The Best Open Source Evernote AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Evernote

The best open source alternative to Evernote is Joplin. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Evernote and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Evernote are Standard Notes, Simplenote, Turtl and Logseq.

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Evernote alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, iPad, Self-Hosted, Open Source, Linux, Android and Free. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Evernote.
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Alternatives list

  1. Joplin icon

    Joplin

     875 likes

    Joplin is a free, open-source alternative to Evernote, known for its Markdown support, encryption, and cross-platform compatibility. While Evernote offers seamless cloud syncing and text formatting, Joplin excels in privacy and customization. Choose Joplin for technical expertise and security.

    110 Joplin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Desktop and mobile apps
     
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    25
    179
    Comments about Joplin as an Alternative to Evernote
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    14

    PRO:

    • markdown ?
    • let you encrypt your notes
    • save them on your computer(backup with thirdparty backupsoftware)
    • free, Open Source
    • crossplatform

    CON:

    • no OCR
    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    mandrael
    6

    Joplin is a quite okay alternative to Evernote, but it has its issues. 1) the mobile sync doesn't work in the background, so it doesn't work sufficiently. Issue on Android and iOS. It only syncs if you watch it. No background-sync (!!). 2) It's not WYSIWYG and you can't do several common things you can do with Evernote or Nimbus. Joplin has to improve in sync and user-friendlyness. Then it can really compete. But: it has the best Evernote import feature on the market. This worked flawlessly!

    Eduardo3382
    Positive
    1

    There is a large community behind this app that can assist you if you find some problem.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 25 comments
    Joplin icon
    Joplin icon

    • Most users think Joplin is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focused, Lightweight and MinimalisticEvernote is not according to our users
  2. Standard Notes icon

    Standard Notes

     683 likes

    Though Standard Notes only supports text entry out of the box, it has its own advantages compared to Evernote. Its features can also be expanded with extensions. It's end-to-end encrypted, open source (but freemium), and has no device limit. It can synchronize your notes to as many supported devices as you want. Our users find that it does not feature multilingual support, however.

    123 Standard Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Standard Notes homepage.
     
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    12
    100
    Comments about Standard Notes as an Alternative to Evernote
    Top Positive Comment
    a a
    3

    Not good as joplin because almost all features are paid

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    15

    Does not support images or attachments, only text.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RemovedUser
    Positive
    2

    Standard Notes is the service that I can trust to not share and read my notes.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 12 comments
    Standard Notes icon
    Standard Notes icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Standard Notes is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Standard Notes is Privacy focused, Minimalistic, Security-focused and CustomizableEvernote is not according to our users
  4. Simplenote icon

    Simplenote

     604 likes

    As its name suggests, Simplenote is a simplified note-taking app for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and the web. It only supports text-based entry and doesn't really support media clipping or any of the more advanced or elaborate features found in other Evernote alternatives. However, for text-based notes, this is truly accessible and simple to use.

    115 Simplenote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Simplenote screenshot 1
     
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    11
    135
    Comments about Simplenote as an Alternative to Evernote
    Top Positive Comment
    John Fastman
    5

    Simplenote is a cross-platform app that allows you to take simple (as the name implies) text-based notes and sync them across your devices. There is markdown support, but little else. It's Evernote with almost everything but the note taking feature taken out. If that appeals to you, it's great. Also, thumbs up for open source and Linux support!

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    23

    Not an archiver. Simplenote is for just that: simple markdown notes.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    ghigotrieste
    Negative
    1

    Notes in Simplenote are just text, whereas with Evernote notes can also contain images

    3 of 11 comments
    Simplenote icon
    Simplenote icon

    • Most users think Simplenote is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Simplenote is Free and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Simplenote is Lightweight and MinimalisticEvernote is not according to our users
  5. Turtl icon

    Turtl

     178 likes

    Turtl is open source and encrypted end-to-end, so it's desirable as an Evernote alternative from a privacy standpoint. However, its development has ceased since 2019. It also lacks some of the more intricate features of Evernote and some of its highest rated alternatives, such as the ability to import notes from other programs.

