12 Best Evernote Alternatives in 2026: Free and Paid Apps

An Evernote alternative is a note app that can hold the notes, notebooks and web clips you keep in Evernote today, at a price and in a shape that fits you better. This guide compares the 12 best Evernote alternatives of 2026 on the free plan, the cheapest paid plan, the platforms and how to bring your notes across.

TL;DR: Evernote's Free plan now holds 50 notes in 1 notebook on 1 device, and Starter costs $99 a year. Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes are the closest free replacements. Notion suits teams, Obsidian suits private notes, Joplin is the open-source pick, and Taskade adds tasks and AI agents to your notes. We checked every price on the vendor's own page on 2026-10-19. See Taskade plans

Quick answer: what is the best Evernote alternative in 2026?

The best Evernote alternative depends on the reason you are leaving, and the 12 Evernote competitors below each win on a different reason. If it is the price, OneNote and Apple Notes replace Evernote for free. If it is the 50-note cap, Joplin and Obsidian have no note limit and keep your notes portable. If you want notes that turn into work, Taskade turns a note into tasks, a plan and an AI agent.

Why are people leaving Evernote?

People leave Evernote for three reasons: the Free plan shrank, the paid plans cost more than most rivals, and many users stopped trusting the product's direction after the 2023 sale to Bending Spoons. The table below uses Evernote's own plan page, checked on 2026-10-19, so you can judge the limits yourself.

Evernote still does some jobs better than almost anyone. Its web clipper saves full pages, and its document scanning and search inside images remain strong. If those two features run your day, read the "When to stay on Evernote" section before you move. For the full story of the company, read the history of Evernote.

How we picked these 12 apps

We picked apps that can hold a large personal note library, run on more than one device, and give you a clear way out of Evernote. We read each vendor's pricing page on 2026-10-19 and recorded the free plan and the cheapest paid plan. We did not run timed tests, so this list compares published plans and features, not speed.

Each entry lists two real strengths, the main thing to watch out for, and the price. Simplenote, Zoho Notebook and NotePlan did not make the ranked list, and the "Other options" section explains why.

At a glance: 12 Evernote alternatives compared

1. Taskade: Best for Notes That Turn Into Tasks and AI Agents

Taskade is an AI workspace where a note is a project you can open as a list, a board or a mind map, so a meeting note can become assigned tasks without a copy step. Taskade AI drafts, sums up and restructures notes. Free covers 2 members and starts with no AI credits.

Best for: people and small teams whose notes are the start of the work, not the end of it.

Strengths:

• Notes and tasks in one project. Headings, checklists and due dates live in the same place, and every view reads the same project.
• Agents that answer from your notes. Add a project as agent knowledge and a custom AI agent answers questions from your own notes.

Watch out for:

• Taskade needs a live connection. It has no offline editing mode.
• There is no full-page web clipper like Evernote's, and attachments do not import from Evernote.

Import from Evernote: paste notes into a project, or convert ENEX files to Markdown with Yarle and use Import Markdown. The Evernote import guide shows each step.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free for 2 members, unlimited projects, 3 Taskade Genesis apps and 1 agent, with no starting AI credits. Pro is $10 a month billed annually ($20 monthly) for up to 10 people. Source: Taskade pricing.

2. Notion: Best for Team Docs and Databases

Notion is a workspace of pages and databases, so a notebook of notes can become a wiki, a task tracker or a reading list with filters and views. It suits teams that share knowledge, and it has a built-in Evernote importer that turns notebooks into pages and notes into database items.

Best for: teams that want shared docs, wikis and databases in one tool.

Strengths:

• Databases for notes. Tag, filter and sort notes as rows, then show them as a table, a board or a calendar.
• Direct Evernote import. Notion's help center lists Evernote as a supported import source, with notebooks arriving as pages.

Watch out for:

• A blank page and many building blocks take time to learn, and simple notes can feel heavy.
• Full Notion AI (Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes and Enterprise Search) is on the Business plan. Free and Plus get a trial.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free for 1 person, with limits for 2 or more members. Plus is $10 per member a month billed yearly ($12 monthly). Business is $20 per member a month billed yearly. Source: notion.com/pricing.

