Try Benchpad free — no credit card required

The problem: The forced onboarding funnel

Every modern note app follows the exact same hostile playbook. You download the app, open it, and instead of a blinking cursor, you are hit with a mandatory login screen.

Before you are allowed to type a single word, you have to hand over your email address, verify a code, select three interests, and click through a five-screen tutorial about their new AI features. They want your data, they want your engagement, and they want to push you into a subscription immediately.

But you don't want an ecosystem. You don't want to receive automated onboarding emails. You just want to write down a quick thought before you forget it.

A scratchpad should not require a relationship.

The solution: A violently simple scratchpad with no account required

Benchpad is a scratchpad that lets you write immediately, with absolutely zero friction. We didn't build a complex onboarding funnel. We built a very sharp, very fast knife.

You open the app, and you get a blinking cursor. There is no login screen. There is no account creation. You just start typing.

Benchpad Interface

Local-first means local only (until you choose otherwise)

How can an app save your notes without an account? Benchpad uses a local-first architecture.

When you use Benchpad without an account, your notes are saved directly to your device's local storage (IndexedDB in the browser, or local storage on the native apps). Every keystroke is saved locally the moment you type it.

Your notes literally do not exist on our servers. They exist on your hard drive.

Why you might eventually want an account

You can use Benchpad anonymously forever, completely for free. But there are two specific reasons you might eventually want to create an account:

1. Cross-device sync: If you want the notes you typed on your Mac to automatically appear on your iPhone, you need an account so our servers know how to securely route your encrypted data between your devices.
2. Benchpad Pro: If you want access to all three scratchpads (the free tier includes one pad), file attachments, and the ability to upload images, you need an account to handle the subscription.

Even if you do create an account, Benchpad remains local-first. It will always save your notes locally first, ensuring you can work completely offline, and only sync to the cloud in the background.

What we explicitly don't do

• No AI scanning: We don't read your notes, and we don't train AI models on them.
• No spam: If you do create an account, we don't send you engagement emails. We only email you receipts.
• No forced upgrades: We will never put your existing notes behind a paywall.

What Pro adds — just $10/year

If you decide you love the app and want to expand your workspace, upgrading is simple. Pro is a flat $10 a year.

Here is exactly what that $10 buys you:

• All three pads (instead of just one)
• Image and file attachments (Upload PDFs, docs, audio, and video)
• Data export (Export everything to Markdown, plain text, or HTML)
• Up to 5 devices (instead of 2)

That is the entire list. There is no confusing per-seat enterprise tier, and no $15/month AI add-on.

Why there's a free tier at all

Most serious note apps either have no free tier at all (like Bear or Craft) or a heavily restricted one (like Evernote or Notion).

Benchpad's free tier exists because a product should actually be worth using before you pay for it. If giving you one full pad with a world-class editor and lightning-fast offline sync doesn't convince you to eventually upgrade, a feature-comparison table isn't going to either.

Starting takes about thirty seconds

Benchpad on the App Store and Google Play — or any browser

There is no onboarding tour. There is no "Choose your plan" page.

1. Go to benchpad.app/signup
2. Enter an email and a password.
3. Your pad is open.

Start writing for free

Related: The FAQ · What is a scratchpad app? · How people use the three pads