The Best Open Source Evernote AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Evernote

The best open source alternative to Evernote is Joplin. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Evernote and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Evernote are Standard Notes, Simplenote, Turtl and Logseq.

filter to find the best alternatives

Evernote alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, iPad, Self-Hosted, Linux, Android, Open Source and Mac. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Evernote.

More about Evernote

Get a badge for your siteEvernote alternatives page was last updated Jun 5, 2026

Official Partner
PrivacyNotes
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Workspace with end-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge security, rich notes, private journal, encrypted file storage, password management, cross-platform browser access, open-source cryptography, optional Pro features, and no recurring subscription fees.
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Google Chrome
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- United States
More about PrivacyNotes Visit website
Joplin
943 likes
Joplin is a free, open-source alternative to Evernote, known for its Markdown support, encryption, and cross-platform compatibility. While Evernote offers seamless cloud syncing and text formatting, Joplin excels in privacy and customization. Choose Joplin for technical expertise and security.
220 Joplin alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
AppImageHub
Snapcraft
Google Chrome
Flathub
PortableApps.com
F-Droid
Cloudron
Homebrew
Chocolatey
Termux
Mozilla Firefox
France
EU
+7
Good alternative?Is Joplin a good alternative to Evernote?

|
25comments
Joplin vs Evernote Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Jul 29, 2018
PRO:

markdown ?

let you encrypt your notes

save them on your computer(backup with thirdparty backupsoftware)

free, Open Source

crossplatform

CON:

no OCR

Top Negative Comment by mandrael · May 24, 2022
Joplin is a quite okay alternative to Evernote, but it has its issues. 1) the mobile sync doesn't work in the background, so it doesn't work sufficiently. Issue on Android and iOS. It only syncs if you watch it. No background-sync (!!). 2) It's not WYSIWYG and you can't do several common things you can do with Evernote or Nimbus. Joplin has to improve in sync and user-friendlyness. Then it can really compete. But: it has the best Evernote import feature on the market. This worked flawlessly!
Positive comment by Eduardo3382 · May 13, 2022
There is a large community behind this app that can assist you if you find some problem.
3 of 25 comments
Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
Joplin is Privacy focused, Lightweight, Minimalistic and DecentralizedEvernote is not according to our users
Standard Notes
709 likes
Though Standard Notes only supports text entry out of the box, it has its own advantages compared to Evernote. Its features can also be expanded with extensions. It's end-to-end encrypted, open source (but freemium), and has no device limit. It can synchronize your notes to as many supported devices as you want. Our users find that it does not feature multilingual support, however.
215 Standard Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Standard Notes a good alternative to Evernote?

|
12comments
Standard Notes vs Evernote Comments
Top Positive Comment by a a · Mar 10, 2022
Not good as joplin because almost all features are paid
Top Negative Comment by Guest · May 5, 2018
Does not support images or attachments, only text.
Positive comment by RemovedUser · Aug 8, 2020
Standard Notes is the service that I can trust to not share and read my notes.
3 of 12 comments
Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
Standard Notes is Privacy focused, Minimalistic, Security-focused and CustomizableEvernote is not according to our users
Simplenote
612 likes
As its name suggests, Simplenote is a simplified note-taking app for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and the web. It only supports text-based entry and doesn't really support media clipping or any of the more advanced or elaborate features found in other Evernote alternatives. However, for text-based notes, this is truly accessible and simple to use.
191 Simplenote alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
United States
+3
Good alternative?Is Simplenote a good alternative to Evernote?

|
11comments
Discontinued
Automattic ends Simplenote active development, only basic maintenance continues
Simplenote vs Evernote Comments
Top Positive Comment by John Fastman · Dec 31, 2016
Simplenote is a cross-platform app that allows you to take simple (as the name implies) text-based notes and sync them across your devices. There is markdown support, but little else. It's Evernote with almost everything but the note taking feature taken out. If that appeals to you, it's great. Also, thumbs up for open source and Linux support!
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Jun 15, 2017
Not an archiver. Simplenote is for just that: simple markdown notes.
Negative comment by ghigotrieste · Dec 11, 2024
Notes in Simplenote are just text, whereas with Evernote notes can also contain images
3 of 11 comments
Simplenote is Free and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
Simplenote is Lightweight and MinimalisticEvernote is not according to our users
Turtl
180 likes
Turtl is open source and encrypted end-to-end, so it's desirable as an Evernote alternative from a privacy standpoint. However, its development has ceased since 2019. It also lacks some of the more intricate features of Evernote and some of its highest rated alternatives, such as the ability to import notes from other programs.
207 Turtl alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
Android Tablet
Self-Hosted
Google Chrome
Firefox
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Turtl a good alternative to Evernote?

