Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about Benchpad — pricing, offline sync, what's free, what Pro adds, and the privacy question we don't get to answer flatteringly.
The problem: Productivity apps are full of hidden traps
When you are looking for a new notes app, it is shockingly difficult to get a straight answer to basic questions.
You visit a pricing page, and it says "Free*" with a tiny asterisk that hides a strict 50-note limit. You read a privacy policy that claims your data is "secure," only to find out deep in the terms of service that your notes are being scanned to train an AI model. You try to figure out if an app works offline, and the marketing copy vaguely says it "syncs to the cloud," which actually means it completely breaks when you lose Wi-Fi.
Most productivity software is built around lock-in, forced upgrades, and opaque data practices. Finding out what an app actually does shouldn't require a trial account and an hour of research.
The solution: Straight answers about Benchpad
Benchpad is built on transparency.
Our business model is simple ($20/year for Pro), our architecture is straightforward (offline-first with CRDT sync), and our privacy stance is plain (no AI, no data mining, but no end-to-end encryption).
Here are the straight answers to every question you might have before signing up.
Core product
The Benchpad editor — three named pads and a full block editor
What is Benchpad? A minimalist, offline-first note app built around three named scratchpads. Full block editor, background sync, no folders, no AI, no setup. It's for people who want to write something down without deciding where it goes first.
How many notes can I create? Three pads — not unlimited pages. Each pad is one long document you structure with headings. Three destinations means no filing decision. Free tier: one pad. Pro: all three.
Can I organize notes into folders? No. No folders, no tags. Three pads and the headings inside them are the entire structure. That constraint is the point.
What can the editor do? Headings (H1–H3), bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, inline code, code blocks with syntax highlighting, bullet and numbered lists, task lists, blockquotes, tables, images, file attachments, 2/3/4-column layouts, dividers, date insertion, and collapsible headings. Everything is reachable by slash command, command palette, or keyboard shortcut.
Can I search across pads?
Yes. ⌘K searches all three pads at once and jumps you to the line. ⌘F is find-and-replace inside the pad you're in.
What happens when a pad fills up? You clear it. Pads are working surfaces, not archives — when something's done, keep it, copy it out, or delete it. No folder to file into, no pile to maintain.
Can I get an old version of a pad back? Yes. Settings → Version History keeps the last ten snapshots per pad, and snapshots are forced before anything destructive.
Offline and sync
Does Benchpad work offline? Yes, fully. Every keystroke saves to local storage on your device before any network request, and the app loads from the device on every open. Sync runs in the background when a connection exists.
What happens if I edit on two devices while offline? Benchpad syncs with CRDTs (conflict-free replicated data types). When both reconnect, edits from both are merged at the character level — neither version is dropped. Same class of technology behind Figma's multiplayer editing.
Can I use Benchpad on a plane? Yes. After the first load the app is cached on your device. It opens and works with no connection at all.
What if your servers go down? You don't notice. Your notes are on your device; the server is a sync target, not a dependency.
What happens to my notes if I cancel? They stay on your device in plain markdown. They were never exclusively on our servers.
Privacy and data
Is Benchpad end-to-end encrypted? No, and we'd rather say it here than let you assume otherwise. Notes are encrypted at rest with a per-user key. True E2EE — where we're mathematically incapable of reading your notes — is not implemented. If that's a hard requirement, Standard Notes is the better tool and we've written the comparison ourselves.
Does Benchpad use my notes for AI training? No. There's no business model here that involves reading your notes. No ads, no training on content. The subscription is the entire revenue.
What format are my notes stored in? Plain markdown. No proprietary format. Copy it into any text editor, or export everything as Markdown, plain text, or HTML from Settings.
Can I delete my account for real? Yes. Settings → Danger Zone deletes your notes, your attachments, and your account. Not a soft delete.
Pricing
How much does Benchpad cost? $20/year, flat. One plan. No per-seat pricing, no monthly option to forget about.
Is there a free tier? Yes — one pad, the complete editor, all themes, offline support, and sync. No card, no time limit.
What does Pro add? All three pads, image and file attachments, and data export. That's the whole list.
Are themes a paid feature? No. All themes, each with its own bundled font, are free on both tiers.
