Standard Notes

TAS Score: S3/3 — D5/5 — A3 / T2

Brief Description

End-to-end encrypted notes app. Cross-platform (Android, iOS, desktop, web). Self-hostable sync server. Plain text notes with optional rich editors. Longevity-focused — designed to last 100 years.

Architectural Role

Application layer — notes and documents. E2E encrypted sync between devices.

Technical Autonomy

Works without internet (local notes cached)
Stores data locally (on-device, encrypted)
Does not require external accounts (self-host option)
Allows data export (plain text, JSON, encrypted backup)
Provides offline updates (F-Droid, GitHub APK)

Philosophical Assessment (whose.world criteria)

Criterion	Status	Comments
Pause	✅	Notes stay on device.
Exit	✅	Export to plain text or JSON.
Recoverability	✅	Encrypted backups. Version history.
Visibility	✅	Fully open-source.
External Dependencies	✅	Self-hostable server.

Rating key: ✅ fully meets · ⚠️ partially meets or requires configuration · ❌ does not meet

Configuration (Minimal)

Client: install from F-Droid, App Store, or standardnotes.com.

Self-hosted server:

services:
  standardnotes:
    image: standardnotes/server:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - DB_HOST=db

Mobile Apps

Alternatives

Alternative	Autonomy	Notes
Joplin	A3 / T2	Markdown notes. More features. Sync via Nextcloud/WebDAV.
Obsidian	A3 / T1	Knowledge graph. Proprietary but local-first.

Trajectory

Sources

Website: https://standardnotes.com
Documentation: https://docs.standardnotes.com
Repository: https://github.com/standardnotes
Docker image: standardnotes/server
Community: https://community.standardnotes.com