Taking notes and saving them is not just limited to text files or the usual notepad anymore. From students to professionals, almost everyone is well-acquainted with the Evernote software suite that allows them to set your priorities like, draft your schedule, write your ideas and easily track them. It helps you get organized and boost your productivity even in your super busy schedule and even while you are loaded with tasks.
Read:How to use Chrome and Mozilla as Notepad
Evernote has a slew of features that clearly set it apart from other note-taking apps. When used properly, it can double as a solid project management tool that the entire team can access from.
Google Keep is our top pick for the best alternatives to Evernote. This one is designed to keep your notes and lists organized so you can access them from anywhere anytime. Coming with a lot of features, it is a recommendable software for use in the organization. It has a pretty basic interface which makes it. Article - Don't forget to click the like button and subscribe button on. A detailed overview of self-hosted, freemium, and free blogging sites and platforms where you can start your new blog. Reviews of the best online sites for blogging. Top Evernote Alternatives for Better Note-Taking 1. Collect, develop, and prioritize the right ideas with the right people in one platform. Marketed as the. Lightning fast, easy-to-use browser extension for taking notes in Chrome and Edge. Sticky Notes is a.
But, you must be wondering why you would choose an entire software suite over a notepad which you already have access to? That's because, apart from just taking down notes and archiving them, it also allows you to share notes, collaborate with your team, save recipes and even sync your notes with several devices effortlessly. That's not all, as Evernote enables you to enhance your mundane text notes with voice notes, transcribed notes, images and more.
While Evernote has completely transformed the customary note taking process, can be downloaded completely free of cost, can be accessed on your smartphone and laptop, and boasts of a huge user base, there are many who are yet not comfortable with it. Among its downsides are its incompatibility with Linux-based devices, too many advanced features whereas many may rather prefer a simple alternative, requirement to download large files for its setup and moreover, the latest Work Chat feature is not properly executed, known for syncing problems, and few apps are bugged and lack flexibility.
So, if you are simply looking for solutions that can provide you with close features if not the same for free or at least at a reasonable price, we have a list of some of the best alternatives to Evernote today that can just as well fulfill your needs. Check out the alternatives (both free and paid versions) below and let's see what they have to offer..
OneNote
Once popularly known as Microsoft Office One Note, One Note is now an independent note-taking software and is perhaps one of the best alternatives to Evernote that has come so close in terms of competition. This application is available to download for free on Mac and Windows PC OS and for mobile platforms such as iOS and Android.
One Note provides a different experience in terms of its interface which offers a notebook with colorful appearance compared to the symbolic notebook by Evernote. Apart from the usual note-taking process along with the collection of links and photographs, you can insert parts of web pages; transform emails to notes and more.
If you love to play around with the layout, it allows you to add music, check list or even use it as a travel planner. All said and done, One Note may not be the next Evernote, but with its ability to work with several devices and third-party apps like Zapier, Cheggy, etc., smooth assistance for taking a note and organizing, and compatibility with the Microsoft Office suite makes it a worthy alternative to the quintessential Evernote.
Pricing – Free
Compatibility – Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, Android, Web and Amazon.
Google Keep
How can Goggle be far behind when it's about utility apps? Google Keep is one of such offerings by the search engine giant that gives you an appearance that's more like a virtual office. The layout allows you to post sticky notes those are interactive and offers a dashboard with a minimal approach.
The interface is extremely and simple user-friendly compared to Evernote and hence, requires a minimum learning curve. You can easily keep a track of your projects using the basic grid view. Apart from adding notes, photographs, audio and lists you can also add color codes to your notes, share them with others and even set reminders.
The reminders can be interpreted by Google Now or OCR to capture text from photos, voice notes that are automatically handwritten, etc. and moreover you can view the Google Keep notes via Android Wear. However, what we love about this software is the fact that it integrates seamlessly with the other services offered by Google, such as, Google Drive to save your notes thereby, offering more space unlike other applications, and offers Google Chrome extension.
