Clarity Atlas vs Notesnook
The short version
- Notesnook is a private notebook: end-to-end encrypted by default, synced through its own service, notes living inside the app's system.
- Clarity Atlas starts from a different premise: your notes are plain Markdown files on your device — readable by any app, forever. Encryption is applied where someone else could otherwise read them: everything going through Clarity Atlas Cloud is encrypted on your device first, and any note you mark local-only is encrypted wherever it syncs. Notes synced to a bucket you own arrive as readable Markdown — which is the point, since it's your bucket.
- And the bigger difference: Clarity Atlas adds working AI — auto-filing, question answering with citations, voice-memo cleanup. Notesnook's pitch is privacy; ours is privacy plus an assistant.
Side by side
| Feature | Clarity Atlas | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|
| Notes stored as plain files you can open anywhere | ✅ Markdown on your device — browsable as a folder on Windows; on Android, exportable as a .zip any time and syncable to a bucket you own | — (encrypted database; export to files) |
| End-to-end encrypted sync | ✅ on Clarity Atlas Cloud (everything encrypted on your device first). On your own bucket: sent over TLS to storage only you control, with local-only notes encrypted as well | ✅ — by default, its core feature |
| AI auto-filing and titling | ✅ | — |
| Ask your notes, sources cited | ✅ | — |
| Voice memos → clean notes | ✅ | — |
| App lock (biometric/PIN) | ✅ optional | ✅ |
| Note history | Undo log for AI actions | ✅ version history |
| Encrypted public note sharing | — | ✅ (Monographs) |
| Works fully offline, no account | ✅ — an account only exists if you choose Clarity Atlas Cloud | Account needed for sync |
| Open source | — | ✅ |
| Price | Free, with no ads. Optional: $6.99/mo for Clarity Atlas Cloud (bundled AI + sync) | Free tier · Pro subscription |
Choose Notesnook if…
You want encryption-by-default on everything, note version history, encrypted public sharing, or open-source clients. It's a well-made, principled app.
Choose Clarity Atlas if…
You want your notes to exist as ordinary files no company controls — including us — and you want AI doing the organizing and answering. Privacy where it counts, files you can walk away with, and an assistant that earns its keep.
© 2026 Clarity Atlas LLC. Notesnook is a product of Streetwriters; this independent comparison reflects our understanding as of July 2026 — check notesnook.com for current details.