Standard Notes vs Obsidian

End-to-end encryption by default for every note and attachment on all platforms. Hosted sync with a zero-knowledge server. Regular independent audits published. The strongest out-of-box privacy story among consumer notes apps.

Local-first means data stays on disk; encryption depends on your sync choice. Official Sync offers end-to-end encryption, but vaults synced via iCloud or Git are only as private as that transport. Strong if you harden it yourself; not zero-config E2E across all DIY setups.

Encrypted text with export to plain text, Markdown, and backup files. Hosted architecture means true portability requires periodic exports.

Your vault is a folder of Markdown plus attachments. Open with any editor, version with Git, sync however you like. Maximum long-term ownership and disaster recovery.

Folders, tags, super notes, and linked notes cover personal wikis. No graph view, canvas, or query language comparable to Dataview.

Backlinks, graph, unlinked mentions, canvas, outgoing links, and plugin queries turn a vault into a networked second brain. Core to the product.

Curated extensions and themes; Professional unlocks the catalogue. Deliberately narrow surface for security, not a bazaar.

1,000+ community plugins and themes. Adding capabilities is the product, with the added risk of plugin sprawl if you install freely.

Calm, focused editors with Markdown, rich text, code, and super notes. Consistent across web and desktop. Minimal configuration.

Flexible editor with Live Preview and Source mode. Becomes excellent with themes and plugins, but default is more utilitarian than Standard Notes' polished editors.

Instant encrypted sync across Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web on every plan. No separate sync subscription.

Core app is free on every major platform. Official Sync is excellent but paid; DIY sync works but can conflict. Web is via Publish, not a full editor.

Offline-capable clients with encrypted local cache. You still depend on the service long term, though graceful export mitigates risk.

Offline-first by design. A vault works indefinitely without any service. Future-proof for decades.

Free is capable; Productivity $90/yr and Professional $120/yr cover advanced encrypted workflows. No separate sync fee.

Core free forever. Sync $48/yr annual adds encrypted vault collaboration. Publish and driver optional. Cheapest path to ownership is $0.

Notes live in an encrypted hosted model with excellent multi-device sync. You can export, but day-to-day work is not a folder of plain files you open in other editors by default.

Every note is a Markdown file in a vault directory. You can edit with BBEdit, VS Code, git, or backup tools without a vendor export step. This is the long-term ownership argument.

End-to-end encryption and sync are on by default for account users, including the free tier. Hardware security keys appear on Professional. This is the product's core promise.

Local vaults are just files on disk; protect the disk and backups yourself. Official Sync is end-to-end encrypted when you pay for it. Community options vary in threat model. More flexible, more user responsibility.

Super notes, spreadsheets, and folders cover structured writing without a plugin bazaar. You will not rebuild a Zettelkasten graph OS inside Standard Notes the way Obsidian users do.

Community plugins, graph view, canvas, templates, dataview-style workflows, and theme control turn Obsidian into a personal OS for notes. Power is the point; complexity is the cost.