While Google Keep is a free app by Google that is handy for all those who rather prefer simplicity, it is currently available only for Android platforms.
Pricing – Free
Compatibility – Android
Simplenote
Just as the name suggest, Simplenote provides you a straight and simple application to meet your note taking needs. It avoids any needless embellishments and rather offers an extremely easy to use interface that is easily understood and can be used by anyone.
While you can compose only text notes with Simplenote, you can also sync your notes with multiple devices using third-party apps like nValt and Notational Velocity, share them with others, automatic data backup, and many such features. Additionally, you have the freedom to access your notes from anywhere, you get a lot of space to store your data, and also offers a search tool that helps you find any of your notes easily.
Tag crucial notes to track them faster, pin notes or important tasks, undo any modifications made to your notes or lists and more with Simplenote. Although it may look a totally fundamental application at the first look, Simplenote comes with features concealed below every note viz. sending options for notes, browse history, track word count, etc. However, you cannot add a photo, make a check list or even format text, but only write and save plan and simple notes and a bit more.
It is absolutely free to download and works with different ad-supported platforms like, iOS, Android and Mac.
Pricing – Free
Compatibility – Android, iOS, Mac, Kindle, Web
ToodleDo
There are not many alternatives to Evernote that are available free of cost and one of them is ToodleDo that offers unique features for no charge. In contrast to other note-taking applications, ToodleDo prefers to keep notes and tasks isolated, rather deliberately. So when you sign into the web application you can notice both the functions listed under two separate tabs. While this layout may be interesting to some, but not many are comfortable using individual options.
Although the interface may appear a bit weird to many compared to the simple approach by OneNote, Google Keep, Evernote or the Simple Note, it does a lot more than just adding notes and tasks. ToodleDo is considered handy compared to the Evernote, as it supports stratified lists or summaries, offers a complete section that helps you to build good habits and avoid bad habits, provides tools to arrange notes and tasks, and similar other features.
Pricing – Free
Compatibility – Desktop, Android, iOS
Thinkery
Thinkery offers features and objectives that are strikingly similar to Evernote. However, it's a web application is extremely intuitive that makes it a little user-friendly than Evernote's awkwardly designed web app.
You can tag all notes using hashtags, and also search all the saved notes. Moreover, you can also make your notes public or private based on your preference, just that its collaboration options does not match the standards of Evernote.
What's best about Thinkery is its ability to pick up suitable information from a website and project it in an attractive manner. So, Thinkery will automatically pick up information from a link on Amazon for example that you must have bookmarked and display the item price and details and that can be searched instantly.
It also offers a relatively stronger ability to capture parts of web pages that is either available as a chrome extension or as a bookmarklet application. This helps you to bring in bookmarks, data or save links from your Evernote app.
Thinkery is free to download on platforms like, iOS, Android and web, and is a great alternative to Evernote gaining fast popularity with uniform features.
Pricing – Free
Compatibility – Android, iOS and Web
Nevernote
Nevernote is an open source Evernote clone as it says, which primarily aims to service Linux clients. However, it also runs on Windows and Mac OS. Even though it is claimed to be a clone of Evernote, it is nowhere related to or backed by Evernote. It offers some great features which is a perfect choice for those who prefer open source applications.
If you are already an Evernote Linux client, you will be able to log in using the same credentials that you use for your Evernote account and then you get access to some of the fantastic features by Nevernote viz., notes that are color coded, ability to share notes and more.
There are no issues reported so far for those who have been using it for both 32 bit and 64 bit architectures of Linux in addition to Sun's Java and OpenJDK. Nevernote is a free web application that enables you to take notes and save them just like you would do with Evernote, but on Linux as well.
Pricing – Free (Open Source)
Compatibility – Mac, Linux, Windows
Google Docs
Wondering how Google Docs can help you with note-taking? Well, Google Docs enable you take notes and save them in Google Drive in order for you to access them from any part of the web. It not only allows you to write and store text notes but also provides additional features like, preparing presentations, create spreadsheets and many others.
