Write it down.
Own it forever.
Plainpad is the free, open source notes app you run yourself. Class notes, trip plans, lyrics and side-project ideas in one fast place that nobody else can read.
Want us to look after it? Get our support plan, server included if needed, from €20/mo
One app for everything on your mind
School, travel, music or code: Plainpad keeps it simple so you can keep going.
Ace the semester
Lecture notes, revision plans and group-project checklists in one place, searchable in a second the night before the exam.
Mon Calc II practice exam Tue Bio lab report (11:59pm!) Wed Study group @ library, 4pm Thu History essay final read Fri Free. Sleep. Pizza.
Plan the trip of the year
Flights, bookings, budgets and the list of places your friends swear you must visit. Open it on your phone, even mid-trip.
* Tram 28 early (beat the crowds) * Pastel de nata at Manteigaria * Sunset at Senhora do Monte * Day trip to Sintra Budget: ~350 EUR + flights
Catch ideas before they vanish
Lyrics at 2am, video scripts, poems, story drafts. A clean, distraction-free page that opens instantly and keeps every word.
verse 1 late train, city glow headphones on, nowhere to go chorus idea: "plain as day"
Ship your side project
Roadmaps, snippets, server commands and launch checklists. Hook it into your own tools with the REST API.
1. Habit tracker in plain text 2. Discord bot for study group 3. Portfolio v2: darker, faster 4. Tiny recipe app for the flat
Clear your head in seconds
Open Plainpad, start typing, done. No folders to set up, no formatting menus in the way. Notes save automatically and pinned notes stay on top.
- Saves automatically as you type
- Pin what matters most
- Dark mode for late nights
Find anything in a blink
Type a word and Plainpad filters every note by title and content while you type. That one Wi-Fi password from last year? Found.
Private. Actually private.
Plainpad runs on your own server, so your notes never land on someone else's cloud. Turn on encryption and titles and content are stored encrypted at rest.
- No analytics, no ads, no data mining
- Open source code anyone can check
- Your data stays on your server
Up and running in minutes
No account to create, no credit card, no waiting list.
Download
Grab the latest release from GitHub. One small archive with everything inside.
Upload
Put it on any PHP 8.2+ host with MySQL, or run the Docker image.
Write
Open setup.php in your browser, enter your database details, log in and write your first note.
Rather skip the setup? We set it up and look after it for you from €20/mo, on your server or ours.
Why people switch to Plainpad
How it stacks up against typical cloud note apps.
| Plainpad | Typical cloud notes app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Monthly subscription for full features |
| Where notes live | Your server | The vendor's cloud |
| Note & device limits | None | Often capped on free plans |
| Ads & tracking | None, ever | Analytics and usage tracking |
| Open source | Yes, GPL-3.0 | Usually closed |
Rather not run it yourself?
Setting up a server, keeping it updated and fixing what breaks takes time. The people who make Plainpad can do it for you, at a fixed price. Need something custom? Ask for a quote.
Self-hosted
Download it and run it on your own server.
Free forever
Open source under GPL-3.0, no license fee
Download- Notes, search, encryption and offline editing
- Every feature, unlimited notes and users
- Set up for you, server included if needed
- New versions installed for you
- Daily backups, kept 30 days
- Ongoing help from the Plainpad team
Managed Hosting
Our full support plan: we set up, update, back up and fix Plainpad for you. On your own server, or on ours if you don't have one.
€20 /mo
Billed annually, €240 a year · excl. VAT
Get Managed Hosting- Notes, search, encryption and offline editing
- Every feature, unlimited notes and users
- Set up for you, server included if needed
- New versions installed for you
- Daily backups, kept 30 days
- Ongoing help from the Plainpad team
Other services
White Label
€50 or €500 · one-time · excl. VAT
View serviceTechnical Support
€60 · per session · excl. VAT
View serviceCustom Development
Fixed price · agreed up front
View serviceData Migration
Fixed price · agreed up front
View service- From the people who make Plainpad
- Safe card payment
- Invoice sent to you
- Your notes stay yours
- Prices exclude VAT
Questions? Answers.
Is Plainpad really free?
Yes. Plainpad is 100% free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. No subscription, no seat limits, no note limits, for personal or commercial use.
What do I need to run it?
A web server with PHP 8.2 or newer (with the standard extensions most hosts already have, including curl, zip and sodium) and a MySQL database. Most shared hosting plans, a VPS or Docker all work. Setup takes a few minutes: open setup.php in your browser, enter your database details and log in.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. Plainpad works in any modern browser and adapts to phones, tablets and desktops. Add it to your home screen and it opens like an app. If you lose signal while it is open, keep writing: your changes are saved on the device and sync when you are back online.
Can my friends, family or team use it too?
Yes. One installation supports unlimited accounts with admin and user roles, and every person gets their own private notes.
Can I bring my notes from another app?
Yes. Script an import with the built-in REST API, or let our data migration service move your notes from Evernote, Notion, Joplin, Standard Notes or Markdown files for you.
Your notes deserve
a home you own.
Download Plainpad for free and write your first note in minutes. No account, no subscription, no catch.
- GPL-3.0 open source
- PHP or Docker
- Unlimited notes & users