Explore free alternatives to Evernote for note-taking, organizing notes, syncing across devices, web clipping, and task management, including free plans and open-source options.
Evernote is a note-taking and organization app built to help users capture ideas, manage tasks, store research, and keep important information in one place. It supports text notes, web clipping, document scanning, attachments, search, and calendar or task-related workflows. Evernote is often used by students, professionals, and teams who want a central workspace for planning and information management.
28 alternatives
Highlights
Best for: best for free open-source note-taking with notebooks, tags, to-dos, and Markdown-based notes.
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do app that lets you organize notes into notebooks, add tags, use Markdown, and sync across devices. It suits users who want a flexible, privacy-friendly Evernote alternative with strong export and control options.
Highlights
Best for: best for free personal knowledge management with linked notes and local note organization. Its core app is free without limits.
Obsidian is a note-taking app built around local files, linked notes, and personal knowledge management. It helps you connect ideas, build a private knowledge base, and organize research, journaling, and projects in a highly flexible workspace.
Highlights
Best for: best for free all-in-one notes, docs, and personal organization on its personal free plan.
Notion is an all-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and projects. It is designed to keep knowledge connected, organize pages and databases, and help individuals or teams manage information in a more structured way than a basic notes app.
Highlights
Best for: best for completely free simple notes with fast syncing across devices.
Simplenote is a lightweight note-taking app focused on speed, simplicity, and syncing. It is ideal for users who want clean text notes, lists, and ideas available across web, desktop, and mobile without the extra complexity of heavier workspace tools.
Highlights
Best for: best for free secure note-taking with end-to-end encryption and cross-device sync.
Standard Notes is a secure note-taking app built around end-to-end encryption, privacy, and cross-platform syncing. It is aimed at users who want a modern notes app that keeps personal writing, documents, and information protected across devices.
Highlights
Best for: best for free ad-free note-taking with core note features and syncing.
Zoho Notebook is a note-taking app for text, checklists, photos, audio, and files, with syncing across devices and a clean card-based layout. It is positioned as a free, ad-free option for everyday note-taking, organization, and light productivity use.
Highlights
Best for: best for free open-source workspace-style notes if you want more control and self-hosted/open setup options.
AppFlowy is a collaborative workspace for notes, wikis, projects, tasks, and templates, built with a strong focus on data control. It appeals to users who want a more open and customizable alternative to closed note and workspace platforms.
Highlights
Best for: best for free privacy-first, open-source knowledge management and linked note workflows.
Logseq is a privacy-first, open-source knowledge base designed for people who work with lots of information. It combines linked thinking, journals, outlines, and whiteboards, making it a strong option for research-heavy note-taking and personal knowledge management.
Highlights
Best for: best for free notebook-style note-taking for research, planning, handwritten notes, and web clipping across devices.
Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook app for capturing notes, research, plans, sketches, audio, and web content in one place. It is well suited to users who prefer notebook-style organization for school, work, or personal information management.
Highlights
Best for: best for free quick notes, checklists, reminders, voice notes, and lightweight note sharing.
Google Keep is a simple note and list app for capturing ideas, reminders, photos, drawings, and audio. It is designed for quick organization and easy syncing across devices, making it useful for lightweight note-taking and everyday personal planning.
Highlights
Best for: best for private local-first notes, linked notes, and simple databases/workspaces on a free starter plan.
Anytype is a local-first, encrypted workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and chats. It emphasizes ownership, privacy, and flexible views like graph and database layouts, making it a strong option for users who want their notes stored under their control.
Highlights
Best for: best for building a free personal wiki or nonlinear notebook for organizing research, ideas, and notes.
TiddlyWiki is a non-linear personal web notebook and wiki that can be used independently of a company or cloud service. It is highly customizable and works well for people who want to capture, organize, and connect complex information in their own way.
Highlights
Best for: best for hierarchical note organization, especially when you want tree-style notes with rich text, code snippets, tables, and files.
CherryTree is a hierarchical note-taking application that supports rich text, syntax highlighting, and file-based storage. It is a good fit for users who like tree-structured notes and want to keep technical notes, research, or documentation neatly organized.
Highlights
Best for: best for private note-taking with a free web clipper and secure syncing, if privacy matters more than advanced free limits.
