Dash vs QOwnNotes
Dash
dashnote.io
QOwnNotes
qownnotes.orgSide by side
| Figure | Dash | QOwnNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Secure Notes Apps | 8.9 (#4) | 8.1 (#13) |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 8.8 (#36) | 8.5 (#53) |
| Encryption | Locked notes use AES-256-GCM with keys derived through PBKDF2-SHA256 using 600,000 iterations. | Optional note encryption includes built-in AES-256 and support for custom methods such as PGP. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Ollama,LM Studio | Nextcloud,ownCloud,Nextcloud Notes,QOwnNotesAPI,Nextcloud Deck,CalDAV,Dropbox,Syncthing,Seafile,BitTorrent Sync,Git |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | web,macOS,iOS,Android via web PWA | web,windows,macos,linux,android,chrome_extension |
Plans
Dash
- Web PWA / iPhonePrice not published
- Dash for Mac$14.99 a month
- Dash Sync Monthly$4.99 a month
- Dash Sync Yearly$47.99 a year
- Dash for iPhoneFree
- Dash Web PWAFree
- Dash Sync monthly$4.99 a month
- Dash for Mac$14.99, paid once
- Dash Sync yearly$47.99 a year
In their own words
Dash
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.
QOwnNotes
QOwnNotes is a free, GPL-licensed note-taking application built around plain-text Markdown files. Notes stay in a folder on your computer, and the app does not sync notes or media itself; you can choose a separate sync client such as Nextcloud or ownCloud. Those services can also provide note sharing, task lists, note history, and access to trashed notes. The editor offers Markdown highlighting and preview, hierarchical tags and subfolders, wiki-style links, Vim mode, and portable mode. Optional encryption includes built-in AES-256 and custom methods such as PGP. You can import from Evernote or Joplin, or work with existing text and Markdown files directly. QOwnNotes is available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and the web, with a browser extension for clipping selected text, screenshots, and bookmarks. A web companion sends phone photos to the current desktop note. Integrations include Nextcloud, ownCloud, Dropbox, Syncthing, Seafile, CalDAV, and Git. The software is open source, with no paid plans stated.