Evernote was many people's first serious notes app, and for years its free plan was all most of us needed. That free plan has been tightened over the years — with widely discussed restrictions on things like devices and note counts — while the paid tiers moved to subscription pricing that longtime casual users struggle to justify.
So the search for free Evernote alternatives is really a migration question: where can a decade of notes go, and what happens to your web clipper and your search habits when they get there?
The honest one-line answer: several free apps now match or beat the parts of Evernote most people actually used — and the best ones import your Evernote export directly. Here are six worth considering, with the full verified list on our Evernote alternatives page.
Quick picks (TL;DR)
- Closest free Evernote replacement → Joplin (open source, imports Evernote files)
- Best for a long-term personal archive → Obsidian (free for personal use)
- Best if you also want databases and docs → Notion free tier (freemium)
- Easiest choice for Apple users → Apple Notes (free, built-in)
- Fastest, simplest text notes → Simplenote (free)
- Best budget one-time purchase → UpNote (one-time purchase option)
Comparison table
| App | Platforms | License / model | Standout strength | Biggest limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Open source | Direct Evernote import, web clipper | Plain interface |
| Obsidian | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Free for personal use (proprietary) | Local Markdown, powerful linking | Sync is a paid add-on |
| Notion | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Freemium | Notes plus databases and docs | Weak offline, cloud-only |
| Apple Notes | macOS, iOS (web via iCloud) | Free (proprietary, built-in) | Zero-setup, solid search and scanning | Apple ecosystem lock-in |
| Simplenote | All major platforms | Free (proprietary) | Instant, lightweight, free sync | Plain text only |
| UpNote | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Freemium with one-time purchase | Polished Evernote-like feel, cheap lifetime option | Small team, closed source |
Joplin — best direct Evernote replacement
Joplin is an open source note app that was practically designed for this moment: it imports Evernote's export format directly, keeping notes, tags, and attachments. Notebooks, tags, a web clipper — the Evernote mental model survives the move intact.
Where it shines:
- Imports Evernote export files (ENEX), preserving your structure
- Browser extension clips full pages or simplified articles
- Sync via your own choice of cloud services, with end-to-end encryption available
- Open source, active community, and genuinely free
Where it falls short:
- The interface is functional but visibly less polished than Evernote's
- Search is good, but there's no equivalent of Evernote's text-in-image search without extra setup
- Mobile apps trail the desktop experience
Choose it if: you want the least painful migration — same concepts, your data imported, no subscription. Our Evernote vs Joplin comparison covers the switch in detail.
Obsidian — best for notes you'll keep for decades
Obsidian is free for personal use (proprietary) and stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device. For people burned by a service changing its free plan underneath them, the appeal is obvious: local files can't be repriced.
Where it shines:
- Notes live in a local folder — portable, backup-friendly, service-independent
- An official importer converts Evernote exports into Markdown
- A capable web clipper saves articles straight into your vault
- Linking and plugins turn an archive into a knowledge base
Where it falls short:
- Multi-device sync is a paid add-on (or a do-it-yourself setup)
- Markdown-first editing is an adjustment after Evernote's rich text
- More of a system to learn than an app to open
Choose it if: you're done trusting any company's free tier and want your notes as files you own outright.
Notion — best if notes are only part of the job
Notion is a freemium workspace whose free plan is generous for individuals. It's a different animal from Evernote — pages, databases, and docs rather than a notebook pile — but it has a built-in Evernote import and a capable web clipper.
Where it shines:
- Built-in importer pulls your Evernote notebooks into Notion pages
- Databases handle what Evernote's tags always strained to do
- Excellent for combining notes with tasks, wikis, and projects
- Free plan comfortably covers personal note-taking
Where it falls short:
- Offline access is limited — this is a cloud app at heart
- Quick capture is slower than a dedicated notes app
- Your data lives in Notion's cloud, on Notion's terms
Choose it if: you were outgrowing plain notes anyway and want one workspace for notes, tasks, and projects. Weighing it against local-first options? See our Notion vs Obsidian comparison.
