Daylogue
Standard NotesDaylogue vs Standard Notes
Standard Notes built its reputation on one promise: your notes are encrypted, and nobody can read them. That promise matters. And they deliver on it.
Standard Notes is best for
Users who want one secure app for notes, tasks, code, and files—with open-source code, public audits, and maximum data portability.
Daylogue is best for
Users who want AI that helps them reflect and notices what repeats, without needing to be a natural writer or know what to say.
Feature comparison
One locks the door. One reads you back.
| Feature |  Daylogue |  Standard Notes |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | No - entries protected by TLS and per-user access controls | Yes - XChaCha20-Poly1305 |
| Open source with audits | No | Yes - regularly audited |
| AI journaling features | Yes - conversational with follow-ups, summaries, themes | No AI features |
| Voice journaling | Yes - multi-language voice input | No |
| Guided journaling prompts | Yes - questions, mood check-ins, daily prompts | No - blank page only |
| Automatic insights & patterns | Yes - weekly, monthly, yearly recaps | No analysis features |
| Offline support | Yes - full offline functionality | Yes - excellent offline support |
| Platform support | iOS, Web | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web |
| Multi-purpose (notes, code, files) | Journaling focused | Yes - notes, tasks, code, files |
| Data export | Yes - full export | Yes - single text file export |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes - unlimited notes |
Where Standard Notes excels
Standard Notes has earned trust through transparency.
Where Daylogue is stronger
For people who want more than a blank page.
AI-assisted reflection
Standard Notes is a blank page. Daylogue asks questions, follows up, and helps you think through your day. If you struggle with "what should I write?", Daylogue solves that problem.
Automatic insights
Summaries, themes, patterns, trends. Daylogue shows you what's happening in your life over weeks and months. Standard Notes stores what you write but doesn't analyze it.
Lower effort journaling
One-tap mood check-ins. Quick daily prompts. You don't need to be a writer. Daylogue makes reflection accessible to people who've never kept a journal.
Built for emotional wellness
Daylogue is designed for self-reflection and personal insight. Standard Notes is designed for secure note storage. Different goals, different experiences.
Conversational interface
Talk through your thoughts with an AI that remembers context and asks relevant follow-ups. Standard Notes is silent by design.
Structured recaps
Weekly, monthly, yearly summaries that surface patterns automatically. In Standard Notes, you'd have to do this analysis yourself.
Privacy philosophy comparison
These are two different bargains, not two versions of the same one. Standard Notes encrypts client-side so nobody at Standard Notes can read your notes. Daylogue reads your entries in order to write your narratives, and protects them in transit by TLS and by per-user access controls in the database.
Where they align
Standard Notes approach
Purist approach. No AI. No analytics integration. Minimal third-party services. Maximum privacy through simplicity.
Daylogue approach
A service that reads you back has to read you. Daylogue says so instead of implying otherwise. AI provider handling follows Daylogue's configured service terms and current subprocessor disclosures, and entry text is kept out of Daylogue's application logs and error reports.
If you want absolute minimization of data exposure, Standard Notes is the purist choice. If you want something that notices your stress running higher on the nights you logged under six hours, that requires a service that can read what you wrote. Pick the tradeoff you actually want.
Common questions
Does Standard Notes have any AI features?
No. Standard Notes focuses on encrypted note storage. There are no AI-powered features for summarization, prompts, or analysis. If you want AI assistance, Standard Notes isn't designed for that.
Which is more private?
Standard Notes, and it is not close on this axis. It encrypts client-side, so the provider cannot read your notes, and it never sends your content anywhere. Daylogue reads your entries to write your narratives. Entries are protected in transit by TLS and by per-user access controls in the database, entry text is kept out of Daylogue's application logs and error reports, and Daylogue does not run emotion recognition on your face or on the tone of your voice. If you never want your writing read by a service, Standard Notes is the right choice.
Can I use Standard Notes as a journal?
Yes. Standard Notes has a Daily Notebooks feature that creates a new note each day. It's a functional journaling setup. But it's a blank note, not a guided experience. You write, it stores. No prompts, no insights, no patterns.
Is Standard Notes open source?
Yes. The code is publicly available and regularly audited by independent security researchers. This is a meaningful advantage for people who want to verify privacy claims.
Which is better for non-writers?
Daylogue. Standard Notes assumes you know what you want to write. Daylogue asks questions and guides you through reflection. If staring at a blank page feels intimidating, Daylogue removes that barrier.
Can I import from Standard Notes to Daylogue?
Standard Notes exports to a simple text file format. You can review your history in Standard Notes and start fresh with Daylogue. Direct import is not currently supported.