|
6comments
Discontinued
The last update is from 2019.
Turtl vs Evernote Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Oct 26, 2016
Turtl stores your info encrypted, unlike Evernote. Much more private.
Top Negative Comment by AnonAT · Mar 28, 2017
Windows versions do not work properly. There is very little documentation and a poor forum.
Positive comment by Guest · Mar 18, 2017
Client-side AES encryption (private), open-source and free syncing. Markdown support, attachments, bookmarks, browser plugins and apps for Win, OsX, Linux and Android. Best used for simple notes, but it's infinitely better than, say Simplenote and much more private than Evernote.
3 of 6 comments
Turtl is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
Turtl is Privacy focusedEvernote is not according to our users
Logseq
357 likes
Local-first, privacy-focused notebook supporting Markdown and Emacs Org mode. Offers offline use, encrypted backups, plugin extensibility, LaTeX support, real-time collaboration, and hierarchical organization for personal knowledge management.
256 Logseq alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Flathub
F-Droid
United States
Good alternative?Is Logseq a good alternative to Evernote?
Notesnook
221 likes
Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.
392 Notesnook alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
Pakistan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Google Chrome
Flathub
F-Droid
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Flatpak
Self-Hosted
Pakistan
+6
Good alternative?Is Notesnook a good alternative to Evernote?

|
3comments
Notesnook vs Evernote Comments
Positive comment by GruvPuddles · Nov 25, 2024
Developers who really care about privacy, listen to their community (their telegram group is one of the most active I've seen) and are proactive about implementing requested-features. Cloud-Sync, encrypted, and a VERY generous free plan. Notesnook is the way to go!
Positive comment by candroid_man · Jun 16, 2022
Notesnook is implementing features from every mainstream notes app, and improving them. While the app is not open source yet (hopefully by July!), I trust the privacy practices after talking to the developers personally (they are great people). They are always adding really cool features, such as the ability to disable syncing on specific notes, a customizable editor, etc. Don't let Evernote use your personal notes, switch to Notesnook it works great!
Positive comment by uhhmylife94 · Apr 6, 2021
It's a simple and private alternative that works on every device and syncs seemlessly. Also I love the note editor.
3 of 3 comments
Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
Notesnook is Privacy focused and LightweightEvernote is not according to our users
TiddlyWiki
315 likes
TiddlyWiki is a single html file with all the characteristics of a wiki - including all of the functionality (including editing, saving, tagging and searching) and the style sheet. Because its a single file, its very portable - you can email it, put it on a web server or share...
206 TiddlyWiki alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
Xfce
RemoteStorage
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is TiddlyWiki a good alternative to Evernote?

|
1comment
TiddlyWiki vs Evernote Comments
Positive comment by Tarcilio Neto · Aug 5, 2016
Although the approach is different, it is an alternative for other platforms in regards to note-taking in which Evernote does not cover (self-hosting mostly).
1 of 1 comments
TiddlyWiki is Free and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
TiddlyWiki is Customizable and LightweightEvernote is not according to our users
Trilium Notes
128 likes
The original trilium is transfered to this repo by its owner and the app continues to develop here as stated here: https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium
430 Trilium Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Self-Hosted
Google Chrome
Cloudron
Mozilla Firefox
+9
Good alternative?Is Trilium Notes a good alternative to Evernote?
HelixNotes
29 likes
HelixNotes is a local markdown note-taking app built with Rust, Tauri 2.0, and SvelteKit. Your notes are standard .md files on your filesystem - sync with whatever you want or nothing at all.
155 HelixNotes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
+1
Good alternative?Is HelixNotes a good alternative to Evernote?
Official Partner
PrivacyNotes
21 likes
Workspace with end-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge security, rich notes, private journal, encrypted file storage, password management, cross-platform browser access, open-source cryptography, optional Pro features, and no recurring subscription fees.
52 PrivacyNotes alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
iPad
Google Chrome
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Mozilla Firefox
United States
+6
Good alternative?Is PrivacyNotes a good alternative to Evernote?
QOwnNotes
103 likes
Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Austria
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Flathub
PortableApps.com
Qt
Austria
EU
+3
Good alternative?Is QOwnNotes a good alternative to Evernote?
Lockbook
24 likes
Provides end-to-end encrypted note-taking, file storage, and sketching with syncing across platforms, zero data collection, no personal info or passwords required, open-source code for transparency, and optional premium storage, all via native and CLI tools.
102 Lockbook alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (Unlicense)
Application type
Note-taking
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Flathub
Flatpak
Self-Hosted
United States
+8
Good alternative?Is Lockbook a good alternative to Evernote?

12 of 37 Evernote alternatives

The Best Open Source Evernote AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Evernote

Alternatives list

PrivacyNotes

Joplin

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

Joplin vs Evernote Comments

Standard Notes

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

Standard Notes vs Evernote Comments

Simplenote

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Alerts

Platforms

Simplenote vs Evernote Comments

Turtl

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Alerts

Platforms

Turtl vs Evernote Comments

Logseq

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

Notesnook

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

Notesnook vs Evernote Comments

TiddlyWiki

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

TiddlyWiki vs Evernote Comments

Trilium Notes

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Platforms

HelixNotes

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Platforms

PrivacyNotes

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

QOwnNotes

Cost / License

Application typeApplication types

Origin

Platforms

Lockbook

Cost / License

Application type

Origin

Platforms