European alternatives to Apple Notes
Apple's built-in note-taking app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
About Apple Notes
- Company
- Apple Inc.
- HQ
- United States
- Zone
- Outside Europe
Key concerns
Joplin
100 · Certified EuropeanOpen-source note-taking app created by French developer Laurent Cozic. Supports end-to-end encryption, Markdown, web clipping, and sync via Joplin Cloud (France-hosted) or self-hosted. Available on all platforms with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Tuta Notes
100 · Certified EuropeanEnd-to-end encrypted note-taking built into Tuta Mail by German company Tutao GmbH. Post-quantum TutaCrypt encryption. Notes stored on own German servers. Included in all Tuta plans including free.
Standard Notes
95 · Certified EuropeanEnd-to-end encrypted note-taking app acquired by Proton AG in April 2024. Now running on Proton's Swiss infrastructure. Open source, independently audited four times, self-hostable. 300,000+ active users. Continues operating as a standalone product under Proton ownership.
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Why avoid United States-owned services?
CLOUD Act
Allows US authorities to compel American companies to hand over data stored anywhere in the world.
FISA Section 702
Permits mass surveillance of non-US persons' data held by US tech providers, without a warrant.
GDPR vs US law
Transferring personal data to US companies may conflict with EU data protection rules under GDPR.