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7 self-hosted options

Open-source alternatives to Evernote

The best open-source alternatives to Evernote are Joplin, TriliumNext Notes and Standard Notes.

About Evernote: A note-taking app for capturing, organizing and searching notes and clippings.

Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Evernote without giving up the features you rely on.

Top picks

  1. Rank 1:

    Joplin

    laurent22/joplin

    Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through a self hosted Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to…

    Note-taking & EditorsTypeScript
  2. Rank 2:

    TriliumNext Notes

    TriliumNext/Trilium

    Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).

    Note-taking & EditorsTypeScriptDocker
  3. Rank 3:

    Standard Notes

    standardnotes/app

    Simple and private notes app. Protect your privacy while getting more done. That's Standard Notes.

    Note-taking & EditorsTypeScript

Why switch

Why teams move off Evernote

Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.

  • Own your data

    Your data lives on a server you control, not on Evernote's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.

  • No per-seat pricing

    Open-source alternatives to Evernote are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.

  • Customize and extend

    Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.

Full ranking

All 7 Evernote alternatives

Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.

  1. 1

    Joplin

    Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through a self hosted Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to…

  2. 2

    TriliumNext Notes

    Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).

  3. 3

    Standard Notes

    Simple and private notes app. Protect your privacy while getting more done. That's Standard Notes.

  4. 4

    SiYuan

    A privacy-first personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.

  5. 5

    Memos

    Knowledge base that works with a SQLite db file.

  6. 6

    Blinko

    A personal note tool with AI features.

  7. 7

    HedgeDoc

    Realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms, formerly known as CodiMD and HackMD CE.

FAQ

Evernote alternatives: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

What is the best open-source alternative to Evernote?

Joplin is the most popular open-source alternative to Evernote, with 56,611 GitHub stars. TriliumNext Notes and Standard Notes are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.

Is there a free alternative to Evernote?

Yes. All 7 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Evernote replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.

Can I self-host an alternative to Evernote?

Yes. TriliumNext Notes, SiYuan and Memos ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.

How do I migrate from Evernote?

Start by exporting your data from Evernote, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.