3. Microsoft OneNote: Best Free Notebook-Style Replacement

OneNote is Microsoft's free notebook app, with notebooks, sections and pages that feel close to Evernote's notebooks and stacks. Each page is free-form, so you can type, draw, add images and clip content anywhere on it. The web and mobile apps are free, and notes sync through OneDrive.

Best for: students, Windows users and anyone who wants a free notebook with no note cap.

Strengths:

• A familiar structure. Notebooks, sections and pages map well to the way most Evernote users already sort notes.
• Free-form pages with ink. Handwriting, drawing and typed text share one page, which suits tablets and class notes.

Watch out for:

• Search and export are weaker than in Evernote, and the export formats suit Microsoft apps best.
• The desktop app with Microsoft Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 Personal, not with the free web app.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free web and mobile apps. Microsoft 365 Basic adds storage at $19.99 a year ($1.99 monthly) without AI features. Microsoft 365 Personal with the desktop apps and Copilot is $99.99 a year ($9.99 monthly). Source: microsoft.com.

4. Apple Notes: Best Free Pick for iPhone and Mac Users

Apple Notes is built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, and it syncs through iCloud with no extra account. It handles checklists, tables, sketches, scanned documents and shared folders. Apple Intelligence writing tools work in Notes on supported devices, so many Apple users never need a second app.

Best for: people who live on Apple devices and want notes with no setup.

Strengths:

• Zero setup. The app is already on your devices, and notes sync through your Apple Account.
• Built-in scanning. Scan a paper document with the camera straight into a note, which covers one of Evernote's best jobs.

Watch out for:

• There is no Windows or Android app. On a PC you only get iCloud.com in a browser.
• Tags and folders are simple, so a library of thousands of notes is harder to sort than in Evernote.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with 5 GB of iCloud storage. iCloud+ with 50 GB costs $0.99 a month, and 200 GB costs $2.99 a month. Source: apple.com/icloud.

5. Obsidian: Best for Private Notes Stored on Your Device

Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file in a folder on your device, called a vault. You link notes with [[double brackets]], see the links in a graph, and add features through community plugins. The app is free, and its official Importer plugin reads Evernote ENEX files.

Best for: people who want to own their notes as files and build a linked personal knowledge base.

Strengths:

• Your notes are files. Any text editor can open them, so there is no lock-in if you leave later.
• Free without limits. Obsidian's pricing page states that the app is free with no sign-up required.

Watch out for:

• Sync between devices is a paid add-on, or you set up your own with iCloud or another service.
• There is no web clipper or document scanner of its own. Plugins fill some gaps, and each one adds setup.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free. Sync is $4 per user a month billed yearly ($5 monthly). Publish is $8 per site a month billed yearly. Source: obsidian.md/pricing. Compare it with other picks in our Obsidian alternatives guide.

6. Google Keep: Best for Quick Notes and Lists

Google Keep is a free sticky-note app for short notes, checklists, voice memos and reminders, tied to your Google account. Notes appear as colored cards you can label and pin. It works on Android, iPhone and the web, and it sits in the side panel of Gmail and Google Docs.

Best for: grocery lists, quick ideas and reminders, not a long-term archive.

Strengths:

• Fast capture. Open the app, type or speak, and the note is saved and synced.
• Reminders by time or place. Keep can remind you of a note when you reach a location.

Watch out for:

• There are no notebooks, only labels, so a large library gets messy.
• Formatting is basic, and long documents and web clips are not its job.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with the 15 GB of storage that every Google account shares. Google One Basic with 100 GB is $1.99 a month. Source: one.google.com. See our Google Keep vs Evernote comparison for the head-to-head.

7. Joplin: Best Open-Source Evernote Alternative

Joplin is a free, open-source note app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS, with notebooks, tags and Markdown notes. It imports Evernote ENEX files with their resources and metadata, and it encrypts notes end to end. You pick the sync service: Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive.

Best for: people who want open source, encryption and a notebook structure close to Evernote's.

Strengths:

• The closest import. Joplin's import guide says it imports all note data and metadata from ENEX files.
• Your choice of sync. Use Joplin Cloud, or sync through a service you already pay for.

