Dash vs Nolio

Dash is a private notes app for Mac and iPhone, with a web PWA that also supports Android. Notes remain on the device and the app works offline unless sync is enabled. Locked notes use AES-256-GCM encryption, with keys derived through PBKDF2-SHA256 using 600,000 iterations. App locking supports a master password, Touch ID or Face ID, and configurable auto-lock timers. A duress password opens decoy notes while actual notes remain encrypted; notes can also be configured to delete after one hour, one day, one week, or one month. Its block editor includes wiki-style links, folders, and tags. Local AI can connect to Ollama, LM Studio, LocalAI, Jan, and other OpenAI-compatible servers running on localhost, and rejects non-local endpoints. Pages and folders export as Markdown, DOCX, or PDF, and encrypted.dashpack backups are supported. Dash is open source under the MIT license. The web PWA and iPhone options are free. Dash for Mac is $14.99 a month, billed as lifetime access with no subscription required. Sync is $4.99 a month or $47.99 a year, each with a 7-day free trial.

Nolio is a free, open-source notes app that stores encrypted notes locally, without cloud storage, third-party servers, or telemetry. Each note is encrypted with AES-256-GCM; key derivation uses Argon2id or a 600,000-iteration PBKDF2 fallback. The master password is essential: the maker says notes cannot be recovered without it and there is no password reset. The vault can lock after a configurable idle period or through Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L. Its editor supports headings, lists, task lists, quotes, code blocks, callouts, tables, images, and links. Pasted Markdown is converted into rich blocks, and slash commands insert blocks from the keyboard. Notes can be organized into nested pages with unlimited subpages, alongside Favorites, Recent, All Notes, Trash, and a command palette. Desktop users can open resizable sticky-note windows and pin them above other windows. Encrypted backups can be exported to a chosen location, and imports verify the backup password before writing data. Nolio runs in a browser and on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.