Many popular note-taking and to-do apps are free to use because your data and usage patterns become part of their business model in some way, even if that's just building a profile to sell premium upgrades more effectively. A smaller set of open-source, privacy-first tools take a different approach, and several of the best are already free and mature enough for daily use.
Key takeaway: Joplin and Standard Notes both give you end-to-end control over where your notes are stored, with optional or default encryption, avoiding the data-collection model that funds many "free" note apps.
What "privacy-respecting" actually means here
A privacy-respecting app typically offers some combination of: open-source code you (or the community) can audit, end-to-end encryption so even the storage provider can't read your notes, no advertising or tracking scripts embedded in the app, and the option to store data on your own chosen server rather than a company's proprietary cloud.
Joplin for notes
Joplin, covered in more detail in our article on free note-taking apps, is open source, stores notes in plain Markdown files, and supports end-to-end encrypted sync to a storage provider of your choosing, including self-hosted options like Nextcloud for anyone comfortable running their own small server.
Standard Notes for simple, encrypted notes
Standard Notes applies end-to-end encryption by default, even on its free tier, and is built around a minimal, distraction-free editor. Its open-source core has been independently audited, which is a meaningful step beyond a company simply claiming to respect privacy without proof.
Tip: "End-to-end encrypted" specifically means the storage provider itself cannot read your notes — check for this exact phrase in an app's own documentation, since "encrypted" alone sometimes only means encrypted in transit, not while stored.
To-do lists: a simpler picture
To-do apps generally handle less sensitive data than full notes, but the same principles apply. Tasks.org (open source, Android) and TickTick's free tier are reasonable choices; for maximum simplicity and no account requirement at all, a locally-stored checklist inside Joplin or a plain text file works just as well for short lists.
Before you start: Read an app's privacy policy for the specific phrase describing what happens to your data — vague language like "we may use your data to improve our services" is worth taking seriously if you're storing anything sensitive.
A note on self-hosting
For the most privacy-conscious setup, self-hosting your own sync server (using Nextcloud, which supports notes and tasks through official apps) puts your data on hardware you personally control, such as a home server or a rented private server. This is a bigger step, requiring some technical comfort, but it removes reliance on any third-party company entirely.
| App | Type | Encryption | Self-hosting option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin | Notes | Optional, end-to-end | Yes, via Nextcloud/WebDAV |
| Standard Notes | Notes | Default, end-to-end | Yes, advanced setup |
| Tasks.org | To-do | Depends on sync choice | Yes, via CalDAV |
Frequently asked questions
- Does using a privacy-focused app mean losing convenient features?
- Some, particularly rich formatting and deep third-party integrations, are more limited than in mainstream apps like Notion, but core note-taking and task tracking remain fully capable.
- Is self-hosting complicated to set up?
- It requires more technical comfort than simply creating an account, typically involving a home server or a low-cost rented server and some initial configuration, but many guides walk through it step by step.
- Can I switch to a privacy-respecting app without losing existing notes?
- Yes, Joplin and Standard Notes both support importing from common formats, including Evernote's .enex export, making migration straightforward in most cases.