Why does Benchpad cost money when other note apps are free? Free tools disappear. The graveyard is full of free productivity apps that ran out of money. A flat subscription means the product has revenue, the incentive is to serve you rather than your data, and it can survive without needing to become a billion-dollar company.
Platform
What devices does Benchpad work on? Native apps on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play), and the web app in any modern browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS.
Does Benchpad work on Windows? Yes — via any modern browser. No OS restriction anywhere.
Comparisons
Is Benchpad better than Notion? Different problems. Notion is a workspace, wiki, and database platform; Benchpad is a personal scratchpad. If you maintain your Notion setup more than you use it, Benchpad probably fits. Full comparison →
Is Benchpad better than Obsidian? Obsidian is a knowledge graph with a plugin ecosystem; Benchpad is three pads with no plugins and sync included. Obsidian wins for long-term linked knowledge work; Benchpad wins for daily scratch. Full comparison →
What's the best offline note app? Benchpad is offline-first from the architecture up — the device is the source of truth, not the cache. More →
Question we haven't answered? Ask us — we read everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Benchpad?
Benchpad is a minimalist, offline-first note app built around three named scratchpads. It has a full block editor and background sync. It is for people who want to write something down without deciding where it goes first. No folders, no AI, no setup.
How much does Benchpad cost?
One paid plan: Pro at 10 US dollars per year, flat. No per-seat pricing and no monthly plan. The free tier is free forever with no credit card.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. One pad, the complete block editor, all eight themes, offline support, and background sync on up to 2 devices. No credit card, no time limit.
What do you get with Benchpad Pro?
Pro unlocks all three pads, image and file attachments, data export, and up to 5 devices, for 10 US dollars per year. Themes and the full editor are free on both tiers.
How many notes can I create in Benchpad?
Benchpad gives you three pads, not unlimited pages. Each pad is one long document you structure with headings. Three destinations means no filing decision. The free tier includes one pad; Pro includes all three.
Can I organize notes into folders?
No. There are no folders and no tags. Three pads, and headings inside them, are the entire structure. That constraint is the point.
What can the editor do?
Headings, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, inline code, code blocks with syntax highlighting, bullet and numbered lists, task lists, blockquotes, tables, images, file attachments, two, three and four-column layouts, dividers, date insertion, and collapsible headings. Everything is reachable by slash command, command palette, or keyboard shortcut.
Does Benchpad work offline?
Yes, fully. Every keystroke is saved to local storage on your device before any network request, and the app loads from the device on every open. You can write, edit, and format with no connection. Sync runs in the background when one is available.
What happens if I edit on two devices while offline?
Benchpad syncs with CRDTs, conflict-free replicated data types. When both devices reconnect, edits from both are merged at the character level and neither version is dropped. This is the same class of technology behind Figma's multiplayer editing.
Does Benchpad have AI features?
No. Nothing in Benchpad reads, summarizes, analyzes, or trains on your notes, and there is no AI on the roadmap.
Is Benchpad end-to-end encrypted?
No, and we say so plainly. Notes are encrypted at rest on our servers with a per-user key. True end-to-end encryption, where we are mathematically incapable of reading your notes, is not implemented and we do not claim it.
Does Benchpad use my notes for AI training?
No. We have no business model that involves reading your notes. No ads, no machine-learning training on your content. The 10 dollar per year subscription is the entire revenue model.
What format are my notes stored in?
Plain markdown. There is no proprietary format. You can copy your content into any text editor, or export everything as Markdown, plain text, or HTML from Settings. No lock-in.
What happens when a pad fills up?
You clear it. Pads are working surfaces, not archives. When a piece of work is done, keep it, copy it out, or delete it. There is no folder to file into and no pile to maintain.
What devices does Benchpad work on?
Native apps on iOS and Android, a desktop app for Mac and Windows, and a web app in any modern browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS. The web app also installs as a Progressive Web App.
What happens to my notes if I cancel?
They remain on your device in plain markdown. They were never exclusively on our servers. You can read, copy, or export them at any time.
Get Benchpad
On every platform
Native apps for iPhone & Android, and a Mac menu bar & Windows tray app — same three pads, offline-first, synced everywhere.