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Open-source alternatives · curated shortlist

Open-source alternatives
to Evernote.

The closest open-source alternatives to Evernote are Joplin, Logseq, Notesnook, and Trilium. Joplin is the direct sync-anywhere replacement; Logseq suits networked thought; Notesnook adds end-to-end encryption; Trilium is the self-hosted knowledge base. All four keep notes in open formats.

People leave Evernote over subscription hikes, device limits, and proprietary lock-in. Open notes apps store Markdown you own and sync via your own cloud, WebDAV, or git. Migration is straightforward — all four import Evernote .enex exports directly.

#ProjectStarsLicenseStack
3joplinClosest Evernote replacement; syncs anywhere, imports .enex.57.1Kundeclared — verifyTypeScript
5logseqOutliner with backlinks for networked note-takers.45.6KAGPL-3.0Clojure
6TriliumSelf-hosted knowledge base for large personal collections.38.9KAGPL-3.0TypeScript
7notesnookEnd-to-end encrypted notes on every platform.14.9KGPL-3.0TypeScript

Ranks and stars from the live chart · updated Nov 12, 2026 · full notes ranking →

Quick answers

Is there a free alternative to Evernote?
Yes. joplin, logseq, Trilium, notesnook are all open-source alternatives to Evernote with no license fees — you pay only for hosting. Differences are in maturity, features, and implementation effort, compared below.
Can I self-host a Evernote alternative?
Yes — every option on this page is self-hostable. Deployment ranges from one-command Docker to managed setup; check each project's docs for requirements.
How were these Evernote alternatives chosen?
From the live Open-Source Note-Taking Apps, Ranked by GitHub Stars ranking, shortlisted by human curation. Rankings on maal.top are never sold. See the full chart for the complete list.