The Best Evernote Alternatives in 2026
Tolodora Editorial Team
Independent software reviews for founders and small businesses.
Quick answer
The best Evernote alternatives in 2026 are Notion, Obsidian and Microsoft OneNote. Notion is our top overall pick, best for people who want notes plus everything else in one place. See the full ranked comparison below.
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Evernote walked so every other note app could run, but let's be real about why you're here: since the Bending Spoons takeover the prices went up, the free plan got squeezed down to barely-usable, and a lot of long-time users felt quietly nudged toward the exit. The good part? Note apps are having a golden age, and switching is easier than it's ever been.
Here are six Evernote alternatives worth a look in 2026, ranked on value, features, ease of use and support. Some are big flexible workspaces, some are dead-simple notepads, and a couple are free and open-source if you'd rather not hand your brain to another subscription. Want more in this space? Browse productivity tools.
One note on prices: the figures below are each app's published pricing for 2026, but note apps tweak their plans fairly often, so check the current number before committing. Ratings are our own editorial calls to help you compare.
| Tool | Starts at | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notion | Free; Plus ~$10/user/mo | Yes (generous) | People who want notes plus everything else in one place |
| Obsidian | Free for personal use | Yes | Privacy-minded folks and serious note-takers who want to own their data |
| Microsoft OneNote | Free | Yes, fully free | Anyone who wants a capable free notebook, especially Microsoft users |
| Bear | Free; Pro ~$2.99/mo | Yes | Apple users who want something beautiful and simple |
| Joplin | Free (open source) | Yes, fully free | Tinkerers who want free, open-source and Evernote import |
| Google Keep | Free | Yes, fully free | Quick capture, lists and reminders without any faff |
| Tool | Value | Support | Ease of use | Features | Overall | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notion | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.3 | People who want notes plus everything else in one place |
| Obsidian | 9.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | Privacy-minded folks and serious note-takers who want to own their data |
| Microsoft OneNote | 10.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | Anyone who wants a capable free notebook, especially Microsoft users |
| Bear | 8.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 7.0 | 7.8 | Apple users who want something beautiful and simple |
| Google Keep | 10.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 7.8 | Quick capture, lists and reminders without any faff |
| Joplin | 10.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | Tinkerers who want free, open-source and Evernote import |
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| # | Tool | Best for | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notion | People who want notes plus everything else in one place | 4.1/5 |
| 2 | Obsidian | Privacy-minded folks and serious note-takers who want to own their data | 4.0/5 |
| 3 | Microsoft OneNote | Anyone who wants a capable free notebook, especially Microsoft users | 4.0/5 |
| 4 | Bear | Apple users who want something beautiful and simple | 3.9/5 |
| 5 | Joplin | Tinkerers who want free, open-source and Evernote import | 3.8/5 |
| 6 | Google Keep | Quick capture, lists and reminders without any faff | 3.9/5 |
Notion
- Pricing
- 8.0/10
- Functionality
- 9.0/10
- Ease of use
- 8.0/10
- Support
- 8.0/10
What I like
One flexible workspace that eats notes, docs, wikis and to-do lists for breakfast.
Best for
People who want notes plus everything else in one place
Notion is where most Evernote refugees end up, and it's easy to see why. It's not just a note app, it's a build-your-own workspace: notes, docs, a wiki, project trackers and databases that all link together. If Evernote always felt a bit like a filing cabinet, Notion feels like a whole desk you get to arrange. The free plan is genuinely generous for personal use, and Plus is around $10 a month if you need more. The only real catch is that all that flexibility means you can lose an afternoon 'setting up your system' instead of, you know, taking notes. Resist that urge and it's brilliant.
Obsidian
- Pricing
- 9.0/10
- Functionality
- 9.0/10
- Ease of use
- 7.0/10
- Support
- 7.0/10
What I like
Your notes, as plain files, on your machine, that nobody can hold hostage behind a paywall.
Best for
Privacy-minded folks and serious note-takers who want to own their data
Obsidian is the pick for people who got burned by a cloud app changing the rules and thought, never again. Your notes are just Markdown files sitting on your own device, which means they're yours, full stop, no subscription required to open them. On top of that it has a cult-favourite linking system that turns a pile of notes into a connected 'second brain', plus a huge plugin ecosystem. It's free for personal use, with optional paid sync if you want their official cross-device option. The trade-off is that it asks a little more of you up front, and it's less point-and-click than Evernote. Power users adore it for exactly that reason.
Microsoft OneNote
- Pricing
- 10.0/10
- Functionality
- 7.0/10
- Ease of use
- 8.0/10
- Support
- 7.0/10
What I like
A proper, grown-up notebook that's been free this whole time.
