The Android version of this comparison is the most-read page on this site, and the Windows question deserves the same treatment, because the Windows situation is quietly worse: the built-in options are either unprotected (Notepad), account-synced (Sticky Notes), or vendor-readable cloud services (OneNote).
Full disclosure up front: I built one of the five apps on this list, Scrib Desktop. The comparison criteria are the same ones we apply to everyone, the trade-offs of my own app are stated as plainly as the others, and for several use cases below my honest recommendation is a competitor.
The Criteria
Same test as always: who can read your notes besides you? That breaks into four measurable questions:
- Local encryption: are the files on your disk encrypted, or readable to anyone with the drive?
- Sync model: if notes leave the machine, is it end-to-end encrypted, and who holds the key?
- Account requirement: can you use it without telling anyone who you are?
- Verifiability: is the code open source, so the encryption claims can be checked?
The Comparison Table
| Question | Scrib Desktop | Joplin | Standard Notes | Obsidian | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (paid cloud optional) | Free tier, paid features | Free (paid sync optional) | Free tier, paid features |
| Open source | Yes, GPL-3.0 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Account required | No | Only for Joplin Cloud | Yes (for sync) | No | Yes (for sync) |
| Local files encrypted | Yes, per-file AES-256 | No (database readable) | Yes (encrypted storage) | No (plain markdown) | Yes (encrypted storage) |
| E2E encrypted sync | No sync, by design | Yes, opt-in, own storage | Yes, default | Paid add-on | Yes, default |
| Works fully offline | Yes, always | Yes | Mostly (account first) | Yes | Mostly (account first) |
| Install | Portable zip, no installer | Installer | Installer | Installer | Installer |
1. Scrib Desktop: One PC, Zero Trust Required
Mine, so judge accordingly, and then check the code, because that is the point: the whole app is open source under GPL-3.0.
Scrib Desktop is a tabbed text editor that encrypts the files you choose: press Ctrl+E, set a password, and the note saves as a .scrb file encrypted with AES-256-CBC plus an HMAC-SHA256 integrity check (Encrypt-then-MAC), with the key derived by PBKDF2-SHA256 at 100,000 iterations. Tampered files are rejected before decryption. Since 1.7.0 you can also lock an open note in place (Ctrl+L wipes the decrypted content and password from the editor until you re-enter it), and session restore reopens encrypted notes locked. Rich text, images inside encrypted notes, plain text, and a portable zip you extract and run.
Honest trade-offs: Windows only. No sync of any kind, which is the design and also the limitation. Encryption is per file and opt-in, so files you never encrypt are ordinary files. If you forget a password, that note is gone; there is no recovery, which is what real encryption costs.
2. Joplin: Your Notes, Your Cloud
Joplin is the established open source choice: markdown notes, notebooks, web clipper, apps everywhere. Its distinctive feature is sync over storage you control (Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, or its own Joplin Cloud), with opt-in end-to-end encryption so the storage provider sees only ciphertext.
Honest trade-offs: the local database is not encrypted at rest, so someone with your unlocked PC or bare drive reads everything; pair it with full-disk encryption. E2EE is opt-in and adds sync friction. The interface is functional rather than polished.
3. Standard Notes: E2E by Default, Pay for Comfort
Standard Notes treats end-to-end encryption as the baseline: every note is encrypted before it leaves your machine, the server never sees plaintext, and the code is open source with published audits. It is the app we recommend in the Android comparison for people who need encrypted sync.
Honest trade-offs: built around an account, and the free tier is plain text only; markdown, rich text, and most conveniences sit behind a subscription. If you want free and local, it is not the fit.
4. Obsidian: Local Files, Not Encrypted Files
Obsidian stores everything as plain markdown files in a folder you own, free for personal use, with an enormous plugin ecosystem. Privacy comes from locality: no account, no cloud, nothing leaves unless you add it.
Honest trade-offs: the app is closed source, so its behavior is trusted rather than verified. The vault is plain text on disk: no at-rest encryption without third-party plugins or full-disk encryption underneath. E2E sync exists but is a paid service. Great tool; "encrypted" is not what it does.
5. Notesnook: The Newer E2E Contender
Notesnook is a younger open source, end-to-end encrypted notes app with a friendlier editor than Standard Notes and apps on every platform. Encryption is on by default and local storage is encrypted.
Honest trade-offs: account-centric like Standard Notes, meaningful features gated to the paid tier, and a smaller team with a shorter track record than the others here.
The Verdict, by Use Case
Notes live on one PC, you want zero accounts: Scrib Desktop. Per-file AES-256, portable, free, verifiable. This is the case it was built for.
You need encrypted sync across phone and PC: Standard Notes if you value the longest E2E track record, Notesnook if you want a nicer editor and accept the younger project. Both encrypt before anything leaves the device.
You want sync but on your own storage: Joplin with end-to-end encryption enabled, over the cloud account you already have. Turn on full-disk encryption for the local side.
You want a knowledge base more than a vault: Obsidian, eyes open: local and account-free, but plain text on disk and closed source. Add BitLocker underneath it.
And on your phone: the same philosophy in your pocket is Scrib for Android: every note AES-256 encrypted on-device, no account, no network permissions. The full mobile comparison is in Best Private Notes Apps for Android.
Common Questions
What is the best private notes app for Windows?
It depends on one question: do you need sync? If your notes can live on one PC, Scrib Desktop encrypts files locally with AES-256, needs no account, and is free and open source. If you need encrypted sync across devices, Standard Notes and Notesnook are end-to-end encrypted, and Joplin adds end-to-end encryption over your own cloud storage. Obsidian fits people who want local markdown files and accept disk-level protection.
Does Windows have a built-in private notes app?
No. Notepad saves plain text with no password or encryption, Sticky Notes syncs to your Microsoft account unencrypted end-to-end, and OneNote stores notebooks on OneDrive where Microsoft holds the keys. Every built-in option is either unprotected or vendor-readable.
Which Windows notes apps work without an account?
Scrib Desktop and Obsidian run fully with no account of any kind. Joplin only needs an account if you use Joplin Cloud; syncing over your own storage or staying local requires none. Standard Notes and Notesnook are built around accounts because their model is end-to-end encrypted sync.
Are Obsidian and Joplin notes encrypted on disk?
Not by default. Both store local data readably on your drive: Obsidian as plain markdown files, Joplin in a local database. Their end-to-end encryption applies to sync. If someone gets your unlocked PC or your unencrypted drive, those notes are readable. For encrypted files on the disk itself, use full-disk encryption underneath them, or an app that encrypts each file, like Scrib Desktop.
Is Scrib Desktop really free?
Yes. Scrib Desktop is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with the full code on GitHub. It is a portable zip: extract and run, no installer, no account, no telemetry. Encryption is AES-256-CBC with HMAC-SHA256 integrity checks and PBKDF2 key derivation at 100,000 iterations.
Keep Reading
- Encrypted Notepad for Windows: when you just want Notepad with a password, here is what works
- Scrib Desktop Is Open Source: the encryption design, in detail, with the code
- Scrib Desktop 1.7.0: locked tabs, idle auto-lock, and session restore
- Best Private Notes Apps for Android: the same comparison for your phone
- Why We Recommend Proton: the who-holds-the-keys test applied to email, VPN, and passwords
Scrib Desktop for Windows
A free, open source editor that encrypts files with AES-256 on your machine. No account, no cloud, no telemetry. Extract the zip and run.
Download for Windows →Also on Android: Scrib, free on Google Play.