Sync brain dumps without leaking brains
Your messages? Watched. Your location? Mapped. Your thoughts? ...maybe not yet, but some note apps come close. 👀
Most apps track everything. Notes, ideas, even to-do lists, all easy targets. And let’s be honest, inspiration shows up at the most random times: in bed, mid-commute, or on the toilet. 🚽💡
This list covers apps notes suitable for Linux desktop and Android, which are really good on privacy and sync over devices. No trackers, no creepy sync, just private, cross-platform tools built to protect what matters.
Standard Notes
🔍 Go to Website
- Data export:
- encrypted, plain text format
- 2FA:
- supported, for extra account security
- Offline Access:
- fully offline capable on all devices :>
- Unlimited Device Sync:
- on official servers or self-hosted sync
- Markdown & Writing Forms:
- Free: plain text
- Paid: markdown, rich text, checklists, code snippets, and more (Super note)
- Organizing Style:
- Free: basic tags
- Paid: folders, tags
- Themes & Creativity:
- Paid: multiple themes + colors
- Support:
-
active community + priority support for paid users
-
Notesnook
🔍 Go to Website
- Data export:
- Free: plain text format
- Paid: Markdown, PDF, HTML
- 2FA:
- supported for extra account security
- via email and via auth app
- Paid: SMS
- Offline Access:
- fully offline capable on all devices
- Unlimited Device Sync:
- yes, with granular sync controls + automatic instant real-time sync
- Markdown & Writing Forms:
- Free: Markdown, lists, code blocks, tablets, embed videos, task lists
- Paid: free + images
- reminders
- Organizing Style:
- Free: 20 NoteBooks, 5 Tags, Pins, Shortcuts
- Paid: unlimited NoteBooks, Tags + Pins, Shortcuts
- Themes & Creativity:
- Free: themes, customizable sidebar
- Paid: colors, change homepage
- Support:
-
active community (Discord, email, Twitter, Reddit)
-
Joplin
🔍 Go to website
- Data export:
- into ENEX files (can be imported back)
- 2FA:
- with lists of codes, each of them can only be used once
- possibility to generate new code from profile page
- Offline Access:
- is designed to be "offline-first", ofc!
- Unlimited Device Sync:
- Joplin Cloud is needed to sync notes across devices
- Markdown & Writing Forms:
- Markdown, code, plain text to drawing (with plugins!)
- can be used in terminal as well
- Organizing Style:
- NoteBooks, sub-NoteBooks, Tags, To-dos, Search filters
- Themes & Creativity:
- CSS, default themes
- Support:
-
forum, Discord, Bsky
-
Cryptee
🔍 Go to website
- Data export:
- selecting everything in a folder and Download them locally (encrypted)
- format as PDF, docx, HTML, Markdown
- 2FA:
- via auth apps + recovery codes
- Offline Access:
- is PWA (once installed, it’ll work offline)
- Unlimited Device Sync:
- possible, uses local data to sync quickly, including large files
- Markdown & Writing Forms:
- plain text, Makdown, KaTex, code, links, images, videos (up to 100MB Free)
- Organizing Style:
- folders, Tags, pinning, Search filters
- Themes & Creativity:
- themes, colors, fonts changeable
- Support:
-
directly on Cryptee website
-
Obsidian
🔍 Go to Website
- Data export:
- as plain text, markdown files
- 2FA:
- no native 2FA
- Offline Access:
- fully offline, all notes stored locally
- Unlimited Device Sync:
- Paid: use Obsidian Sync
- Free: third-party services like Dropbox, Drive
- Markdown & Writing Forms:
- Markdown, code, links, LaTex and more with plugins
- Organizing Style:
- folders, Tags, graph view, calendar view
- Themes & Creativity:
- full UI customization via CSS snippets
- huge library with themes
- plugins to transform UI
- Support:
-
active community, Discord, help center
-
Turtl
🔍 Go to Website
- Data export:
- plain text format with encryption
- possible to import as well
- 2FA:
- not yet :(
- Offline Access:
- works offline
- Unlimited Device Sync:
- possible, using official servers or self-hosted server
- collaborate with up to 3 friends (Free)
- Markdown & Writing Forms:
- plain text, Makdown, Tex, code, links (up to 50MB Free)
- Organizing Style:
- spaces (like NoteBooks), Tags, boards, Search full-text
- Themes & Creativity:
- no UI customization :(
- Support:
-
community-driven support
-
Paid: dedicated support
-
What I'd Pick (If You’re Curious)
Honestly, it depends on the day, but if I had to choose:
- 🧩 For structure + control: Joplin. Folders, tags, markdown, almost everything is free, it just works, you know?
- 🧘♀️ For minimalism + clean sync: Notesnook. Private, cross-device, and super intuitive.
- 🔐 For sheer privacy & encryption focus: Turtl. Feels like a vault for thoughts + love their logo.
- 🌌 For power-users & creativity: Obsidian. Themes, plugins, custom workflows, it’s a sandbox!
Everyone thinks and writes differently. The real win is finding the tool that gets out of your way and lets ideas breathe without bleeding privacy.