Best for
Anyone who wants a capable free notebook, especially Microsoft users
Here's the plot twist: one of the best Evernote replacements has been free the entire time. OneNote gives you a genuine notebook-and-section structure, handwriting and drawing support, and it's rock-solid across devices. If you're already in the Microsoft world it slots in without a thought, and even if you're not, it costs nothing. It's a little less slick than the trendy apps and its free-form page layout can feel loose if you like tidy structure. But as a no-cost, no-strings home for your notes that isn't going to suddenly gut its free tier, OneNote is a very easy recommendation.
Bear
- Pricing
- 8.0/10
- Functionality
- 7.0/10
- Ease of use
- 9.0/10
- Support
- 7.0/10
What I like
The best-looking note app on Apple devices, and it's barely more than pocket change.
Best for
Apple users who want something beautiful and simple
If you live inside the Apple ecosystem and you mostly just want to write things down in a place that's a pleasure to look at, Bear is the one. It's gorgeous, fast, and uses simple tags instead of rigid folders, which makes organising feel light rather than like admin. Pro is about $2.99 a month (yes, really) and unlocks sync across your Apple devices plus export options. The obvious limitation: it's Apple-only, so if you're on Windows or Android, keep scrolling. But for iPhone/iPad/Mac people who found Evernote bloated, Bear is a breath of fresh air at a price that's hard to argue with.
Joplin
- Pricing
- 10.0/10
- Functionality
- 7.0/10
- Ease of use
- 7.0/10
- Support
- 6.0/10
What I like
Open-source, free, and it'll happily import your Evernote notebooks wholesale.
Best for
Tinkerers who want free, open-source and Evernote import
Joplin is the open-source answer, and it has a party trick that matters here: it imports Evernote exports (.enex files) directly, so moving your whole archive over is refreshingly painless. It's a Markdown-based note and to-do app that runs everywhere, and you choose where your data syncs, including your own cloud if you're the type who likes control over that sort of thing. It's completely free. The interface is more functional than fancy, and you'll do a bit of setup to get sync working the way you want. But for a free, private, Evernote-import-friendly home for your notes, Joplin punches well above what it costs you (nothing).
Google Keep
- Pricing
- 10.0/10
- Functionality
- 5.0/10
- Ease of use
- 9.0/10
- Support
- 7.0/10
What I like
The sticky-note app that's already in your Google account doing nothing.
Best for
Quick capture, lists and reminders without any faff
Google Keep isn't trying to be Evernote, and that's kind of the point. It's the digital equivalent of the sticky notes around your monitor: jot a thought, make a checklist, snap a photo, set a reminder, done. It's free, it's instant, and it's already sitting in your Google account whether you've used it or not. Don't come to it expecting notebooks, rich formatting or a knowledge base, because that's not the job it's built for. But if half of what you used Evernote for was really just quick capture and lists, Keep handles that beautifully and you'll wonder why you were paying for the privilege.
The verdict
If you want one place for notes and basically everything else, Notion is the switch most people are happy they made. Want to truly own your data and never be paywalled out of your own notes again? Obsidian or Joplin have you covered, both for free. OneNote is the quietly excellent free notebook, Bear is the pretty one for Apple folks, and Google Keep is perfect if 'notes' really just meant quick lists and reminders. Export your Evernote archive, import it, and don't look back.
Whatever you shortlist, run your real work through it for a week before committing — the right tool is the one that quietly disappears and lets you get back to it. And if you build software like this yourself, you can list it on Tolodora free.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best free alternative to Evernote?
OneNote and Joplin are the best genuinely free options, and neither is likely to gut its free tier the way Evernote did. Obsidian is also free for personal use and lets you own your files outright. Notion and Google Keep have strong free tiers too, so you've got plenty of ways to leave Evernote without paying a cent.
Can I move my Evernote notes to another app?
Yes, and it's less painful than you'd think. Evernote lets you export notebooks as .enex files, and several apps import them directly, Joplin and Notion among the easiest. Export, import, spot-check that everything came across, then cancel your Evernote plan once you're happy.
Which Evernote alternative is most like Evernote?
OneNote is the closest in spirit, with a familiar notebook-and-sections structure, and it's free. If you want the modern upgrade, Notion covers everything Evernote did and then some, though it works a little differently. Bear is the closest match if you just want a clean, simple note app and you're on Apple devices.
Why did people start leaving Evernote?
Mostly price and the shrinking free plan. After Bending Spoons acquired Evernote, prices rose and the free tier was cut back hard (tight limits on notes and notebooks), which pushed a lot of long-time users to look elsewhere. The alternatives here are either cheaper, free, or give you more for the money.
Which alternative is best if I care about privacy?
Obsidian and Joplin are the standouts for privacy because they store your notes as plain files you control, with sync options you choose rather than a mandatory company cloud. If keeping your notes genuinely in your own hands matters to you, either one is a strong, free choice.
Sources & further reading
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