Notesnook is a private note-taking workspace focused on encryption, no tracking, and user privacy. It is built for people who want a more secure alternative to mainstream note apps while still getting syncing, offline access, and a modern cross-platform experience.
Highlights
Best for: best for free open-source note-taking with notebooks, tags, to-dos, and Markdown-based notes.
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do app that lets you organize notes into notebooks, add tags, use Markdown, and sync across devices. It suits users who want a flexible, privacy-friendly Evernote alternative with strong export and control options.
Highlights
Best for: best for free personal knowledge management with linked notes and local note organization. Its core app is free without limits.
Obsidian is a note-taking app built around local files, linked notes, and personal knowledge management. It helps you connect ideas, build a private knowledge base, and organize research, journaling, and projects in a highly flexible workspace.
Highlights
Best for: best for free all-in-one notes, docs, and personal organization on its personal free plan.
Notion is an all-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and projects. It is designed to keep knowledge connected, organize pages and databases, and help individuals or teams manage information in a more structured way than a basic notes app.
Highlights
Best for: best for completely free simple notes with fast syncing across devices.
Simplenote is a lightweight note-taking app focused on speed, simplicity, and syncing. It is ideal for users who want clean text notes, lists, and ideas available across web, desktop, and mobile without the extra complexity of heavier workspace tools.
Highlights
Best for: best for free secure note-taking with end-to-end encryption and cross-device sync.
Standard Notes is a secure note-taking app built around end-to-end encryption, privacy, and cross-platform syncing. It is aimed at users who want a modern notes app that keeps personal writing, documents, and information protected across devices.
Highlights
Best for: best for free ad-free note-taking with core note features and syncing.
Zoho Notebook is a note-taking app for text, checklists, photos, audio, and files, with syncing across devices and a clean card-based layout. It is positioned as a free, ad-free option for everyday note-taking, organization, and light productivity use.
Highlights
Best for: best for free open-source workspace-style notes if you want more control and self-hosted/open setup options.
AppFlowy is a collaborative workspace for notes, wikis, projects, tasks, and templates, built with a strong focus on data control. It appeals to users who want a more open and customizable alternative to closed note and workspace platforms.
Highlights
Best for: best for free privacy-first, open-source knowledge management and linked note workflows.
Logseq is a privacy-first, open-source knowledge base designed for people who work with lots of information. It combines linked thinking, journals, outlines, and whiteboards, making it a strong option for research-heavy note-taking and personal knowledge management.
Highlights
Best for: best for free notebook-style note-taking for research, planning, handwritten notes, and web clipping across devices.
Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook app for capturing notes, research, plans, sketches, audio, and web content in one place. It is well suited to users who prefer notebook-style organization for school, work, or personal information management.
Highlights
Best for: best for free quick notes, checklists, reminders, voice notes, and lightweight note sharing.
Google Keep is a simple note and list app for capturing ideas, reminders, photos, drawings, and audio. It is designed for quick organization and easy syncing across devices, making it useful for lightweight note-taking and everyday personal planning.
Highlights
Best for: best for private local-first notes, linked notes, and simple databases/workspaces on a free starter plan.
Anytype is a local-first, encrypted workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and chats. It emphasizes ownership, privacy, and flexible views like graph and database layouts, making it a strong option for users who want their notes stored under their control.
Highlights
Best for: best for building a free personal wiki or nonlinear notebook for organizing research, ideas, and notes.
TiddlyWiki is a non-linear personal web notebook and wiki that can be used independently of a company or cloud service. It is highly customizable and works well for people who want to capture, organize, and connect complex information in their own way.
Highlights
Best for: best for hierarchical note organization, especially when you want tree-style notes with rich text, code snippets, tables, and files.
CherryTree is a hierarchical note-taking application that supports rich text, syntax highlighting, and file-based storage. It is a good fit for users who like tree-structured notes and want to keep technical notes, research, or documentation neatly organized.
Highlights
Best for: best for private note-taking with a free web clipper and secure syncing, if privacy matters more than advanced free limits.
Notesnook is a private note-taking workspace focused on encryption, no tracking, and user privacy. It is built for people who want a more secure alternative to mainstream note apps while still getting syncing, offline access, and a modern cross-platform experience.
