership and portability, despite being a mainstream app.
  • 📱 Notably and Apple Notes are recommended for offline mobile note-taking, with Apple Notes improving significantly over the years.
  • 📚 Joplin stands out as a Foss, privacy-respecting alternative to mainstream digital notebook apps, offering end-to-end encryption and customization.
  • 📝 Standard Notes is a fully open-source, freemium service with a strong focus on end-to-end encryption and cross-device syncing.
  • 🛠️ Honorable mentions include Signal's Note to Self for basic functionality and Crypti & XCloud for private cloud storage with note-taking options.
  • 🏆 Obsidian is the top pick for its cross-platform capabilities, customization, and strong community support, making it a gold standard in the note-taking space.
  • 💡 All apps mentioned prioritize user data privacy and offer various features to ensure the user owns and controls their data.
  • 🌐 The video encourages users to try each app to find the one that best suits their needs and preferences.

Q & A

  • What is the main concern regarding privacy in digital note-taking applications?

    -The main concern is that many popular note-taking apps do not adequately protect users' privacy and security, potentially exposing sensitive personal information.

  • What is the significance of encryption in digital note-taking?

    -Encryption is crucial as it ensures that users' data is protected and can only be accessed by those with the correct decryption key, maintaining the privacy and security of the notes.

  • How does data ownership affect the safety of notes in the digital space?

    -Data ownership affects safety because if the notes are stored on a server that the user does not own, the server owner may claim ownership of the data, leading to potential privacy issues.

  • What is Craft and why is it included in the list of recommended apps?

    -Craft is a mainstream note-taking app that is included because of its strong stance on data ownership and accessibility, ensuring that users maintain control over their data.

  • What are the key features of Notably and Apple Notes for offline mobile notes?

    -Notably has a clean, minimalist UI with support for labels, archiving, and customization, while Apple Notes supports rich text, note sharing, sketching, and more, and comes pre-installed on iPhones.

  • How does Joplin differentiate itself from other note-taking apps in terms of privacy?

    -Joplin is a Foss (free and open-source software) app that supports end-to-end encryption and allows for customization with themes and plugins, ensuring a high level of privacy and data ownership.

  • What are the main advantages of Standard Notes?

    -Standard Notes is a fully open-source freemium service with end-to-end encryption, syncing between devices, and no limits on devices or notes. It also offers extended features through a paid upgrade.

  • What is the significance of Signal's Note to Self feature for those seeking privacy?

    -Signal's Note to Self feature offers end-to-end encryption by default, allowing users to send notes to themselves that function like private messages, ensuring privacy and minimal data exposure.

  • How do Crypti and Nextcloud differ from traditional note-taking apps in terms of privacy and functionality?

    -Crypti and Nextcloud are private cloud storage services that include note-taking options. They provide more functionality than traditional note-taking apps and focus on self-hosting, which reduces the trust required in third-party servers.

  • Why is Obsidian considered the top choice for privacy and data ownership in note-taking?

    -Obsidian is a cross-platform app that serves as a personal knowledge base, with a strong focus on privacy and data ownership. It stores files locally in Markdown format, supports community plugins, and offers end-to-end encryption for cloud syncing.

Outlines

00:00

🔒 Privacy in Digital Note-Taking

This paragraph discusses the importance of privacy in note-taking applications. It highlights the intimate nature of note-taking, revealing personal beliefs, preferences, and struggles, and emphasizes the need for protecting this information from prying eyes. The paragraph points out the shortcomings of popular note-taking apps in safeguarding user privacy and security. It introduces the video's focus on five privacy-respecting digital note-taking apps that provide better security than mainstream alternatives, with an emphasis on encryption and data ownership. The paragraph also touches on the evolution from physical journals to digital notes and the complexities involved in maintaining data safety in the digital space.

05:01

📱 Recommended Note-Taking Apps

The second paragraph presents a list of recommended note-taking apps, each with unique features and strengths. Craft is highlighted for its commitment to data ownership and accessibility, with a user-friendly interface and plans for cross-platform availability. Notably and Apple Notes are recommended for basic, offline note-taking, especially for their simplicity and native support on iOS devices. Joplin is recognized as a veteran in the private note-taking space, offering a free, open-source solution with support for markdown and rich text. Standard Notes is introduced as a fully open-source, freemium service with end-to-end encryption and extensive features in its extended upgrade. The paragraph also mentions honorable mentions like Signal's Note to Self and privacy-focused cloud storage services Crypti and Nextcloud, before revealing the top pick, Obsidian.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Digital Note-taking

Digital note-taking refers to the practice of recording information, thoughts, or ideas using electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers, rather than traditional pen and paper methods. In the context of the video, it highlights the transition from physical journals to digital platforms and emphasizes the importance of privacy and security in these digital spaces.