Oh! Wait! Google Docs also lets you collaborate with your colleagues real-time. Now, isn't that great? What better than an online leader like Google to be an alternative for Evernote? The best part is Google Docs is an app available free of cost and is beneficial for all from students to experts. Take notes, insert tables, use the research pane, insert by snapshot or insert drawing and perk up your notes instantly.
Pricing – Free
Compatibility – Web
The NoteSync Application
If you are looking for something utter simple that allows you to take notes and save them to be used later, NoteSync is one of the best alternatives for Evernote. This application is developed to specially make notes fast along with the syncing capability with Google Docs. As the name suggests, all the notes that you take automatically synchronize with the Google Docs every minute. However, you can also choose to sync notes manually if required. Till the time you are online, all your notes will be accessible on all compatible devices.
Moreover, the fact that Notesync keeps your data protected using the safe HTTPS protocol is one of its top benefits. This will ensure that your data is safe from the hands of any hacker. Not just that, it is also a great choice when you want to take notes for your work. It is an extremely simple and user-friendly software that comes with an engaging interface.
Notesync helps you to find your saved notes through its search function, offers shortcuts available to use for repeated tasks and more. The only setback for this application is its non-availability for other chief platforms, however, it is still an excellent alternative to Evernote considering its ease of use, security and effectiveness.
Notesync is available to download for free for Mac and desktops, but for the Android platform there is a $0.99 fee.
Pricing – Free for Mac and PC; $0.99 for Android
Compatibility – Mac, PC, Android
DEVONthink
DEVONthink is more of a digital assistant that can manage your documents, bookmarks and notes effortlessly. While it is available in different paid versions such as, DEVONthink Pro, DEVONthink Personal, DEVONthink Pro Office and DEVONhink To Go, it is also available as a freeware that offers some really good features to try out. Among the many features of DEVONthink Personal are its ability to write text, add photos, offers AI based actions, help you with advanced and more.
That's not all as it also allows to sync your data with different devices helping you to import notes and documents on your Mac. However, do ensure that you select the internet or local network to carry out the synchronization.
While it is also available as a freeware that offers limited features, the pro versions of DEVONthink offers some of the best professional functionalities that are superior compared to the Evernote. However, the only aspect where it loses in front of Evernote is its limitation of compatibility.
Price – Freeware (limited features); DEVONthink To Go – $14.99; DEVONthink Personal – $49.95; DEVONthink Pro – $79.95; DEVONthink Pro Office – $149.95
Compatibility – Mac OS X
Alternote App
If you want an app that sheds the ecosystem look of the Mac Evernote which is quite unmanageable and too green, Alternote is just the right solution for you. So how does the sync of Alternote work? Well, it uses your Evernote login credentials to synchronize your notes which make the entire process pretty easy. Moreover, it offers many features which are similar to Evernote like, searching notes or docs by tags or rich-text formatting. That's not all, as Alternote offers a really cool feature which activates a distraction free mode if you want to type on a blank screen. In this mode, it reduces the screen brightness slightly while you write which though may not be a significant feature, but is indeed a smart one.
That apart, Alternote offers an extremely polished user experience that more focuses on taking notes and overall competes with the Mac Evernote features. With such an elegant interface to offer that concentrates on your note-taking experience costs only $6.99. However, for those who still want some time to decide, Alternote comes with a three-day trial period where you can directly download the app from their website and then take a call. The only limitation here is its compatibility options which is restricted only to Mac OS X for the moment.
Pricing – $6.99
Compatibility – Mac OS X
I find passion in writing Tech articles around Windows PC and softwares
Related Posts:
The days of writing notes in various notebooks, furiously scribbling research on notecards, and jotting down ideas on sticky notes that end up in unexpected places are on their way out. Electronic note-taking tools have become more popular for students, professionals, and, well, anyone with ideas, notes, or to-dos.
