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Evernote alternatives?

With their recent update it seems they are on the last step to making their free version completely useless – are there any good alternatives out there? Preferably something that has a similar android app. I know I could use ssh+vi in a text file, but I'd prefer something a bit more streamlined

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  • After Evernote announced the price hike a month or so ago I started researching alternatives. I looked into a bunch of different apps/services but decided I did not want to get locked into another proprietary system subject to enshittification. So my main criteria were:

    • Cross platform with support for Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS
    • Fully Open Source
    • Portable/open format files (e.g. Markdown)
    • Self-hosted option so files are always on devices I own

    Both Joplin and Logseq fit the criteria and were good in my testing when combined with Syncthing to copy files around securely. There are a ton of other options out there but they didn't fit one or more of my wants.

    Joplin is a VERY easy transition from Evernote. It can import notes exported from Evernote, has a similar interface, and doesn't take much getting used to.

    Logseq is interesting but it's going to take time to get used to its workflow since it's so different. I watched a couple hours worth of videos on its use and it that style may just not be for me.

    I went with Syncthing because that means the notes never leave my devices, so there is no need to depend on a server or worry about the security/integrity of the note content. The downside is that syncing outside the house isn't so simple, though it can be nudged to work over a VPN. Not for everyone.

    After spending a week or so being happy with Joplin+Syncthing I canceled my Evernote subscription and went back to the free tier, but honestly I haven't even opened it since doing that. I haven't needed anything in it that I couldn't do in Joplin.

    • I use syncthing + zettlr.

      Basically, just sync a folder rather than trying to find the perfect notebook app.

      • zettlr looks interesting, pity there isn't an Android app at least.

        I may give zettlr a spin for some other Markdown uses, though. It might be handy for use with Jekyll

    • Your experience is what i am looking to accomplish. I'd like to transfer everything Evernote to a self-hosted FOSS application I can serve on my Synology NAS. I would access my notes primarily on my phone (Android) and sometimes Windows. AFIAK, Joplin would sync to my Synology NAS where it's hosted... so I'm a little perturbed by the additional used of Syncthing.

      Would someone explain the need/desire for Joplin+Syncthing?

      • I wanted to use Syncthing so I didn't need a server involved and didn't want to work off mapped drives/network shares. The client devices all handle the syncing themselves so the files are local on every device and kept in sync within a reasonable time period and if they can't connect for a bit, that's fine, they can work on the local files and sync up next time I'm back on the home network.

        If your NAS has a similar function it can do that natively. Joplin can sync using files on the device filesystem which is how Syncthing works but it also supports syncing through a variety of other servers/services, such as Nextcloud. It's very flexible in that way.

        So essentially you can do it however you choose to do it since they are just plain text files being copied around.

  • There are several that I've been using / trying out:

    • Notion
      • used to be good, but it's becoming more and more bloated, and nowadays those AI command options seem to be cluttering the quick commands.
      • It is freemium, and syncs with their servers.
      • It has a really good table creation system, and the keyboard navigation flows really well.
      • I stopped using it since it's becoming slower and bloated, and migrated my language notes to Obsidian.
    • Obsidian
      • is very capable (except that it doesn't a good WYSIWYG table creation / adjustment system),
      • it has tons of community plugins, very fast, lightweight, and customizable.
      • Completely free, but it does take some tinkering, and some parts do look kinda awful.
      • If you've been taking long notes with markdown, then Obsidian will probably suit you.
      • I have all my language notes written in Obsidian and synced to Github with a plugin.
    • Anytype
      • is the latest one I'm trying out. Still in alpha, version 0.32
      • It is clunky at times, because the keyboard navigation is not well implemented, you still need to rely on mouse to select some sections.
      • But it has a really interesting type / relation definition system, where you define an object type, e.g. Movie, and you can define templates, relation to other objects (e.g. relation to Directors, etc).
      • I'm currently using it to plan my games / streaming backlog, it has a good table and data view system.

    I believe all 3 of them have android apps.

  • I've been using Standard Notes. Its on both Android and iOS, as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux, and even in browser! The basic tier is unlimited notes, but only for text, so no photos or files. I've been using this for a year for my personal writing project and poetry (Will use a word document when I do final copy, but now I just like having it in a notes app). The clients are open source and are available on f-droid. All notes are end-to-end encrypted and the local copies are also encrypted at rest (which some other apps don't do). You can set it to automatically send an encrypted backup to your email every day (which is what I did).

  • This is not at all what it’s meant for but I use Element messenger for this purpose. It’s on all my devices, it’s e2ee, it’s shareable if needs be. It’s also a damn fine messenger in its own right.

  • Notesnook. It's what Evernote should have been. Bonus: it's E2E encrypted. Not to mention, it has that good, old school Evernote feel. It has apps for android as well. I can't recommend it enough.

  • At work, I already have Visual Studio Code open all day, so I installed the Foam plugin, which adds a nice little layer on top of "Markdown in a folder." Then I make sure that's backed up somewhere that my colleagues can get at it, if I'm not available.

    (At home, I used to use one of the many Electron apps, but they've gone commercial, so I've been writing my own replacement to manage the notes.)

99 comments