Watch out for:

• The interface is plain, and editing is Markdown first, which takes getting used to.
• Joplin Cloud sync has no free tier, only a 14-day trial, so free sync means setting up Dropbox or OneDrive.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): The app is free. Joplin Cloud Basic is 2.40 EUR a month billed yearly (28.69 EUR a year) or 2.99 EUR monthly, with 2 GB of storage. Source: joplinapp.org/plans.

8. UpNote: Best Low-Cost Evernote Look-Alike

UpNote is a clean note app with notebooks, tags and a familiar two-pane layout that feels close to classic Evernote. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. Its price is the main draw: a small monthly fee, or one lifetime payment with no subscription.

Best for: Evernote users who liked the old layout and want a low, one-time price.

Strengths:

• A one-time option. UpNote sells a lifetime plan, which few note apps offer.
• A familiar layout. Notebooks on the left and notes on the right make the switch easy.

Watch out for:

• The free version holds only 50 notes, the same cap as Evernote Free.
• It has no team workspace and no built-in AI, so it fits personal notes only.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free for up to 50 notes. Premium is $1.99 a month or $39.99 for a lifetime license. Source: getupnote.com.

9. Bear: Best for Writing on Apple Devices

Bear is a Markdown writing app for Mac, iPhone and iPad, known for its clean design and fast editor. Notes are sorted with nested hashtags instead of folders, so one note can live under several topics. Writers, students and journal keepers like it because it gets out of the way.

Best for: Apple users who write a lot and want a calm, good-looking editor.

Strengths:

• A writing-first editor. Markdown shortcuts, themes and focus mode make long notes pleasant to write.
• Flexible tags. Nested tags let one note sit in many places without copies.

Watch out for:

• It is Apple only, with no Windows, Android or web app.
• The free version keeps notes on one device. iCloud sync needs Bear Pro.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free for local notes. Bear Pro is $29.99 a year or $2.99 a month after a 7-day trial. Source: bear.app.

10. Standard Notes: Best for Encrypted Notes

Standard Notes is a note app built around end-to-end encryption, so only you can read your notes. The free plan syncs plain-text notes across unlimited devices. Paid plans add rich text, Markdown, checklists, code and spreadsheet editors, plus more storage. It runs on desktop, mobile and the web.

Best for: journalists, lawyers and anyone who wants private notes first.

Strengths:

• Encryption on every plan. Free includes end-to-end encrypted sync on unlimited devices.
• Built to last. The company publishes its long-term principles, and the apps are open source.

Watch out for:

• Free notes are plain text only. Rich text and other editors need Productivity.
• Collaboration is limited, so it is not a team workspace.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Standard is free. Productivity is $90 a year, and Professional is $120 a year. The page shows no monthly price. Source: standardnotes.com/plans.

11. Craft: Best for Good-Looking Documents

Craft is a document and notes app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and the web, built around blocks and cards that nest inside each other. Pages look polished with no design work, and you can share a document as a web page. It suits people who write notes to share with others.

Best for: writers, consultants and students who want notes that look finished.

Strengths:

• Polished by default. Cards, covers and styles make a page look designed without effort.
• Share as a page. Publish a document as a link that anyone can read.

Watch out for:

• The free plan caps you at 1,500 blocks, which a large library fills fast.
• Teams and complex databases are better served by Notion or Taskade.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free for up to 1,500 blocks, 1 GB of storage and 15 AI credits. Plus is $6.40 a month billed yearly ($8 monthly). Source: craft.do/pricing.

12. FuseBase: Best for Web Clipping and Client Portals

FuseBase is the new name of Nimbus Note. The old nimbusweb.me pricing page now redirects to thefusebase.com. It keeps the notes, folders and web clipper that Nimbus users know, and it adds client portals, AI agents and automations aimed at agencies and service businesses that share work with clients.

Best for: freelancers and agencies that clip research and share it with clients.

Strengths:

• A strong web clipper. Clip pages, parts of pages and screenshots into notes, close to Evernote's clipper.
• Client portals. Share a branded space with a client instead of sending files.

