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

Evernote is described as 'Cross-platform app for creating and organizing notes from text, web pages, images, and voice memos. Offers security features and integrates with various tools' and is a leading Note-taking tool in the office & productivity category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Evernote for a variety of platforms, including iPhone, Mac, Android, iPad and Windows apps. The best Evernote alternative is Joplin, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Evernote are Microsoft OneNote, Standard Notes, Obsidian and Simplenote.

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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. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Evernote.
Evernote iconEvernote
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Cross-platform app for creating and organizing notes from text, web pages, images, and voice memos. Offers security features and integrates with various tools.

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Evernote alternatives page was last updated Feb 8, 2025
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  1. Joplin icon
     830 likes
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    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.

    81 Joplin alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  End-to-End Encryption
    4.  Web Clipper
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Local Storage
    7.  File Sync
    8.  Tagging
    9.  Ad-free
    10. Android icon  Android Sync
    11.  Encrypted Notes
    12.  WebDAV Support

    Joplin VS Evernote

     
    Comments about Joplin as an Alternative to Evernote
    Comment summary: Joplin is often praised as a strong alternative to Evernote, particularly for its open-source nature, cross-platform support, and markdown capabilities. Users appreciate its effective import feature from Evernote, robust synchronization options, and encryption features. However, it lacks WYSIWYG editing and background sync capabilities on mobile devices. Learning Markdown may be necessary, and while it excels in privacy and customization, Evernote remains a more mature and collaborative product.
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    Jul 29, 2018
    13

    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
    mandrael
    May 24, 2022
    4

    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!

    Most Recent Comment
    Eduardo3382
    Positive May 13, 2022
    0

    There is a large community behind this app that can assist you if you find some problem.

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    3 of 25 comments
    Evernote Icon
    Joplin icon
    • Most users think Joplin is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Joplin is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Evernote.

    • Joplin is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Evernote.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focusedEvernote is not according to our users
  2. Microsoft OneNote icon
     1140 likes
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    OneNote is one of the most ubiquitous note-taking apps out there, and with its notoriety comes widespread mainstream support and understanding. Like Evernote, it supports note-taking and to-do lists, and its interface can be considered much simpler and less cluttered than Evernote's as well. It isn't as crossplatform as Evernote, though it has support for plugins and supplementary apps and features.

    107 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire

    Top Microsoft OneNote Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  Web Clipper
    3.  Visual Organization
    4.  Hierarchical Structure
    5.  Text formatting
    6.  Insert images
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Cloud Sync
    9.  Support for styluses
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Pressure Sensitivity
    12.  Multiple Account support

    Microsoft OneNote VS Evernote

     
    Comments about Microsoft OneNote as an Alternative to Evernote
    Comment summary: Microsoft OneNote is praised for its affordability and integration with the Microsoft suite, offering a cleaner interface and additional features like drawing and to-do lists. Users highlight its cross-platform limitations and proprietary nature, contrasting with Evernote's superior browser extension and searching capabilities. Some users prefer OneNote for its functionality and ease of use, while others express concerns over its speed and flexibility.
    Top Positive Comment
    ugurozturk
    Mar 10, 2017
    21

    Can take notes, can draw, can make to-do lists, can add pictures, can add formulas! What more? Check it out it's also free.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Aug 16, 2017
    32

    It is not real cross-platform (Linux is not compatible).

    Most Recent Comment
    bishnusapkota
    Positive Oct 27, 2024
    0

    Because it's free, free like air

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    3 of 14 comments
    Evernote Icon
    Microsoft OneNote icon
    • Most users think Microsoft OneNote is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Microsoft OneNote is the most popular Web-based alternative to Evernote.

    • Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryEvernote is also Freemium and Proprietary
  3. Standard Notes icon
     657 likes
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    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.

    92 Standard Notes alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Clean design
    3.  Security-focused
    4.  Minimalistic
    5.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  Encrypted Notes
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Encrypted Backup
    8.  AES Encryption
    9.  Sync on many devices
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Mobile friendly
    12.  Client side encryption

    Standard Notes VS Evernote

     
    Comments about Standard Notes as an Alternative to Evernote
    Comment summary: Standard Notes is praised for its security, privacy, and open-source nature. It offers end-to-end encryption, multiplatform support including Linux, and options to extend its functionality through plugins, such as Markdown. Users appreciate its reliable sync capabilities and active development, though some note the lack of multilingual support and limited handling of images or attachments. Considered a solid alternative to Evernote for users prioritizing privacy and simplicity.
    Top Positive Comment
    Ed Cook
    Dec 7, 2019
    6

    A clean and simple, yet versatile and secure end-to-end encrypted notes app. There are multiple available extensions that allow for including images, building spreadsheets, and using markdown, among many other things.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    May 5, 2018
    14

    Does not support images or attachments, only text.

    Most Recent Comment
    a a
    Positive Mar 10, 2022
    2

    Not good as joplin because almost all features are paid

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    3 of 12 comments
    Evernote Icon
    Standard Notes icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Standard Notes is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Standard Notes is Privacy focused and Security-focusedEvernote is not according to our users
  4. Obsidian icon
     995 likes
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    Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.

