Evernote vs Joplin 2026: Privacy, Cost & Features
Evernote is a cloud-first, feature-rich note-taking platform with strong web clipping and collaboration tools, while Joplin is a free, open-source alternative that prioritizes privacy and offline-first functionality without vendor lock-in.
Evernote
Cloud-based note-taking platform with AI search, web clipping, and premium collaboration features.
Teams, professionals, and individuals who need robust note organization, frequent web content capture, and collaborative workspace features.
Joplin
Free, open-source note-taking application with local-first storage and end-to-end encryption support.
Privacy-conscious users, open-source advocates, individuals managing personal knowledge bases, and users who want complete data portability without subscriptions.
Quick Answer
AI SummaryEvernote is a cloud-first, feature-rich note-taking platform with strong web clipping and collaboration tools, while Joplin is a free, open-source alternative that prioritizes privacy and offline-first functionality without vendor lock-in.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Evernote if you value seamless web clipping, team collaboration, and don't mind paying for a polished, cloud-based experience with strong business features. Choose Joplin if you prioritize privacy, want complete data ownership, prefer open-source software, and need reliable offline functionality without recurring subscription costs.
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Choose Evernote if
Teams, professionals, and individuals who need robust note organization, frequent web content capture, and collaborative workspace features.
Choose Joplin if
Best pickPrivacy-conscious users, open-source advocates, individuals managing personal knowledge bases, and users who want complete data portability without subscriptions.
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Cost Model:✓ Joplin wins(Free, Open-Source vs $11.99/month or $99.99/year)
- Data Privacy & Ownership:✓ Joplin wins(User controls data; can self-host or use local encryption vs Evernote owns servers; data stored on Evernote infrastructure)
- Web Clipper Capability:✓ Evernote wins(Full-featured clipper with selective sync and formatting preservation vs Basic web clipper; limited formatting options)
Key Facts & Figures
45 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Evernote | Joplin | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $11.99 | Free | |
| Free Plan Monthly Note Limit(notes) | 1 note/month | — | — |
| Maximum Storage (Premium)(GB) | 40 GB/month upload | — | — |
| Web Clipper Capture Options(count) | 10+ (article, simplified, bookmark, screenshot, full page) | — | — |
| Available Templates(count) | 50+ basic templates | — | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Free)(MB) | 10 MB | — | — |
| Languages Supported by OCR(count) | 43 languages | — | — |
| Maximum Devices (Free Plan)(devices) | 2 devices | — | — |
| User Base Size(millions of developers) | 250+ million | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $11.99/month | — | — |
| Free Plan Storage Limit(GB) | 50 MB | — | — |
| Paid Plan Storage Limit(GB per month) | 100 GB | — | — |
| Web Clipper Quality Rating(out of 10) | 9 | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations (Zapier)(available integrations) | 0 - No Zapier support | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 5 (intuitive interface) | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $119.99/year | — | — |
| Free Plan Notebook Limit(notebooks) | 2 notebooks max | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD) | $180/year | — | — |
| Number of Supported Platforms(platforms) | 5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | — | — |
| Maximum Note Size(MB) | 100MB per note | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations) | 150+ integrations | — | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Estimated)(millions) | 225+ million registered users (as of 2024) | — | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Premium Tier)(GB) | 10 GB | Unlimited | — |
| Monthly Premium Cost(USD) | $11.99 | — | — |
| OCR Text Recognition Accuracy(percent) | 95% | — | — |
| Web Clipper Save Time(seconds) | 2-3 seconds | — | — |
| Database View Types(count) | 3 (List, Tag, Saved Search) | — | — |
| Learning Time to Proficiency(hours) | 0.5 weeks (intuitive) | — | — |
| Free Monthly Upload Limit(MB/GB) | 60MB | — | — |
| Organizational Hierarchy Levels(levels) | 4 levels (Stack > Notebook > Folder > Note) | — | — |
| Free Plan Monthly Storage Limit(GB) | 2 GB | — | — |
| Premium Plan Monthly Storage(GB) | 10 GB | — | — |
| OCR Accuracy on Handwritten Text(percentage) | 98% | — | — |
| Global User Base(millions) | 250+ million | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium)(USD) | $14.99/month | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (if available)(USD) | $169.99/year | — | — |
