A private, self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app.
One owner, many devices. The server stores only ciphertext.

Website · Docs · Protocol · Changelog · Contributing

Platforms: Android (F-Droid), Linux desktop, Windows desktop

Pick one Android source and stay with it. F-Droid and GitHub Release APKs are signed by different keys, so an update from the other source will not install over your current copy (uninstall + reinstall is the only way to switch). The app shows a one-time note about this on the Sync page.

Install on Linux

Grab a package from the latest release:

Distro	Package
Arch	librenotes-bin on the AUR: yay -S librenotes-bin
Debian / Ubuntu	.deb: sudo apt install ./LibreNotes-<version>-amd64.deb
Fedora / openSUSE	.rpm: sudo dnf install ./LibreNotes-<version>-x86_64.rpm
Any	.AppImage (chmod +x, then run) or the .tar.gz bundle

.deb and .rpm also come in arm64 / aarch64.

Why LibreNotes?

Most note apps make you choose between convenience and control. LibreNotes is built so you don't have to.

• Your server, your data. Sync runs on a small server you host yourself, on a home LAN or a Tailscale/WireGuard mesh. There is no account, no vendor cloud, and nothing is sent to the developer.
• The server can't read your notes. Everything is encrypted on your device before it leaves, so the server only ever holds ciphertext. A new device needs only your passphrase to unlock.
• Works fully offline. Every device keeps a local, encrypted store and syncs whenever the server is reachable. The app never waits on the network.
• You decide conflicts. There is no CRDT magic. If two devices edit the same note, you see both versions and pick the winner.
• Plain markdown, no lock-in. Notes are ordinary markdown, and you can export them all as .md files at any time.
• Genuinely free software. AGPLv3, no trackers, no Google Play Services, and no Electron. The desktop app is native Flutter.

Features

• Markdown notes with live preview
• Dark theme, orange accent, resizable sidebar
• Offline-first: full local cache, syncs opportunistically
• End-to-end encryption (XChaCha20-Poly1305 + Argon2id key derivation), plus encryption of notes at rest on each device
• Conflict resolution: server detects stale writes and returns both versions; you pick the winner
• Archive, and a trash bin with restore and permanent delete
• Text highlighting, custom and gradient note colors
• Self-destructing notes, and quick capture with a global hotkey on Linux
• Markdown import and export
• Self-hosted sync server (Shelf + SQLite, single compiled binary or Docker image)

Repository layout

packages/notally_core/   Shared Dart models + sync DTOs (app + server)
server/                  Sync server (Shelf + SQLite, E2EE-blind)
clients/app/             Flutter client (Android, Linux desktop, web)
assets/icon/             Source app icon

Quick start

Server

cd server
dart pub get
dart run bin/server.dart

The server prints a bearer token on first start and binds to 0.0.0.0:8787. See server/README.md for full configuration and API docs.

Client

cd clients/app
flutter pub get
flutter run -d linux          # Linux desktop
flutter run -d chrome         # web
flutter run                   # Android (device/emulator attached)

The Flutter SDK must be on PATH:

export PATH="$PATH:/path/to/flutter/bin"

See clients/app/README.md for build instructions.

Remote access

The server is LAN-only by design. For access away from home, join devices and the server on a Tailscale or WireGuard mesh and update the server URL in the app — no server code change needed. Never expose the server directly to the WAN.

HTTPS

The server speaks plain HTTP. To add TLS, put a reverse proxy in front of it and set NOTALLY_HOST=127.0.0.1 so only the proxy can reach it. Use a certificate your devices trust, then enter the https:// address as the Server URL.

• Tailscale: tailscale serve --bg 8787 serves it at https://<machine>.<tailnet>.ts.net (enable HTTPS certificates in the admin console first).
• Caddy: notes.example.com { reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:8787 }
• nginx: proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8787; inside a TLS server block.

Full examples are in the sync docs. HTTPS doesn't make it safe to expose the server to the public internet.

Security model

• All encryption and decryption happens on the client. The server never sees plaintext, keys, or passphrases.
• Each note is encrypted with a random DEK (XChaCha20-Poly1305, per-write nonce). The DEK is wrapped with a key derived from the user's passphrase via Argon2id. The wrapped DEK lives on the server; the passphrase never leaves the device.
• Conflict detection runs on rev (plaintext metadata), not content.

To report a vulnerability, see SECURITY.md.

Contributing

Bug reports, ideas and pull requests are welcome. Start with CONTRIBUTING.md, and please follow the Code of Conduct.

License

AGPLv3 — see LICENSE. AGPL is intentional: this is a network server application.