Evernote raised prices, pushed AI features into the paid tier, and still hasn’t fixed sync issues that long-time users complain about. Joplin is open-source, markdown-first, and lets you choose where your notes are synced.

What you gain

• Markdown notes with notebooks, tags, and full-text search
• Optional end-to-end encryption with your own key
• Sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, Joplin Cloud, or your own S3
• Web Clipper, mobile apps, desktop apps on every platform

What you give up

The iOS app is functional but less polished than Evernote’s. Web Clipper handles articles well but image-heavy clips can be messy. No equivalent of Evernote’s AI search or Tasks. Tables and spreadsheet-like data feel awkward in markdown.

The math

Joplin is free. Joplin Cloud is $36/year for sync if you don’t want to wire up your own. Evernote Personal is $130/year, Professional $170/year. Even with Joplin Cloud, the saving is $90+/year.

Who should switch

Long-time Evernote users tired of price hikes who don’t depend on Tasks or AI search. The Evernote import in Joplin works on .enex exports. Heavy Web Clipper users should test the importer first.