| Free Tier Monthly Upload Limit(MB) | 60MB | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(integrations) | 100+ | — | — |
| Premium Monthly Cost(USD) | $11.99 | — | — |
| Maximum Notes Per Account(notes) | 100,000+ | — | — |
| Simultaneous Editors (Free Tier)(users) | 1 | — | — |
| Search Speed (100k notes)(seconds) | 0.8s | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Premium/Full Features)(USD) | $11.99/month | $0/month | |
| Maximum Notes (Free Plan)(notes) | 2 per month | Unlimited | — |
| Device Sync Limit (Free Plan)(devices) | 2 devices | Unlimited (with chosen sync service) | — |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
- $11.99/month or $99.99/yearCost ModelFree, Open-Source(winner)
- Evernote owns servers; data stored on Evernote infrastructureData Privacy & OwnershipUser controls data; can self-host or use local encryption(winner)
- Full-featured clipper with selective sync and formatting preservation(winner)Web Clipper CapabilityBasic web clipper; limited formatting options
- Real-time shared notebooks, comments, task assignments(winner)Collaboration FeaturesNo built-in collaboration; requires third-party sync solutions
- Limited offline access; requires active subscriptionOffline FunctionalityFull offline access; syncs when connection available(winner)
- 200 MB/month (free tier); 10 GB/month (premium)Maximum Monthly UploadUnlimited uploads (depends on sync service chosen)(winner)
- Notebooks, Stacks, Tags, Saved SearchesNote Organization SystemNested notebooks, Tags, Saved Searches
- Cost Model
Evernote
$11.99/month or $99.99/year
Joplin
Free, Open-Source(winner)
- Data Privacy & Ownership
Evernote
Evernote owns servers; data stored on Evernote infrastructure
Joplin
User controls data; can self-host or use local encryption(winner)
- Web Clipper Capability
Evernote
Full-featured clipper with selective sync and formatting preservation(winner)
Joplin
Basic web clipper; limited formatting options
- Collaboration Features
Evernote
Real-time shared notebooks, comments, task assignments(winner)
Joplin
No built-in collaboration; requires third-party sync solutions
- Offline Functionality
Evernote
Limited offline access; requires active subscription
Joplin
Full offline access; syncs when connection available(winner)
- Maximum Monthly Upload
Evernote
200 MB/month (free tier); 10 GB/month (premium)
Joplin
Unlimited uploads (depends on sync service chosen)(winner)
- Note Organization System
Evernote
Notebooks, Stacks, Tags, Saved Searches
Joplin
Nested notebooks, Tags, Saved Searches
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Evernote | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $11.99 | Free(winner) |
| Free Plan Monthly Note Limit(notes) | 1 note/month | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $11.99/month | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Personal Plan)(USD) | $119.99/year | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD) | $180/year | — |
Show 5 more attributesMonthly Premium Cost(USD) $11.99 — Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium)(USD) $14.99/month — Annual Subscription Cost (if available)(USD) $169.99/year — Premium Monthly Cost(USD) $11.99 — Monthly Cost (Premium/Full Features)(USD) $11.99/month $0/month | ||
| Maximum Storage (Premium)(GB) | 40 GB/month upload | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Free)(MB) | 10 MB | — |
| Free Plan Storage Limit(GB) | 50 MB | — |
| Paid Plan Storage Limit(GB per month) | 100 GB | — |
| Free Plan Monthly Storage Limit(GB) | 2 GB | — |
Show 3 more attributesPremium Plan Monthly Storage(GB) 10 GB — Free Tier Monthly Upload Limit(MB) 60MB — Maximum Notes Storage (Premium Tier)(GB) Unlimited — | ||
| Web Clipper Capture Options(count) | 10+ (article, simplified, bookmark, screenshot, full page) | — |
| Database Relations & Rollups | Not supported | — |
| Offline Functionality | Full offline access across all devices | — |
| Languages Supported by OCR(count) | 43 languages | — |
| Web Clipper Capability | Full article capture with formatting preservation | — |
Show 20 more attributesNative Database Support No - notebooks and tags only — Web Clipper Quality Rating(out of 10) 9 — Free Plan Notebook Limit(notebooks) 2 notebooks max — Native Markdown Editor Support No (limited, requires tools) — Offline Access Availability(platforms) All platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) — Team Collaboration Features(count) Basic sharing, no real-time co-editing No native collaboration tools Web Clipper Quality Full-featured with selective sync and formatting preservation Basic clipping with limited formatting options OCR Text Recognition Accuracy(percent) 95% — Database View Types(count) 3 (List, Tag, Saved Search) — Markdown Support Level Basic formatting only — Web Clipper Available Yes (full-featured) — OCR (Text Recognition in Images) Yes (included) — OCR Accuracy on Handwritten Text(percentage) 98% — Mobile Offline Access Full support iOS & Android — Relational Database Capabilities Basic tags and notebooks only — Third-Party Integrations(integrations) 100+ — Office 365 Integration Third-party limited support — Web Clipper with Full Format Preservation Yes, full page capture — AI Search & Summarization Yes (Premium only, $11.99/mo) No Web Clipper Integration Advanced with annotation and formatting Basic, limited annotation | ||
