Secure Notes Quickly
Password-protected notes, encrypted on your own machine with AES-256 before they ever touch the disk. No account, no sync, no server to trust.
- Encryption
- AES-256-CBC
- Key derivation
- Argon2id
- Network use
- None
- Price
- Free
Your password is the only key
Snoq derives your encryption key from your password and holds it in memory, never on disk. Lock the app and both key buffers are zeroed. There is no recovery link, no reset flow and no support request that can get your notes back, because nothing anywhere else has ever held the key.
That is the trade. It is also the entire point.
What Snoq never stores
- Your password, in any form — not even a reversible hash
- The derived AES or HMAC keys — memory only, zeroed on lock
- Plaintext note content — only ciphertext reaches the disk
The construction
Applied to every note, before it is written.
- Cipher
- AES-256-CBC
- Authentication
- HMAC-SHA256 (Encrypt-then-MAC)
- Key derivation
- Argon2id
- KDF parameters
- 64 MB · 3 iterations · 2 threads
- Salt
- 32 bytes
- Per-note IV
- 16 bytes, random
- Key lifetime
- Memory only, zeroed on lock
- Recovery
- None, by design
One gap, stated plainly: there is no automatic lock on idle yet. You lock Snoq with a hotkey, the title-bar button or the tray. A configurable idle timeout is on the roadmap.
Built to live in every day
An encrypted vault is only useful if writing in it is genuinely pleasant. This is the part that makes it so.
Rich text, not Markdown
A Quill.js editor in a native WPF shell — headings, lists, code blocks with syntax highlighting, links, quotes and inline images. Nothing to learn, no syntax to remember.
Full-text search
Searches the full body of every note, not just titles. Results appear as you type, across hundreds of notes.
Multi-tab interface
Browser-style tabs. Middle-click to open a note in a new tab and move between notes without losing your place.
Categories and starred notes
Optional categories, one-click filtering and starred notes. Lightweight organisation that stays out of the way.
PDF export and encrypted backup
Export a note to PDF with formatting intact, or export the whole vault as an encrypted archive you can safely put on a USB stick.
Yours to tune
Nine editor fonts, plus font size, line height, padding, writing width, a toolbar toggle and spellcheck. Dark and light themes follow Windows.
Up and Running in Seconds
No accounts, no sign-ups, no cloud setup. Just install and start writing.
Install
Download the installer (~166 MB) and run it. No admin rights required - works in seconds.
Write
Create notes with rich formatting. Organize them into categories and find anything instantly with full-text search.
Stay Secure
Everything is encrypted with AES-256 and stored locally. Lock the UI with a hotkey, export to PDF, or back up your entire vault as an encrypted archive.
Now available in 29 languages
AI-assisted translations - native English, plus 28 additional languages. Switch in one click from the app's settings.
See How It Works
Watch Snoq in action - from rich text formatting to encrypted local storage
Rich Text Formatting
Beautifully formatted notes with Quill.js editor - the same technology used by major productivity apps.
- Headings, lists, bold/italic/underline formatting
- Code blocks with syntax highlighting
- Hyperlinks and blockquotes
- Multi-tab layout for working with multiple notes
AES-256 Encryption, Always On
Your notes are protected with the strongest encryption available before they ever touch your disk.
- AES-256 encryption for all note content
- Keys derived from your password using Argon2id
- 100% local processing - no cloud sync
- Works completely offline
See how Snoq compares
Honest, detailed comparisons with the most popular alternatives.
What the reviewers found
"A note-taking app with a focus on privacy, rich text formatting capabilities, and a modern design that's easy to acclimate to - you can begin to jot down anything of note right away."
"SNOQ is the ultimate app designed for your private writing needs, with a user-friendly tabbed interface that streamlines managing multiple notepads and a rich array of text formatting options."
Write it down. Lock it up.
AES-256, keys derived from your password with Argon2id and held only in memory, on a machine that never talks to a server. Free, no account, no paid tier.