Evernote vs Joplin
Joplin is the free, open source pick for Markdown notes you control; Evernote is the paid pick for an all-in-one notes, tasks and calendar app.
Pick Evernote if…
Pick Evernote if you want tasks, calendar links, scanning and AI tools in one app and are fine paying from US$14.99 per month or US$99 per year. It also makes sense if you prefer a single vendor to run sync.
Pick Joplin if…
Pick Joplin if you want open source software (AGPL-3.0-or-later), end-to-end encryption and a choice of sync services such as Dropbox or OneDrive. It also covers Linux, which Evernote's site does not list.
Price
- Freemium
- Free
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | A note-taking app that keeps notes, tasks and calendar events together, with a limited free plan. | An open source note-taking app with Markdown, end-to-end encryption and sync through services you choose. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | US$14.99 per month billed monthly, or US$99 per year (Starter) | — |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Works on | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Try Evernote (opens the Evernote website in a new tab) | Try Joplin (opens the Joplin website in a new tab) |
Evernote's Free plan allows 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 synced device, so most people who use it seriously end up on a paid plan. Starter allows 1,000 notes and 3 devices; Advanced is listed as unlimited, subject to safeguard limits. Paid plans have a 7-day free trial.
Joplin's site does not state a price for the apps; it describes its subscriptions as support for the project. You can sync through Dropbox or OneDrive, or pay for Joplin Cloud, which starts at 2.99€ per month for Basic and 5.99€ per month for Pro. Joplin Cloud prices are in euros.
On features, Evernote lists tasks, a calendar, document scanning, collaboration and several AI tools. Joplin lists Rich Text and Markdown editing, end-to-end encryption, plugins, a web clipper for Chrome and Firefox, and support for images, video, PDFs, audio, math and diagrams.
Joplin runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a terminal app. Evernote lists web, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money