| Available Templates(count) | 50+ basic templates | — |
| Real-Time Collaboration Users(simultaneous) | Up to 5 users per note | — |
| Real-Time Collaboration(feature capability) | Yes (shared notebooks) | — |
| Simultaneous Editors (Free Tier)(users) | 1 | — |
| Maximum Devices (Free Plan)(devices) | 2 devices | — |
| Offline Access (Free Plan) | No - premium only | — |
| Full Offline Access | Yes (desktop and mobile) | — |
| Microsoft Office Integration | Basic - manual export only | — |
| Maximum Devices (Simultaneous Sync)(devices) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Supported Platforms | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| User Base Size(millions of developers) | 250+ million | — |
| Monthly Active Users (Estimated)(millions) | 225+ million registered users (as of 2024) | — |
| Third-Party Integrations (Zapier)(available integrations) | 0 - No Zapier support | — |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 5 (intuitive interface) | — |
| Learning Time to Proficiency(hours) | 0.5 weeks (intuitive) | — |
| OCR (Optical Character Recognition) | Yes (included in paid plans) | — |
| Native Markdown Support | Limited (WYSIWYG primary) | — |
| Number of Supported Platforms(platforms) | 5 (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web) | — |
| Maximum Note Size(MB) | 100MB per note | — |
| Maximum Notes Per Account(notes) | 100,000+ | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations) | 150+ integrations | — |
| Monthly Upload Limit (Premium Tier)(GB) | 10 GB | Unlimited |
| Web Clipper Save Time(seconds) | 2-3 seconds | — |
| Search Speed (100k notes)(seconds) | 0.8s | — |
| Offline Note Access | Full offline mode with complete sync | Full local database with complete offline capability |
| Maximum Notes (Free Plan)(notes) | 2 per month | Unlimited |
| Device Sync Limit (Free Plan)(devices) | 2 devices | Unlimited (with chosen sync service) |
| End-to-End Encryption | Standard encryption (Evernote manages keys) | Client-side E2E encryption available and default |
| End-to-End Encryption Support | No (encrypted at rest only) | Yes (optional on all sync targets) |
| Open-Source | No; proprietary codebase | Yes; full source code on GitHub (AGPL-3.0 license) |
| Mobile App Offline Sync | Reliable background sync with full offline queue | — |
| Free Monthly Upload Limit(MB/GB) | 60MB | — |
| Organizational Hierarchy Levels(levels) | 4 levels (Stack > Notebook > Folder > Note) | — |
| Distraction-Free Writing Mode | Limited; feature-heavy interface | — |
| Global User Base(millions) | 250+ million | — |
| Native Mobile Apps (iOS & Android)(count) | 2 (official apps for both platforms) | — |
| Bidirectional Linking Support | Manual only (no automatic backlinks) | — |
| Open Source Code | Proprietary, closed-source | Open-source (AGPL v3 license) |
Show 5 more attributes
Show 3 more attributes
Show 20 more attributes
Pros & Cons
10 pros·4 cons across both
Evernote
Pros
- Industry-leading web clipper with full article capture and formatting preservation
- Real-time collaboration with shared notebooks and comment threads
- Powerful search using OCR to find text within images (Premium)
- Seamless synchronization across 5+ devices simultaneously
- Email-to-note capability for quick capture from inbox
Cons
- Subscription required ($11.99/month minimum); free tier severely limited
- Data stored on Evernote servers; limited control over infrastructure and privacy
Joplin
Pros
- 100% free with no feature restrictions or paywalls
- Open-source code auditable for security and customizable for developers
- Full end-to-end encryption support (client-side encryption standard)
- Complete offline access; no internet connection required for core functionality
- Self-hosting options; sync via Nextcloud, WebDAV, or local file system
Cons
- No native team collaboration features; requires workarounds for sharing notes
- Web clipper functionality is basic; doesn't preserve complex formatting from articles
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Yes. Joplin is completely free and open-source with no paywalls, feature restrictions, or premium tiers. You only pay if you choose a cloud sync service (like Nextcloud hosting), but local sync is also available at no cost.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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