Watch out for:

• The product now targets businesses, and paid plans cost far more than a personal note app.
• The free plan is narrow: 1 client portal, 1 workspace and 20 AI prompts in total.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with limits. Solo is $32 a month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for 1 member. Source: thefusebase.com/pricing.

Other options

Simplenote from Automattic is completely free, with apps, sync, backups and sharing, but it holds plain text only, so it replaces a small part of Evernote. Zoho Notebook and NotePlan are also worth a look if you already use Zoho or plan your day in Markdown on a Mac.

Best free Evernote alternative

The best free Evernote alternative is Microsoft OneNote for a notebook of notes, Apple Notes on Apple devices, and Joplin or Obsidian for notes you own as files. All four have no note cap on their free versions. The catch differs: sync, storage or AI is what the paid plans sell.

How to move your notes out of Evernote

Moving out of Evernote takes three steps: export each notebook as an ENEX file from the desktop app, pick an app that reads ENEX or Markdown, and re-attach the files you still need. Notion, Obsidian and Joplin read ENEX directly. Taskade takes pasted notes or Markdown converted with the open-source Yarle tool.

EVERNOTE EXPORT                  WHAT THE NEW APP READS
+---------------------+          +----------------------------------+
| Notebook            |          | Notion   : ENEX (built-in import) |
|   File > Export     |  ENEX    | Obsidian : ENEX (Importer plugin) |
|   Notes (.enex)     | -------> | Joplin   : ENEX (File > Import)   |
+---------------------+          | Taskade  : paste, or ENEX ->      |
                                 |            Yarle -> Markdown      |
                                 +----------------------------------+
CHECK AFTER IMPORT: attachments, web clips, tags, internal note links

To move your notes into Taskade:

1. Open Evernote on your computer and export a notebook with File ➡ Export as an .enex file.
2. For a few notes, copy the content and paste it into a new Taskade project.
3. For many notes, run Yarle to convert the .enex files to Markdown.
4. In Taskade, open New project ➡ Import and drop the Markdown files in, as shown in Import Markdown.
5. Re-upload the attachments you still need, and add the project to an agent as knowledge.

Notebooks become folders, notes become projects, tags stay tags and checklists become tasks. The Evernote import guide lists what carries over and what needs cleanup. If your notes also live in OneNote, the OneNote import guide shows how Taskade AI turns exported pages into projects.

When to stay on Evernote

Stay on Evernote if its web clipper, document scanning and search inside images and PDFs run your day. Few rivals match all three in one app. Evernote also keeps a single library on every platform, so if you pay for Starter or Advanced and the price is fine for you, a move can cost more time than it saves.

Evernote alternative by job

Pick by the job your notes do, not by the longest feature list. A student, a team lead and a privacy-minded writer need different tools.

For more picks by job, see the best note-taking apps, the top AI note-taking apps, the best AI outliners and the AI second brain tools. If Notion is on your shortlist, our Notion alternatives guide covers the tools teams compare it with, and Notion vs Obsidian covers the two most popular picks side by side.

Limitations: when Taskade is not the right fit

Taskade is not the right pick if you need offline editing, a full-page web clipper or document scanning. It needs a live connection, and attachments do not import from Evernote. Taskade AI also uses AI credits, and Free starts with none: you earn credits with referrals and invites, or buy a credit pack.

Why we built Taskade differently

Most note apps stop at the note. In Taskade the note is the start of the work: the same project holds the notes, the tasks, the owners and the dates, and an AI agent reads it to draft the next step. Nothing is copied between a notes app and a task app.

Three parts make this work, and we call them Workspace DNA. Memory: your projects keep every note, comment and file. Intelligence: AI agents read those projects and answer from them. Execution: automations with 100+ integrations move the work along, with triggers that pull events in and actions that push data out.

When a note system grows into a process, Taskade Genesis takes the next step:

Free covers 3 Taskade Genesis apps, 1 agent and 2 members, and it starts with no AI credits. Pro is $10 a month billed annually. The Free plan guide lists every limit, and the pricing page compares every plan.

▲ Memory ■ Intelligence ● Execution. Bring your Evernote notes into Taskade

Related reading

• Free Evernote alternative
• Free Google Keep alternative
• Free Obsidian alternative

Frequently asked questions