Apple Notes — best for iPhone and Mac users
Apple Notes is the free, built-in notes app on every Apple device, and it has quietly grown into a legitimate Evernote rival: folders, tags, scanning, search that reads text inside images, and reliable iCloud sync.
Where it shines:
- Already installed, already synced — zero setup or new accounts
- Strong search, including handwriting and text in photos and scans
- Document scanning covers Evernote's most-loved capture feature
- On a Mac, it can import Evernote export files directly
Where it falls short:
- Effectively Apple-only; Windows and Android access is limited to a browser
- Export options are poor — leaving later is harder than arriving
- No real web clipper beyond the system share sheet
Choose it if: you live on Apple devices and want a free, no-friction home for everyday notes.
Simplenote — best for pure, fast text notes
Simplenote is a free (proprietary) app from a major web-software maker, dedicated to one idea: plain-text notes that sync everywhere, instantly. It's the minimalist's answer to Evernote fatigue.
Where it shines:
- Genuinely free with sync across every major platform
- Instant search and tagging across thousands of notes
- Version history lets you roll notes back in time
- Nothing to configure, ever
Where it falls short:
- Plain text (with Markdown support) only — no images, attachments, or rich formatting
- No web clipper; capture is copy-paste
- Migrating Evernote's rich notes means losing their formatting and files
Choose it if: you realize most of your notes are just text, and speed matters more than features.
UpNote — best cheap one-time purchase
UpNote is the budget pick: a polished, Evernote-like notes app with a limited free version and — crucially — a one-time purchase option for lifetime access, priced in impulse-buy territory. Check the official site for current pricing.
Where it shines:
- Familiar notebook-style organization with a clean, modern editor
- Imports from Evernote, plus a browser clipper for capturing pages
- Cross-platform, with sync included in the paid unlock
- One small payment ends the subscription question permanently
Where it falls short:
- The full experience requires that (small) payment — the free tier caps your note count
- Closed source from a small team, so long-term trust is a personal judgment
- Fewer power features than Obsidian or Notion
Choose it if: you want Evernote's comfort, modernized, and consider a tiny one-time fee fair for it.
Decision framework
Choose Joplin if you want a free, open source Evernote with your data imported. Choose Obsidian if data ownership outranks convenience. Choose Notion if you want notes folded into a broader workspace. Choose Apple Notes if you're all-in on Apple and want zero effort. Choose Simplenote if text is enough. Choose UpNote if paying once, a little, beats paying forever.
Migration tip regardless of choice: export from Evernote in its native export format first, and verify your attachments came through before deleting anything.
What you give up
Evernote still holds real advantages. Its search — especially finding text inside images, PDFs, and handwriting — remains best-in-class, and only Apple Notes comes close among our picks. The web clipper is still arguably the most refined anywhere, and features like document scanning with OCR in one integrated, cross-platform package are hard to reassemble from free parts.
If those specific strengths are your daily workflow, a paid Evernote plan may honestly serve you better than a patchwork of replacements.
FAQ
How do I get my notes out of Evernote?
Export your notebooks in Evernote's export format (ENEX files) from the desktop app. Joplin, Obsidian, Notion, UpNote, and Apple Notes (on a Mac) can all import them, with varying fidelity for attachments and formatting.
Which free Evernote alternative has the best web clipper?
Joplin and Obsidian both offer capable free clippers, and Notion's clipper is solid for saving pages into a workspace. None quite match Evernote's clipper polish yet — it remains the category benchmark.
Will my Evernote tags survive migration?
Usually, yes. Joplin preserves tags on import, and most other importers keep them in some form. Complex saved searches and stacked-notebook structures translate less cleanly, so expect light reorganizing.
Is Evernote's free plan still usable?
It exists, but it has been tightened over the years, with widely discussed limits on devices and note counts. Whether it's usable depends on how light your needs are — check the official site for the current terms.
Closing
Leaving Evernote in 2026 is a well-trodden path: export once, import into a home you choose, and keep the habits that made notes useful in the first place. For the wider field, browse our best note-taking apps roundup. Features and pricing change — always check the official site before deciding.