While some of us diehards still like putting pen to paper (you can pry my notebook from my cold, cramped hands), there's no denying that note-taking apps make it easy to organize, save, and share notes with others in a way you just can't do with physical notes.
Evernote has become synonymous with note-taking from its inception in 2008. But just because it's popular doesn't mean it's the right tool for you.
An Overview of Evernote
Used by 225 million people worldwide, Evernote is a leading note-taking app, with cross-platform syncing so you can update notes on any device. A widely used Evernote feature is the Web Clipper, which allows you to save website screenshots, articles, and PDFs directly to your account.
Features:
- Find templates for notes like goal tracking, weekly planning, and budgeting.
- Go paperless with document scanning.
- Include information from the web with web clipping.
- Upload and search handwritten notes from Post-it notes, whiteboards, etc.
- Use centralized team spaces for shared team notes and resources.
- Compatible with Browser, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS.
- Integrates with Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
Best for: Anyone looking for a free version that's packed full of value, or businesses that need an easy-to-use option for team sharing and collaboration.
Cost: Evernote Basic offers note-taking features for free. Premium ($7.99/month) and Business ($14.99/month) provide advanced features for organizing, sharing, and collaborating.
Top Evernote Alternatives for Better Note-Taking
Whether you're looking for something feature-rich and complex or a simple text-based app where you can dump your ideas, you'll love these Evernote alternatives.
1. Ideanote
AppSumo Deal: Ideanote
Collect, develop, and prioritize the right ideas with the right people in one platform.
$59.00 | $2,988.00
Marketed as the world's #1 all-in-one innovation platform, Ideanote gives you one central hub to capture and manage your ideas, notes, and to-dos. This app makes it easy to collaborate with your team (or anyone else!) while developing, managing, and tracking ideas. Ideanote offers a customizable and intuitive workflow that makes note-taking easy and helpful.
Features:
- Use 100+ idea-collection templates for situations including efficient meetings, new customers, expansion, resources, and processes.
- Crete goal-oriented idea collections centered around a challenging question.
- Each member gets their own profile to manage ideas, see progress, and customize settings.
- Move, copy, edit, and archive your notes for better organization.
- Get real-time notifications on updated notes.
- Drag and drop files from your desktop to an Ideanote card.
Best for: Large teams that need an innovative and immediate way to exchange ideas and notes.
Cost: Starter ($249/month), Business ($649/month), and Enterprise ($2,899/month) plans all include unlimited members and their own innovative workspace, with different numbers of admins, ideas, criteria for each plan.
For a limited time, you can get a 1-year deal of Ideanote's Business Plan at $59 on AppSumo.
2. Sticky Notes
AppSumo Deal: Sticky Notes by Ukiv
Lightning fast, easy-to-use browser extension for taking notes in Chrome and Edge.
$49.00 | $120.00
Sticky Notes is a browser extension that makes it easy to take notes in both Chrome and Edge. Accessing and organizing notes is also easy, and the app allows you to work offline so you can continue to jot down ideas, to-do lists, and other info at any time. With a range of beautiful themes, this browser extension allows you to personalize your experience while making note taking fun!
Features:
- Beautiful handpicked themes to create an experience that's easy on the eyes.
- Open Sticky Notes in just one click inside your browser.
- Save your notes with optional Cloud backups and organize them into folders.
- Access notes quickly by clicking the extension icon.
- Works offline; take notes without an internet connection.
Best for: Busy entrepreneurs and business owners who want an easy and convenient way to store notes, to-dos, and ideas right from their browser.
Cost: The Free Forever plan is limited to three notes but offers basic themes and unlimited lists. Premium Plan ($9.99/month) gives you all nine notes, premium animated themes, automatic backup of notes, and multi-monitor support. Get lifetime access through AppSumo deals for just $49.00.
3. Google Keep
Google Keep is one of the simpler note-taking apps on our Evernote alternative list, with an easy-to-use, clean interface. With Google Keep, you can take notes on your phone, tablet, or computer, syncing across devices or sharing notes with friends and family.
