Why Notesnook is My Favorite Notes App

—But I Still Don’t Fully Trust It

The Best Notes App for Usability… But With a Catch

Notesnook is, hands down, my favorite notes app when it comes to privacy, organization, and ease of use. Compared to Google Keep, and Evernote, it strikes the perfect balance between a clean interface and strong encryption. I trust Notesnook way more than Google’s offerings—after all, it’s open-source, zero-knowledge, and doesn’t harvest my data.

But here’s the problem: I don’t fully trust syncing my notes to someone else’s server.

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The Dilemma: Why I’m Hesitant to Rely on Notesnook Long-Term

1. Self-Hosting Option Exists, But I Haven’t Tried It Yet

Notesnook actually offers a self-hosting option (via their enterprise plan), meaning you could sync your notes to your own server instead of theirs. That’s a huge plus for privacy-conscious users.

But here’s the catch:

• I haven’t tried it yet (unlike Joplin, which I’ve self-hosted on my own Nextcloud server).

• It’s not as straightforward as Joplin’s WebDAV sync, which works seamlessly with private cloud storage.

If Notesnook made self-hosting more accessible (like Standard Notes does with their "self-hosted" plans), I’d be much more comfortable committing to it long-term.

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2. Exporting Notes is More Difficult Than It Should Be

One of my biggest frustrations with Notesnook is exporting my data.

• Free users can only export notes one by one (as PDF, TXT, or HTML).

• Full backups (.nnbackup) require a Pro subscription.

Compare this to Standard Notes, where exporting all your notes (even as Markdown or plain text) is completely free and takes seconds.

Why This Matters

• If I ever want to leave Notesnook, I shouldn’t have to pay just to take my own notes with me.

• A true privacy-focused app should make data ownership a priority—not a premium feature.

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What’s the Solution?

I still love Notesnook for daily use, but until these issues are addressed, I’m keeping a few precautions:

1. Regular Encrypted Backups

• If you’re on Pro, export .nnbackup files frequently and store them securely.

• If you’re on Free, manually export critical notes (even if it’s tedious).

2. Consider Self-Hosting (If Possible)

• If Notesnook’s self-hosting becomes more user-friendly, I’ll switch to it.

• For now, Joplin + private cloud remains my backup for fully controlled sync.

3. Push for Better Export Options

I hope Notesnook improves its free-tier export features. Data freedom shouldn’t be paywalled.

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Final Thoughts: Notesnook is Amazing, But Not Perfect

I’ll keep using Notesnook because nothing else matches its usability and privacy combo. But until I have full control over my sync server and easy exports, I won’t fully commit.

Do you feel the same way? Have you tried self-hosting Notesnook or found a better workflow? Let me know in the comments!

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TL;DR:
✅ Notesnook = Best UI + Great Privacy
⚠ But…

• Self-hosting exists but isn’t user-friendly yet

• Exporting notes is needlessly difficult for free users

• I’ll keep using it, but with backups & caution

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