Evernote was the original note taking powerhouse, but years of declining performance, price hikes, and feature stagnation have driven users elsewhere. Whether you want simplicity, power, or better pricing, these alternatives have you covered.
| Feature | Evernote | Notion | Obsidian | Apple Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | 1 device, 60MB/mo | Unlimited | Unlimited (personal) | Free (Apple devices) |
| Web Clipper | Excellent | Good | Community plugins | No |
| Offline Access | Premium only | Yes | Full (local first) | Yes |
| Data Ownership | Cloud hosted | Cloud hosted | Local markdown files | iCloud |
| Search Quality | Excellent (OCR) | Good | Good | Good |
| Note Linking | Basic | Bidirectional | Bidirectional (graph) | Bidirectional |
All in one workspace that goes far beyond simple note taking.
Combines notes with databases, boards, and project management in one tool
Local first markdown notes with bidirectional linking.
All notes stored as local markdown files with powerful linking and graph view
Simple, fast note taking built into every Apple device.
Instant sync across all Apple devices with zero setup required
Open source note app with end to end encryption.
Open source with end to end encryption and self hosted sync options
Clean Evernote style note app with affordable lifetime pricing.
Looks and feels like classic Evernote at a fraction of the cost
Evernote's free plan now limits you to one device and 60MB per month, barely functional.
Performance has degraded significantly, with the app feeling sluggish on even basic tasks.
Price increases to $14.99 per month for Personal make it expensive for a note taking app.
Notion is the most popular Evernote replacement because it offers similar note taking capabilities plus databases, boards, and project management. The learning curve is steeper, but the flexibility is worth it for users who want more than just notes.
Yes, Evernote notes can be exported as ENEX files and imported into Obsidian using the built in importer or community plugins. The process converts your notes to markdown format. Most formatting and attachments transfer well, though complex formatting may need minor cleanup.
Upnote intentionally recreates the classic Evernote experience with notebooks, tags, and a familiar interface. It is lightweight, fast, and works across all platforms. At $1 per month or $29.99 lifetime, it is the closest thing to what Evernote used to be before it got bloated.
Take our 2 minute quiz and we will match you with the perfect AI tools and build a custom automation for your workflow.
Take the QuizLast updated: April 2026