💡Privacy

Privacy in this context refers to the protection of personal information, ensuring that it is not accessible or visible to unauthorized individuals. The video underscores the significance of privacy in note-taking applications, as notes can contain sensitive or personal data that users would want to keep confidential.

💡Encryption

Encryption is a process that converts data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. It is a critical aspect of data security, ensuring that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read without the decryption key. In the video, encryption is presented as a key feature that enhances the privacy and security of digital notes.

💡Data Ownership

Data ownership refers to the control and rights a user has over their data, including the ability to determine how it is stored, used, and shared. The video emphasizes the importance of data ownership in the context of note-taking apps, as it ensures that users maintain control over their information and are not subject to the policies of third-party servers.

💡Craft

Craft is a note-taking application that is highlighted in the video for its strong stance on data ownership and accessibility. It is noted for its user-friendly interface and features, as well as its commitment to ensuring that users retain control over their data, even if they choose to move it away from the platform.

💡Notably

Notably is a digital note-taking app that is recognized in the video for its clean, minimalist user interface and support for features like labels, archiving, and customizable note viewing settings. It is recommended for users who prefer a basic, straightforward note-taking solution.

💡Apple Notes

Apple Notes is a built-in note-taking app on iOS devices, which has improved over the years to support rich text, note sharing, sketching, and more. It is highlighted in the video as a decent out-of-the-box solution for offline mobile notes on iOS, provided that iCloud syncing is turned off to ensure data privacy.

💡Joplin

Joplin is an open-source note-taking app that is recognized as a privacy-respecting alternative to mainstream digital notebook apps. It supports markdown, rich text, and web clipping, and can be customized with various themes and plugins. Joplin offers end-to-end encryption for cloud syncing and has a paid option for additional features like note collaboration and web publishing.

💡Standard Notes

Standard Notes is a fully open-source, freemium note-taking service with apps for every major platform. It provides end-to-end encryption, web and offline access, and syncing between devices without any device or note limit in its free version. The service emphasizes longevity and offers an extended upgrade for additional features and customizations.

💡Obsidian

Obsidian is a cross-platform note-taking app designed to serve as a personal knowledge base, often referred to as a 'second brain'. It is known for its rapid development, strong community support, and focus on privacy and data ownership. Obsidian allows for local storage of files in markdown format and offers extensive customization options through community plugins and themes.

💡Honorable Mentions

Honorable mentions in the video refer to additional note-taking apps or features that are worth considering, but did not make it to the main list. These mentions provide alternative options for users with specific needs or preferences, expanding the range of available tools for private and secure digital note-taking.

Highlights

This video covers five privacy-respecting digital note-taking apps that offer better privacy than mainstream applications.

Encryption and data ownership are key concepts in ensuring the safety and privacy of your notes in the digital space.

Craft, despite being a mainstream app, is featured for its strong stance on data ownership and accessibility.

Hold Your Comments is a unique recommendation that includes both Apple Notes and Notably, two excellent options for offline mobile notes.

Joplin is an open-source note-taking app that serves as a privacy-respecting alternative to mainstream digital notebook apps like Evernote.

Standard Notes is a fully open-source freemium note-taking service with apps for every major platform, emphasizing end-to-end encryption and syncing between devices.

Signal's Note to Self feature is an end-to-end encrypted, minimalist option for those who prefer to have few apps on their device.

Crypti and XCloud are private cloud storage services that also include note-taking options, offering more functionality than just note-taking apps.

Obsidian is a cross-platform powerhouse that serves as a personal knowledge base, with a strong focus on privacy and data ownership.

End-to-end encryption ensures that only the user has access to their data, with the encryption key being the only way to decrypt the information.

Physical journals and paper documents were traditionally the property of the person, and with digital migration, data ownership has become more complex.

The importance of trying each app to see what suits you best is emphasized, as the order of the apps is subjective.

For those who need more than basic note-taking features, the extended upgrade of Standard Notes offers additional themes, editors, note history, encrypted backups, and 2FA support.

Joplin's ability to sync notes to cloud services like Dropbox is complemented by its end-to-end encryption, ensuring data privacy.

Obsidian's community support is a significant factor in its customization and functionality, with contributions available on GitHub.

The video encourages viewers to share their favorite note-taking or writing apps in the comments, promoting a community discussion on privacy-respecting tools.

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