Features:
- Label, pin, and color-code notes.
- Collaborate on notes in real time.
- Speech-to-text functionality for note dictation.
Best for: People looking for a simple note-taking app without all the bells and whistles.
Cost: Free
4. Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is marketed as a digital notebook where you can 'gather your notes and make them even better.' OneNote makes it easy to organize your thoughts across notebooks, sections, and pages with quick navigation and search to find what you're looking for.
Features:
- Use on unlimited devices for free.
- Draw thoughts and annotations with your finger or a stylus.
- Use Web Clipper to save web content with one click.
- Share notebooks with coworkers, friends, or family.
- Include mixed media notes like audio, video, and other files.
Best for: Entrepreneurs already using Windows, Office365, or OneDrive, and those who want a free app with lots of features.
Cost: Free
5. Notejoy
Notejoy has become a well-known product for teams that want to share and collaborate on notes with others. With real-time editing by multiple users and threaded discussions, Notejoy has some of the best team collaboration features of any note-taking app. Integrations with Trello, Slack, and scanner apps also make it a must-have for teams.
Features:
- Edit notes in real time with multiple team members.
- See who has viewed and added to notes.
- Threaded discussions with @mentions and reactions.
- Embed Google Docs, Microsoft Office docs, PDFs, videos, and audio.
- Clip any webpage or forward emails to Notejoy to create notes quickly.
- Organize notes with nested notebooks, nested tags, team libraries, pins, and archives.
- Available on a browser, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
- Integrates with Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft Office, Slack, Trello, HubSpot, and scanner apps.
Best for: Teams looking for a single, well-organized place to collaborate, store, and share knowledge with others.
Cost: Free option includes up to 5 users, 3 team libraries, 5 notebooks, 10MB per file upload, and up to 100MB library storage. Paid plans start at $4/month and offer additional features and more storage.
6. Bear
A newcomer to the note-taking software game, Bear allows you to create and sync notes across your Apple devices. A unique feature of Bear is the hybrid markdown editor that offers a full range of formatting options. This feature, along with the ability to export and get important stats like word/character count, read time, and paragraph numbers, make this app ideal for authors and students.
Features:
- Compatible with Mac and iOS.
- Format text as you type with a hybrid markdown editor.
- Organize notes using hashtags and slashes for nested tags.
- Use focus mode to concentrate on the task at hand.
- Beautiful themes and typography, including a Dark Mode.
- Encrypt individual notes with a password or Face/Touch ID.
Best for: Writers and students who need the option to take notes or write long-form content they can format before exporting.
Cost: Free option: Create notes, add tags and attachments, and export notes. Pro subscription ($1.49/monthly or $14.99 annually): Syncing, themes, and more powerful export options.
7. Simplenote
Simplenote‘s appeal is described in its name — it's a simple app with a simple user interface. Simplenote offers a no-frills experience with minimal features, making it ideal for those who tend to get overwhelmed or distracted by all the options and functionality of other mobile note-taking mobile applications. If you're looking for a distraction-free experience with simple text notes, and you don't need advanced features, Simplenote may be your new go-to program.
Features:
- Available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and web browsers like Chrome.
- Automatic and real-time sync.
- Add tags to find notes quickly with the instant search feature.
- Share notes with others or publish notes online.
- Write, preview, and publish notes in markdown format.
Best for: People who prefer simplicity over fancy features or want a distraction-free note-taking experience.
Cost: Free
8. Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper is another powerful alternative to Evernote that's ideal for team collaboration. In addition to allowing you to add and edit notes as a team, Dropbox Paper offers a task management tool that lets you assign to-do lists, add due dates, and mention team members in real time within the document. You can also drop a link to nearly anything in your note — YouTube video, Pinterest board, Google Map, SoundCloud clip, GIF — and Paper displays the preview properly.
Features:
- Compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android.
- Variety of templates, including meeting notes, launch plan, brainstorming, creative brief, project plan, new hire onboarding, and product spec.
