Standard Notes
✓ Verified by EU AltsEnd-to-end encrypted notes app — a European alternative to Evernote and Notion.
Overview
Standard Notes is a Paris, France-based European company building open source, privacy, and productivity software since 2017. As an EU-headquartered provider, Standard Notes likely operates under GDPR. EU Alts has not independently confirmed its exposure to the US CLOUD Act — the ownership and hosting facts recorded for it do not establish that it is outside the Act's reach — see the Details section below for what's known so far.
Why European teams pick Standard Notes
Teams in Europe consider Standard Notes when they want a open source provider that bills in EUR, operating since 2017. Its EU headquarters is a good sign compared with well-known US incumbents, but EU Alts has not independently verified Standard Notes's exposure to the US CLOUD Act — check the Details section for the recorded facts.
See more EU open source tools or browse other startups from France.
About
Standard Notes is an open-source end-to-end encrypted notes app with all client apps (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, Web) published under the AGPL licence. Notes are encrypted client-side before syncing — the server never sees plaintext content. Standard Notes offers a self-hosted server option (deployable on any EU VPS) for users who require complete data sovereignty. The managed cloud service stores data in the US by default, but the self-hosted path gives EU users full control. Standard Notes is popular among privacy advocates and security-conscious note-takers as an alternative to Notion, Evernote, or Apple Notes for sensitive personal and professional notes.
Details
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Ownership
- Owned by Proton AG (Switzerland)
- Hosting
- Proton-operated infrastructure, Switzerland / Germany / Norway
- CLOUD Act
- Not independently verified
- Verified
- 2026-07-31
- Last checked
- 2026-07-31
Categories
Also from France
5 other listed companies are based in France. In the same categories as Standard Notes:
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Frequently asked questions
What does Standard Notes do?
Standard Notes is end-to-end encrypted notes app — a european alternative to evernote and notion. It is listed under open source, privacy, and productivity on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European open source tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from well-known US incumbents.
Is Standard Notes GDPR compliant?
Standard Notes is headquartered in Paris, France and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it likely processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by France's data protection authority, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL). EU Alts has not independently verified Standard Notes's exposure to the US CLOUD Act, so we can't confirm it either way.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to Standard Notes?
Teams considering a move from well-known US incumbents to Standard Notes are usually drawn by its open source workflow fit. EU Alts has not independently verified Standard Notes's exposure to the US CLOUD Act, so treat any CLOUD Act or Schrems II conclusions as provisional. Plan a migration in stages regardless: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Standard Notes with a small team, then move the rest once integration coverage is confirmed.
Where is Standard Notes based?
Standard Notes is headquartered in Paris, France. The company was founded in 2017. Its main website is https://standardnotes.com.