Je notities zitten verspreid over je telefoon, laptop en misschien nog een kladblok. Je wilt gewoon één plek waar alles bij elkaar staat, zonder gedoe met ingewikkelde functies of een maandelijks abonnement dat blijft doorlopen.
Daar komt Upnote om de hoek kijken. Een notitie-app die je voor een paar tientjes levenslang kunt gebruiken, met synchronisatie over al je apparaten. Geen fancy marketing, gewoon een solide tool die doet wat hij belooft.
In deze review vertel ik je precies wat Upnote kan, waar de beperkingen zitten en of het de moeite waard is voor jouw situatie.
Upnote: het bedrijf
Upnote is made by a small team that focuses entirely on one thing: building a simple but powerful note-taking app. No investors screaming for growth numbers, no pivot to AI features that nobody asked for.
The tool has been around since 2019 and has grown steadily since then. The team actively listens to feedback and regularly releases updates. They make their money primarily with the lifetime deal, which means they really have to deliver to attract users.
The app is available for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No web version, everything runs on native apps that run locally on your device and sync via the cloud.
Voor wie is Upnote?
Upnote is ideal for people looking for a reliable note-taking app without monthly costs. You regularly write things down, want to keep them organized and be able to switch between devices without hassle.
Think of students taking lecture notes, freelancers capturing project ideas, or just someone who wants to organize their recipes and shopping lists. You don’t have to be a power user who wants to link everything together or build databases.
The app is also a good fit for people who want to move away from Evernote because it’s getting too expensive, but don’t want to immediately dive into complex tools like Obsidian. You want something that just works, without having to watch weeks of YouTube tutorials.
Where Upnote is less suitable: teams working together on documents, people who find end-to-end encryption essential, or users who want to access their notes via a browser.
Wat kan Upnote allemaal?
Upnote is packed with features you use daily, without becoming overwhelming. These are the most important ones:
- Rich text and Markdown – You can just type and format with buttons, or use Markdown if you prefer that. You see the result immediately, no raw code
- Nested notebooks – Create folders within folders, as deep as you want. Handy for keeping everything separate by project or study, for example
- Tags and filters – Label your notes with tags and find them later via smart filters. Works faster than browsing through endless folders
- Bi-directional links – Link notes to each other, like in Roam Research or Obsidian. Handy for knowledge management, though it’s less comprehensive than those tools
- Focus mode – Hides all distractions so you only see your text. Perfect for when you really need to write without notifications or menus
- Typewriter mode – Keeps your cursor always in the center of the screen, so you don’t have to bend your neck down during long writing sessions
- Code blocks – Add code with syntax highlighting for dozens of programming languages. Useful for developers who want to save snippets
- Tables and checklists – Create clear tables or to-do lists that you can check off. Only available in the premium version
- Attachments – Add files, images and audio to your notes. Maximum 20MB per file, which is more than enough for most situations
- Synchronization – Everything syncs lightning fast between all your devices. Works via Upnote’s cloud, no hassle with setting up Dropbox or iCloud
- Export – Get your notes out as Markdown, HTML or PDF. So you’re never locked in if you want to switch later
- Note locking – Protect sensitive notes with a PIN code. Not as strong as end-to-end encryption, but better than nothing
The interface is nice and clean. Your notebooks on the left, your list of notes in the middle, the editor on the right. Everything feels logical, you don’t have to search for where things are.
What strikes me is how fast everything responds. No delay when opening notes or switching between devices. That sounds basic, but many competitors make you wait seconds for every action.
Wat kost Upnote?
Upnote has a free version that lets you try out the app. You can create up to 50 notes, but you can’t add attachments, create tables, and your export options are limited. Great for testing whether the app suits you.
For full functionality you pay $1.99 per month. That’s dirt cheap compared to Evernote ($1.83/month) or even Notion ($1/month for the Plus version).
But the real deal is the lifetime license: $1.99 one-time. Pay once, use forever. No hidden costs, no price increases after a year. If you use the app for more than two years, you’ve already gotten your money’s worth.
That lifetime deal is exactly why many people switch to Upnote. You’re done with subscriptions that get more expensive every year while the features stay the same.
Note: the lifetime price may change. The team has indicated it might go up as the app becomes more popular. If you’re on the fence, you’d better act now.
Waar moet je op letten?
Upnote is solid, but not perfect. There are a few things you need to know before switching.
The biggest missing feature is end-to-end encryption. Your notes are encrypted during transport and storage on Upnote’s servers, but the company technically has access to your data. For most people that’s not a problem, but if you store sensitive information, you might want a tool with E2EE like Standard Notes.
There’s no web version. You have to install the app on your device. That means you can’t quickly access your notes from a random computer in an internet café or library. For some people that’s a dealbreaker.
The 20MB upload limit per file is fine for most situations, but if you regularly want to store large videos or high-res photos, you’ll quickly hit limitations. Evernote, for example, lets you upload files up to 200MB.
