Rich notes, fast
Type / for headings, tables, checklists, images, callouts and more. Formatting stays out of your way until you ask for it.
Notes, beautifully offline
Every idea, on every page.
Write, sketch, tick off checklists and keep your scans and PDFs together. Paperstead works fully offline, syncs across your devices when you want it to, and encrypts everything it syncs end to end.
Free on your device. No account needed.
Features
One place for everything you jot down
Typed notes, handwriting, photos and paperwork live side by side, and all of it is searchable.
Draw and handwrite
Sketch with pens and a highlighter, turn rough strokes into clean shapes, and mark up photos and PDFs right inside a note.
Scan and search
Scan receipts and documents, attach PDFs, and find them later by the words inside. Text is recognised on your device.
Checklists that follow up
Tasks from every note gather in one To-Do list, and dated items show up in Calendar and Reminders.
Linked notes
Type [[ to link one note to another. Each note lists the notes that point back to it.
Edit together, live
Share a note by invite or link and write in it at the same time, with live cursors and comments.
Bring your notes
Import from Apple Notes (in the Mac app), Evernote exports and Markdown files. Export everything as a .zip any time.
Offline, everywhere
Every note is stored on your device first, so Paperstead opens instantly and works without a connection.
Private by design
Your notes stay yours.
Paperstead keeps your notes on your device. If you turn on sync, they are encrypted before they leave it. There are no ads and no tracking. Read the privacy policy.
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Free forever on your device
No account and no sign-up. Your notes are stored on this device and nowhere else.
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End-to-end encrypted sync
With Premium, notes, titles, drawings, files and comments are encrypted on your device before they reach our servers.
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Maximum privacy
Only your own devices, or your 24-word recovery key, can unlock your notes. If you lose both, nobody can recover them, including us.
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Standard, if you prefer
Paperstead keeps an encrypted backup of your key so signing in is enough on a new device. That also means Paperstead could unlock your notes; every use is logged and you are told.
Pricing
Free to use. Premium when you need more devices.
Every writing, drawing and scanning feature is in the free version.
Free
$0
No account, no time limit
Everything Paperstead does, on one device.
- Unlimited notes, folders and tags
- Drawing, scanning and search in photos and PDFs
- To-Do, Calendar and Reminders
- Import and export
Premium
$4.99 / month
or $39.99 a year
Your notes on all your devices, and with the people you choose.
- Sync across all your devices
- Share notes and edit them together live
- Encrypted cloud backup of every note
- People you invite join free
Download
Get Paperstead
Start in your browser, or install the app for your computer.
Mac
The desktop app for macOS, with Apple Notes import, a menu-bar quick note and automatic updates.
Windows
The desktop app for Windows, with a quick-note shortcut and automatic updates.
Web
Nothing to install. Works in any modern browser and keeps working offline once opened.
iPhone & iPad
Scan documents with the camera, handwrite with a finger or stylus, and capture from the share sheet.
Download on theApp Store
Coming soon
Android
Phones and tablets, with document scanning, handwriting and home-screen widgets.
GET IT ONGoogle Play
Coming soon
Browser extension
Clip articles, selections and screenshots from the web straight into a note.
Available in theChrome Web Store
Coming soon
Questions
Good to know
Is Paperstead free?
Yes. Every feature for writing, drawing, scanning, searching and organising is free on the device you use it on, with no time limit. Premium adds sync across devices, sharing and an encrypted cloud backup.
Do I need an account?
No. Choose "Use Paperstead without an account" and start writing. You only need an account for Premium sync and sharing, or to open a note someone shared with you.
Does it work offline?
Completely. Notes are saved on your device first, so you can read, write, draw and search with no connection. With Premium, changes sync the next time you're online and edits from different devices merge together.
Who can read my notes?
On the free plan, only people with access to your device. Synced notes are end-to-end encrypted, so only you and the people you share a note with can read it, not Paperstead or our hosting provider. The exception is Standard protection, an opt-in mode where Paperstead keeps a key backup and could unlock your notes. Our servers still see some account details, such as your email and when notes change; the privacy policy lists them.
Can I import from Apple Notes?
Yes, with the Mac app. Paperstead also imports Evernote exports (.enex) and Markdown files on every platform, and you can export all your notes as a .zip whenever you like.
Which devices does it run on?
Mac, Windows and any modern web browser today. Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android and a browser extension for clipping are on the way.
Start with a blank page.
Paperstead opens in your browser in a second. No account needed to begin.