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Best Productivity ResourcesBy Shushant LakhyaniVerified creator

Desktop App

Joplin

Free, open-source notes and to-dos with end-to-end encrypted sync and Evernote import.

Visit Joplin4.5

  • Rating

    4.5 / 5

  • Pricing

    Free

  • Difficulty

    Intermediate

  • Works on

    Windows, macOS, Linux

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What is Joplin?

Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking and to-do app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Notes are written in Markdown, can be synced through Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or Joplin Cloud with end-to-end encryption, and notes exported from Evernote can be imported with their formatting, attachments and metadata. It is licensed under the AGPL-3.0.

Pros: what Joplin does well

  • Free and open source (AGPL-3.0)
  • Imports Evernote exports with attachments and metadata
  • End-to-end encrypted sync with the service you choose

Cons: where it falls short

  • Interface is plainer than Evernote's
  • Hosted Joplin Cloud sync is a paid option

Who Joplin is for

Evernote users who want a free, private, cross-platform home for their notes.

Who can skip it

People who want a polished all-in-one workspace like Notion.

Compare Joplin

See how Joplin stacks up, side by side, plus the lists it made.

Joplin alternatives

Not sold on Joplin? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.

All Note-Taking resources

Notesnook

Focus: privacy. Shares notes and encryption with Joplin. A web app, not a desktop app. Freemium (Joplin: Free). Adds Web. Rated 4.4 (Joplin: 4.5).

Web AppFree planWeb, Windows
4.4Visit

Foam

Focus: wikilinks, backlinks and vs code. Shares notes and markdown with Joplin. Rated 4.4 (Joplin: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit

Simplenote

Focus: sync and minimal. Shares notes and markdown with Joplin. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.4 (Joplin: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.4Visit

massCode

Focus: code snippets, developer notes and http client. Shares markdown and open source with Joplin. Rated 4.6 (Joplin: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit

Trilium Notes

Focus: knowledge base and self-hosted. Shares notes and open source with Joplin. Adds Web and Offline. Rated 4.6 (Joplin: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit

Free alternatives to Joplin

Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.

mdBook

Focus: documentation, books and static site. Shares markdown and open source with Joplin. Same 4.5 rating.

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit

nb

Focus: bookmarks, command line and github. Shares notes and open source with Joplin. Adds Offline. Same 4.5 rating.

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.5Visit

Reor

Focus: AI, PKM and Semantic Search. Shares Notes and Markdown with Joplin. Same 4.5 rating.

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit

claude-obsidian

Focus: obsidian, claude code and second brain. Shares notes and open source with Joplin. An AI tool, not a desktop app. Rated 4.8 (Joplin: 4.5).

AI ToolFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit

Alexandrie

Focus: knowledge base, latex and offline-first. Shares markdown and open source with Joplin. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Same 4.5 rating.

Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.5Visit
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