Best offline note-taking apps that keep plain files

Product	Best for	Per month, yearly plan	The deciding fact, and the catch	Link
Obsidian	Best overall	$4	Free for any use, stored on your device, no telemetry per its pricing page. Sync is a paid extra, and plugins mean setup choices.	Visit
Joplin	Best free with built-in encryption	Free	Open source, end-to-end encrypted, can sync through Dropbox or OneDrive. Its page says an open format, not plain files in folders.	Visit
Zettlr	Best for academic writing	Free	Free, files stay on your computer, Zotero and JabRef citations built in. Windows, macOS and Linux; no phone app on its page.	Visit
Standard Notes	Best encrypted, not plain files	$7.50	Offline on every plan with end-to-end encryption, but notes live in its own store with an export. Folders cost extra.	Visit

Obsidian first. Its homepage says notes are stored privately on your device, usable offline, in open file formats, and the app is free for any use, commercial included.

What separates these apps is whether you can open your notes in a plain text editor ten years from now.

Obsidian

Sync is the paid part: 4 USD/mo billed yearly, or 5 USD/mo month to month, with end-to-end encryption and version history. Obsidian offers a 7-day refund on Sync. You don't need it if you sync the folder with something you already own.

Obsidian's homepage pitches thousands of plugins, so expect to spend time choosing. Read the Obsidian review, then how to sync Obsidian across devices for the cheap routes.

Joplin

Free, open source and encrypted end to end. The app runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and a terminal app exists too. Sync can go through Dropbox, OneDrive and other services instead of Joplin Cloud.

Joplin Cloud is the paid route. Basic is EUR 2.40 a month on yearly billing, with a 10 MB cap per note or attachment and 2 GB of storage (Joplin's plans page, Nov 1, 2026). That page shows euros only.

Joplin's page says notes are saved in an open format. It doesn't say they are plain files in folders, so I wouldn't pick it if "open in any editor" is your test.

Logseq

An outliner that works on Markdown and Org-mode files, per its README, which also says the project focuses on privacy, longevity and user control. Same job as Obsidian, different shape, as the Logseq against Obsidian comparison explains.

One warning from the README itself: the Database version is in beta, and "data loss is possible". It recommends automated backups. Its docs say database graphs are stored in a SQLite file rather than Markdown files, and that Org-mode is dropped there. If plain files are your test, that cuts against Logseq.

Zettlr

Built for people who write papers. It supports Zotero, JabRef and Juris-M libraries and over 9,000 citation styles, per its site. It's free, donation-supported, has no forced cloud sync, no telemetry, and connects to the internet only to check for updates. Windows, macOS and Linux. No phone app listed on the page.

Standard Notes

The honest outlier. Offline access and end-to-end encryption are on the free plan, and sync runs across web, desktop and mobile. But the free plan has plain text and tags only. Folders start on Productivity, at 7.5 USD/mo billed yearly, and that plan has a 14-day refund window.

Notes are encrypted, so they aren't files you can browse. The page offers full export in encrypted or plaintext form. Choose it for privacy, not for plain files.

More apps, with prices, are in the note-taking catalog.

Prices checked November 1, 2026.