    188 Turtl alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Google Chrome
    • Firefox
    Turtl screenshot 1
     
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    6
    77
    Comments about Turtl as an Alternative to Evernote
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    10

    Turtl stores your info encrypted, unlike Evernote. Much more private.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    AnonAT
    6

    Windows versions do not work properly. There is very little documentation and a poor forum.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Client-side AES encryption (private), open-source and free syncing. Markdown support, attachments, bookmarks, browser plugins and apps for Win, OsX, Linux and Android. Best used for simple notes, but it's infinitely better than, say Simplenote and much more private than Evernote.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 6 comments
    Turtl icon
    Turtl icon

    • Most users think Turtl is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Turtl is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Turtl is Privacy focusedEvernote is not according to our users
  6. Logseq icon

    Logseq

     317 likes

    Local-first, privacy-focused notebook supporting Markdown and Emacs Org mode. Offers offline use, encrypted backups, plugin extensibility, LaTeX support, real-time collaboration, and hierarchical organization for personal knowledge management.

    168 Logseq alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Flathub
    Logseq screenshot 1
     
  7. Notesnook icon

    Notesnook

     175 likes

    Notesnook is a simple and cross-platform private notes app that keeps your notes organized and synced on your phone, tablet and computer. Take notes, capture ideas, create to-do lists, keep a journal, write your assignments and manage projects, we have got you covered.

    298 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    Notesnook screenshot 1
     
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    3
    7
    Comments about Notesnook as an Alternative to Evernote
    candroid_man
    Positive
    1

    Notesnook is implementing features from every mainstream notes app, and improving them. While the app is not open source yet (hopefully by July!), I trust the privacy practices after talking to the developers personally (they are great people). They are always adding really cool features, such as the ability to disable syncing on specific notes, a customizable editor, etc. Don't let Evernote use your personal notes, switch to Notesnook it works great!

    GruvPuddles
    Positive
    1

    Developers who really care about privacy, listen to their community (their telegram group is one of the most active I've seen) and are proactive about implementing requested-features. Cloud-Sync, encrypted, and a VERY generous free plan. Notesnook is the way to go!

    uhhmylife94
    Positive
    1

    It's a simple and private alternative that works on every device and syncs seemlessly. Also I love the note editor.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Notesnook icon
    Notesnook icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Notesnook is a great Evernote alternative.

    • Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Notesnook is Privacy focused and LightweightEvernote is not according to our users
  9. TiddlyWiki icon

    TiddlyWiki

     308 likes

    TiddlyWiki is a single html file with all the characteristics of a wiki - including all of the functionality (including editing, saving, tagging and searching) and the style sheet. Because its a single file, its very portable - you can email it, put it on a web server or share...

    178 TiddlyWiki alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    • Xfce
    • RemoteStorage
    TiddlyWiki screenshot 1
     
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    1
    29
    Comments about TiddlyWiki as an Alternative to Evernote
    Tarcilio Neto
    Positive
    0

    Although the approach is different, it is an alternative for other platforms in regards to note-taking in which Evernote does not cover (self-hosting mostly).

    TiddlyWiki icon
    TiddlyWiki icon

    • Most users think TiddlyWiki is a great Evernote alternative.

    • TiddlyWiki is Free and Open SourceEvernote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • TiddlyWiki is Customizable and LightweightEvernote is not according to our users
  10. Trilium Notes icon

    Trilium Notes

     111 likes

    The original trilium is transfered to this repo by its owner and the app continues to develop here as stated here: https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium

    375 Trilium Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Google Chrome
    • Cloudron
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Trilium Notes screenshot 1
     
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    7
  11. QOwnNotes icon

    QOwnNotes

     96 likes

    Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.

    266 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
    QOwnNotes main screen
     
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    12
  12. Mimiri Notes icon

    Mimiri Notes

     19 likes

    Secure device-synced notepad using AES-GCM-256 encryption to protect confidential data. Features include a tree-structure for note organization, historical changes tracking, and collaboration options. Supports all major platforms with cloud sync and offline access.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Main app window - Dark mode
     
  13. Notefox icon

    Notefox

     14 likes

    Take notes on every website in a smart and simple way.

    147 Notefox alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Notefox screenshot 1
     
  14. Anchor icon

    Anchor

     10 likes

    Offline-first, self-hostable note app supporting rich text formatting, tag-based organization, customizable backgrounds, pinning, search, archiving, admin management, trash recovery, mobile and web access, sync, privacy safeguards, and dark or light themes.

    53 Anchor alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    Anchor screenshot 1
     
12 of 30 Evernote alternatives