Catchlight vs Notesnook
This is the closest comparison we make, and the fairest one. Notesnook is a genuinely good privacy app: open source, zero-knowledge, cross-platform. If you want those three things, it is excellent. Catchlight makes a narrower bet, no account, no server, one unified item, and that is the whole difference.
The short version.
| Catchlight | Notesnook | |
|---|---|---|
| Account needed | None. Ever. | Required (email) |
| End-to-end encrypted | Yes, zero-knowledge, on device | Yes, zero-knowledge, on device |
| Where data lives | Your device; a folder you own | Notesnook servers (encrypted) |
| Notes + tasks + reminders | One unified Take, with notifications | Notes-focused |
| Code | Open source (Apache-2.0) | Open source (GPL) |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 18+); more planned | iOS, Android, desktop, web |
| Price | One flat ~£14.99/yr, everything in | Free tier; paid plans (~$20-90/yr) |
Notesnook details verified June 2026. Both apps are zero-knowledge and open source; Notesnook is cross-platform with a self-hostable server, Catchlight is no-account and iPhone-first. Catchlight is pre-launch; its feature set is subject to change before launch.
Where Notesnook is genuinely strong.
Notesnook is fully open source including its sync server, which you can self-host, it runs on iOS, Android, desktop and web, and it has a free tier. If a self-hostable server or true cross-platform support are non-negotiable for you, it may well be the right pick, and we would rather tell you that than pretend otherwise.
Catchlight is open source too, under Apache-2.0, so that is not the difference. The differences are that at launch it is iPhone-first, and there is no server to self-host because, by design, there is no server at all. Those favour Notesnook if cross-platform reach or self-hosting matter to you.
Where Catchlight goes further.
The difference is the account and the server. Notesnook, like most zero-knowledge apps, gives you an account and syncs your encrypted notes through its servers. Catchlight has neither: your key is a 12-word Privacy Phrase generated on your phone, and sync, if you want it, writes encrypted files into a folder you already own in iCloud Drive or Dropbox. There is no Catchlight server at all.
And where Notesnook is a notes app, Catchlight unifies a note, a task and a reminder into one Take, so you are not running a separate to-do or reminders app alongside it.
Where Notesnook is the better choice.
Notesnook is the better choice if you want a sync server you can self-host, you need your notes on Android, Windows, Linux and the web as well as iPhone, or a free tier is essential. It is a serious, well-built privacy app and a fair recommendation.
Where Catchlight is the better choice.
Catchlight is the better choice if you want no account and no server in the picture at all, you are on iPhone, and you want a note, a task and a reminder to be one thing in a single calm place, for one flat price with everything included.
Common questions.
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Is Catchlight as private as Notesnook?
Both are zero-knowledge: neither company can read your notes. The difference is that Notesnook uses an account and its own (encrypted) servers, while Catchlight has no account and no server, your key stays on your device and sync uses a folder you own.
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Is Catchlight open source like Notesnook?
Yes. Catchlight's iOS app is open source under Apache 2.0, so you can read, verify and reuse the code, including the encryption. Notesnook is GPL and also offers a self-hostable sync server, which Catchlight does not, by design it has no server at all.
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Why no account?
An account is one more thing to be breached, leaked or compelled. Catchlight removes it entirely: a 12-word Privacy Phrase you hold is the only key.