Standard Notes alternative
Standard Notes is better for synced long-form notes. Flowvault is better when you want a browser-only secret notebook with no account, a decoy password, encrypted one-shot sends, or a local file that never reaches our server.
30-second proof
Open the same demo vault twice: first with CorrectPassword, then lock and unlock with DecoyPassword. Same URL, same ciphertext on the server, two completely different notebooks.
If you want native apps, multi-device sync, long journals, tags, plugins, or hundreds of notes, use Standard Notes, Notesnook, Obsidian, or Joplin. Flowvault is deliberately smaller. Each notebook slot holds about 8 KiB, roughly 1,500 words.
Use Flowvault for high-value short notes: recovery phrases, API keys, travel notes, contact details, backup codes, or credentials you do not want tied to a normal notes account. The value is the URL-plus- password model, hidden volumes, and the ability to hand over a decoy.
If you do not want Flowvault's servers to store even encrypted ciphertext, create a .flowvault local file. It uses the same hidden-volume format but reads and writes through your browser directly to a file on your disk.
Many users should keep their main notes app and add Flowvault beside it. Put broad knowledge work in Standard Notes; put the small set of notes you might need to deny, send once, or hand over later in Flowvault.
Flowvault is MIT-licensed and open end-to-end: frontend, Cloud Functions, Firestore rules, and crypto code are public. The server stores opaque ciphertext; your password and plaintext stay in the browser.