Collaboration features are completely missing. You can’t share notes with others or edit together. If you work with a team, you’ll need to go to Notion or Google Docs.
OCR isn’t included. Evernote can extract text from photos and PDFs, Upnote can’t. If you want to make many scanned documents searchable, that’s a shortcoming.
The free version is really limited. 50 notes sounds like a lot, but if you use the app seriously, you’ll go through that within a few weeks. It feels more like a trial than a full-fledged free plan.
Wat vinden anderen?
The general sentiment about Upnote is positive. Users are especially happy with the price-to-quality ratio and reliable synchronization.
On YouTube, Julio Trois made an extensive review where he emphasizes the robust features and elegant interface. He compares the price with Evernote and concludes that you get almost the same functionality for a fraction of the cost.
Savage Reviews praises Upnote’s speed and simplicity, but also points out the lack of encryption and a web app as drawbacks for specific users. His conclusion: perfect for most people, but not for everyone.
Upnote scores high in app stores. It’s at 4.7 stars on the Mac App Store, 4.6 on Google Play. Users consistently mention the same strengths: affordable, fast, clear.
The most common complaints are about the lack of end-to-end encryption, the limited upload limit, and the absence of a web interface. Some users also miss advanced features like OCR or handwriting recognition.
What’s notable is that almost nobody complains about bugs or crashes. The app just does what it promises, without surprises. That’s rarer nowadays than you’d think.
Personally, I use Upnote mainly because of the one-time payment. The interface is basic, but I actually like that. No fancy animations or unnecessary features, just a tool that does what it’s supposed to do.
Upnote alternatieven
Doesn’t Upnote quite fit what you’re looking for? These are the best alternatives:
- Evernote – Choose this if you want to search heavy documents and scanned PDFs with OCR. Evernote has many more features, but also costs significantly more ($1.83/month). The interface feels outdated compared to Upnote
- Obsidian – Choose this if you want complete control over your data and like working with plugins. Obsidian stores everything locally in Markdown files and is free for personal use. Does have a steeper learning curve and less user-friendly out of the box
- Notion – Choose this if you want to combine notes with task management, databases and project management. Notion is more of an all-in-one workspace, while Upnote is purely focused on notes. Free for individual use, but slower and more complex
- Apple Notes – Choose this if you’re fully in the Apple ecosystem and don’t need extra features. Free and well integrated with iOS and macOS, but no Android or Windows support
- Standard Notes – Choose this if privacy is your highest priority. Standard Notes has end-to-end encryption by default, but the interface is less modern and some features are behind a subscription
Each of these alternatives has its strengths. Upnote sits right in the middle in terms of features and price: more capabilities than Apple Notes, but simpler and cheaper than Evernote or Notion.
Veelgestelde vragen
Heeft Upnote een webversie?
No, Upnote currently doesn’t have a web version. The app is available as a native application for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux. You need to install the app on your device to access your notes.
Is er een limiet aan het gratis plan?
Yes, with the free plan you can create a maximum of 50 notes and you don’t have access to premium features like tables, attachments, and PDF export. It’s mainly intended to try out the app before you buy the premium version.
Ondersteunt Upnote Markdown?
Yes, Upnote supports Markdown syntax for text formatting, but displays the result directly as rich text. So you immediately see how your text looks, without raw Markdown code. You can also just use the buttons if you don’t know Markdown.
Kan ik mijn notities exporteren?
Yes, you can export your notes as Markdown, HTML, or PDF. This way you’re not locked into Upnote and you can always switch to another tool later if you want to.
Werkt Upnote offline?
Yes, you can create and edit notes without an internet connection. As soon as you’re back online, everything automatically syncs with your other devices.
Is de lifetime deal echt voor altijd?
Yes, if you buy the lifetime license for $1.99, you have lifetime access to all premium features. No hidden costs or mandatory upgrades later. The price of the lifetime deal may change for new users.
Conclusie
Upnote is a solid note-taking app that does exactly what you expect, without hassle. The interface is clean, synchronization works blazingly fast, and the lifetime deal of $1.99 is a bargain compared to the competition.
You get all the essential features: Markdown, nested notebooks, tags, code blocks, and bi-directional links. The focus mode and typewriter mode are nice additions for long writing sessions.
Where Upnote falls short is end-to-end encryption, a web version, and collaboration features. If you find those things essential, you should look at alternatives. For most users, these aren’t dealbreakers.
The app is perfect for students, freelancers, and anyone who wants a reliable place for their notes without monthly costs. You don’t need to be a tech expert to work with it, but you do get enough features to do serious work.
My advice: try the free plan. If you notice within a week that you’re hitting the limit of 50 notes, the lifetime deal is a no-brainer. If you’re torn between monthly and lifetime: choose lifetime. After two years, you’ll have already gotten your money’s worth.
Upnote isn’t a revolutionary tool that changes your life. It’s simply a reliable note-taking app that does what it promises, for a fair price. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