    117 Obsidian alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • CA flagCanada

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox

    Top Obsidian Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Local Storage
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Graph view
    5.  Bidirectional links
    6.  Mind Mapping
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Personal Information Manager (PIM)
    9.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    10.  Knowledge Management
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Backlink

    Obsidian VS Evernote

     
    Comments about Obsidian as an Alternative to Evernote
    Most Recent Comment
    Joshua Wagner
    Positive Jan 20, 2022
    1

    ? Building an interface on top of a directory of Markdown files. Huge interoperability gains. ?? ? Amazing plugins (99% free) by a vibrant Forum/Discord community. ?? It's about making sense of information and utilizing it, not just collecting and archiving it. Obsidian and the community excel at that.

    Stefan Steinert
    Positive Dec 9, 2021
    1

    Manages data (mostly markdown) in plain files. Has excellent inter-note linking and tagging capabilities. Syncs nicely between devices with a sync-tool of choice (icloud drive in my case). Offers extension through lots of clever plugins. Strikes an almost perfect balance between simplicity and usefulness (at least for me). Someone on the internet (tm) put it very appropriately: "It's an IDE for notes".

    jjhon314314
    Positive Oct 9, 2020
    3

    Obsidian is an excellent note-taking app that allows you to write in markdown and use the zettelkasten system.

    Evernote Icon
    Obsidian icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Obsidian is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryEvernote is also Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Simplenote icon
     597 likes
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    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.

    83 Simplenote alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Clean design
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Cross-device syncing
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Search by tags
    4.  Simple text editor
    5.  Protected by Password
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Text Based Format
    8.  Full-Text Search
    9.  Portable
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Ad-free

    Simplenote VS Evernote

     
    Comments about Simplenote as an Alternative to Evernote
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    Nov 13, 2016
    10

    Very quick sync, responsive UI, works good across Windows, Linux and Android, although missing support for graphical notes and more text formatting options

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Jun 15, 2017
    22

    Not an archiver. Simplenote is for just that: simple markdown notes.

    Most Recent Comment
    ghigotrieste
    Negative Dec 11, 2024
    0

    Notes in Simplenote are just text, whereas with Evernote notes can also contain images

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    3 of 11 comments
    Evernote Icon
    Simplenote icon
    • Most users think Simplenote is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Simplenote is Free and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Simplenote is LightweightEvernote is not according to our users
  6. NoteLedge icon
     195 likes
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    NoteLedge has a friendly and accessible interface for note-taking, but it comes with some key caveats in comparison to other Evernote alternatives. On top of being paid software (with additional subscription based pro service options on top of that), it is not available on Linux. It features multilingual support in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.

    50 NoteLedge alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet

    Top NoteLedge Features

    1.  Audio Recording
    2.  Drag and Drop
    3.  Web Clipper
    4.  Sync on many devices
    5.  Handwritten Notes
    6.  Multi-choice brushes
    7.  Portable
    8.  Video Import
    9.  Cloud Sync
    10.  Tag based
    11.  Better formatting
    12.  Stickers

    NoteLedge VS Evernote

     
    Comments about NoteLedge as an Alternative to Evernote
    Angelica Lloyd
    Positive Feb 12, 2019
    19

    I like NoteLedge more because it has a simple and intuitive interface.

    Evernote Icon
    NoteLedge icon
    • Almost everyone thinks NoteLedge is a great Evernote alternative.

    • NoteLedge is Freemium and ProprietaryEvernote is also Freemium and Proprietary
  7. FuseBase icon
     91 likes
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    Nimbus Note features an interface that is incredibly similar to Evernote's, but it has a few limitations in comparison. For one, it's not available for Linux or as a Firefox browser plugin. It also has a 100 MB limit for synced data and is not updated as frequently due to the development team's smaller size. Like Evernote, it does not encrypt data, so for those looking for a more private alternative, this likely isn't for you.

    202 FuseBase alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Google Chrome
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Mozilla Firefox

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Cloud Sync
    2.  Goal Tracking
    3.  Reminders
    4.  Real time collaboration
    5.  Kanban Board
    6.  Task Time Tracking
    7.  No Coding Required
    8.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    9.  Support for @mentions
    10.  Calendar View
    11.  Data visualization
    12.  Progress tracking

    FuseBase VS Evernote

     
    Comments about FuseBase as an Alternative to Evernote
    Top Positive Comment
    jasoncomely
    Sep 15, 2015
    5

    Nimbus Note is practically an Evernote clone - and a great app too (I use it often).

    Top Negative Comment
    John Fastman
    Jan 9, 2017
    12

    No Linux, no Mac client, no Firefox plugin. Your data rests unencrypted on US-based data centers in readable format. So all the privacy concerns of Evernote minus some of the convenience.

    Most Recent Comment
    bicsparklighter
    Positive Jul 22, 2022
    0

    because it is the closest in design. tags and folders. rich content

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    3 of 9 comments
    Evernote Icon
    FuseBase icon
    • Most users think FuseBase is a great Evernote alternative.

    • FuseBase is the most popular SaaS alternative to Evernote.

    • FuseBase is Freemium and ProprietaryEvernote is also Freemium and Proprietary
7 of 67 Evernote alternatives