Why switch from Apple Notes?

Apple Notes is excellent, and free. People leave for four reasons: they want notes on Windows or Android; they want an app lock or encryption for every note rather than a lock on a few; they want to stay out of iCloud and an Apple Account; or they want notes as files they can move anywhere. If none of those apply, stay.

What is the best free Apple Notes alternative?

Obsidian, if you want plain files and cross-platform apps. Notesnook, if you want everything encrypted on a free plan. Joplin, if you want open source with your own cloud. Dash is free on iPhone and the web, with a one-time $14.99 purchase for the Mac app.

Is there an Apple Notes alternative with encryption?

Notesnook encrypts everything by default. Dash locks any note with AES-256 on the device and encrypts sync end to end. Bear encrypts individual notes on Pro. Obsidian and Joplin encrypt sync but keep files in the clear on disk.

How do I export all Apple Notes?

Since macOS 26 and iOS 26, Apple Notes exports a note, or a selection of notes, as Markdown or PDF from File > Export as; folder structure is not preserved. For a whole library with folders and attachments intact, the Exporter app on the Mac App Store writes every note to Markdown or HTML in folders named after your notebooks. Locked notes must be unlocked first.

Can I import Apple Notes into these apps?

Obsidian opens an exported Markdown folder as a vault. Joplin and Bear import Markdown files. Notesnook imports through its app. Dash accepts pasted text; keep the export as an archive alongside.

Dash Notes

Free on iPhone

Alternatives

Apple Notes Alternatives

Six notes apps for people who want encryption, export, an app lock, or a notes app that runs beyond Apple devices, and how to get your notes out.

Get Dash for Mac Read on

Updated September 2026 · Dash team

Apple Notes is the default for a reason: it is free, fast, already installed, and better every year. An Apple Notes alternative earns its place by doing one of the things Notes cannot: run on Windows or Android, lock the whole app, encrypt every note, keep out of iCloud, or store notes as files you can open anywhere.

The six apps below each do at least one. We build Dash, so it is listed first and judged by the same rules as the others.

Six Apple Notes alternatives

01
Dash
Our app
A private notes app for Mac and iPhone that keeps notes on the device with no account, locks any note with AES-256, locks the whole app, and exports to Markdown, PDF and DOCX.
Best for
Apple Notes users who want a lock on the app and no iCloud in the loop
Price
$14.99 once on Mac; free on iPhone and the web
Privacy
Offline by default; locked notes AES-256-GCM; sync end-to-end encrypted, optional
- No Apple Account or iCloud required
- Lock any note, lock the app, duress password, self-destructing notes
- Exports to Markdown, PDF, DOCX and an encrypted backup; open source
- No Windows or Linux app
- No handwriting or document scanning
- Sync is a subscription
02
Bear
The closest feel to Apple Notes with a Markdown heart: tags instead of folders, beautiful typography, and per-note encryption on Pro.
Best for
A prettier Apple Notes on Apple devices
Price
Free; Bear Pro $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year
Privacy
iCloud sync; per-note encryption and app lock need Pro
- Nested tags and cross-note links
- Encrypt individual notes on Pro
- Exports to Markdown, PDF, DOCX and more
- Apple platforms only, like Apple Notes
- Sync and encryption are paid
- iCloud sync is not end-to-end encrypted by Bear
03
Obsidian
Plain Markdown files on your disk with a huge plugin ecosystem. Runs on Windows and Linux as well as Apple devices.
Best for
Owning your notes as files, on any platform
Price
Free for personal use; Obsidian Sync $4 a month billed yearly
Privacy
Files stay local; Sync is end-to-end encrypted; no note lock built in
- Your notes are files any editor can open
- Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Backlinks, graph, thousands of plugins
- No encryption at rest without plugins or FileVault
- Set-up before you write
- Closed source app
04
Notesnook
Encrypted by default behind an account, with a rich editor on the free plan and clients for every platform.
Best for
End-to-end encryption everywhere, including Windows and Android
Price
Free; Essential $19.99 a year; Pro $69.99 a year
Privacy
End-to-end encrypted by default (XChaCha20-Poly1305, Argon2)
- Everything encrypted without thinking about it
- Web, desktop and mobile
- GPL-3.0 client and server
- Account required
- Free tier limits attachments to 50 MB a month
- Notes are not local files
05
UpNote
A tidy, fast notes app across Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, with a rare lifetime price.
Best for
Apple Notes simplicity on every platform, bought once
Price
Free; Premium $1.99 a month or $39.99 for life
Privacy
Cloud-synced through UpNote’s service; notes can be locked in the app
- Lifetime purchase option
- Every desktop and mobile platform
- Clean, quick, familiar
- Cloud-first with an account
- Not end-to-end encrypted
- Closed source
06
Joplin
Open-source Markdown notes with end-to-end encrypted sync to the cloud you already have.
Best for
Open source with your own storage
Price
Free; Joplin Cloud from €2.99 a month
Privacy
End-to-end encryption for sync, switched on by you
- Sync to Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV or Joplin Cloud
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- AGPL-3.0, web clipper, plugins
- Encryption is opt-in
- Plainer interface
- No lock on individual notes

Lock the whole app, not just a note. Dash is $14.99 once on Mac, free on iPhone.

Get Dash for Mac

Why people leave Apple Notes

Platforms. Notes lives on Apple devices and, awkwardly, iCloud.com. A Windows laptop at work or an Android phone ends the arrangement.
Locking. You can lock individual notes, but not the app, and locked notes cannot be searched or shared. There is no auto-lock and no duress option.
iCloud. Unlocked notes are readable by Apple unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection for the whole account, and everything depends on an Apple Account.
Export. Markdown export only arrived with macOS 26, works per note, and drops your folder structure.

What to keep and what to fix

Keep the speed and the zero-setup feel; any replacement that needs a course before you write is a regression. Keep locked notes as the floor: whatever you move to should let you lock or encrypt what matters. Then fix the specific thing: Obsidian or UpNote for platforms, Dash or Bear for a proper lock and encryption on Apple devices, Notesnook for encryption everywhere, Joplin for open source with your own storage.

Moving your notes out of Apple Notes

Unlock any locked notes you want to take with you; export skips content it cannot read.
Export. On macOS 26, select the notes and choose File, Export as, Markdown (or PDF). For a whole library with folders and attachments, use the Exporter app from the Mac App Store, which writes every note to Markdown or HTML in folders named after your notebooks and keeps the dates.
Import. Obsidian opens the folder as a vault; Bear and Joplin import Markdown files; Notesnook imports through its app. In Dash, paste in the notes you use and keep the export as an encrypted .dashpack archive.

Pay once for the app. Sync is the only subscription.

No plan needed to take notes. Ever.

Dash for iPhone

Freeon the App Store

Same encryption, Face ID
Works fully offline
No account to make

Download

Dash Sync (optional)

$4.99/ month, or $47.99 / year

Mac, iPhone, iPad and web in step
Encrypted on your device first
7-day free trial, cancel any time

Start free trial

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Best notes apps for MacEight Mac notes apps compared on privacy, offline use and price.Is Apple Notes secure?What Apple encrypts, what iCloud can read, and what Advanced Data Protection changes.How to lock notes on iPhone and MacThe steps in Apple Notes, and what a locked note protects.

Notes that are private from everyone, Apple included.

$14.99 once on Mac. Free on iPhone.

Get Dash for Mac App Store