- Annotate specific parts of an image with feedback.
- Turn Paper docs into professional-looking presentations in one step.
- Simplify to-do lists with task management tools like task assignments, due dates, reminders, and task completion.
- Integrates with Sketch, Invision, Dropbox, Slack, and more.
Best for: Dropbox customers looking to collaborate on notes, or teams that need task management capabilities for project management.
Cost: Free
9. Notion
Notion is another Evernote alternative focused on team collaboration. One of the best note-taking apps for teams, Notion offers a variety of project management capabilities, including Kanban boards, tables, and lists to customize your workflow. Unique to Notion is the team wiki feature, which allows you to turn your team knowledge into a database of easy-to-find answers. If you're just looking for a personal note-taking solution, Notion may be overkill.
Features:
- Web app, desktop app, and apps for iOS and Android devices.
- Turn any type of project into a template, including multi-layered pages.
- Use tables to create databases or a team wiki.
- Nested hierarchical organization, including dropdowns.
- Collaborate in real time, mentioning coworkers when you need input or responses.
- Invite others to work on notes or share with your entire company.
- Embed 500+ other apps inside your Notion pages to create a hub for your team's work.
Best for: Teams that need an easy way to collaborate on notes while accessing a team wiki.
Cost: Free plan allows unlimited pages and blocks you can sync across devices and share with five guests. Paid plans start at $4 a month and offer unlimited guests, unlimited team members, admin tools, and advanced permissions.
10. Zoho Notebook
Zoho Notebook is a unique Evernote alternative, as it takes a novel approach to creating note types by using different note cards. Zoho offers different formatting for text notes, checklists, audio notes, photos, files, sketches, and smart notes with advanced formatting. Another distinction between Zoho Notebook and other solutions is a beautiful visual experience, with separate images for each notebook and colored backgrounds.
Features:
- Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux.
- Use pinch and swipe gestures to navigate the app and organize notes.
- Customize notebooks with image covers and color-coded note cards.
- Search for and organize notes using tags.
- Secure notes with passcodes or Touch ID.
- Automatically sync notes to the cloud across all your devices.
Best for: People who need to manage many different types of notes within the same app, and people who are visually inclined and want a beautiful experience.
Cost: Free
Cost: Free
4. Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is marketed as a digital notebook where you can 'gather your notes and make them even better.' OneNote makes it easy to organize your thoughts across notebooks, sections, and pages with quick navigation and search to find what you're looking for.
Features:
- Use on unlimited devices for free.
- Draw thoughts and annotations with your finger or a stylus.
- Use Web Clipper to save web content with one click.
- Share notebooks with coworkers, friends, or family.
- Include mixed media notes like audio, video, and other files.
Best for: Entrepreneurs already using Windows, Office365, or OneDrive, and those who want a free app with lots of features.
Cost: Free
5. Notejoy
Notejoy has become a well-known product for teams that want to share and collaborate on notes with others. With real-time editing by multiple users and threaded discussions, Notejoy has some of the best team collaboration features of any note-taking app. Integrations with Trello, Slack, and scanner apps also make it a must-have for teams.
Features:
- Edit notes in real time with multiple team members.
- See who has viewed and added to notes.
- Threaded discussions with @mentions and reactions.
- Embed Google Docs, Microsoft Office docs, PDFs, videos, and audio.
- Clip any webpage or forward emails to Notejoy to create notes quickly.
- Organize notes with nested notebooks, nested tags, team libraries, pins, and archives.
- Available on a browser, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
- Integrates with Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft Office, Slack, Trello, HubSpot, and scanner apps.
Best for: Teams looking for a single, well-organized place to collaborate, store, and share knowledge with others.
Cost: Free option includes up to 5 users, 3 team libraries, 5 notebooks, 10MB per file upload, and up to 100MB library storage. Paid plans start at $4/month and offer additional features and more storage.
6. Bear
A newcomer to the note-taking software game, Bear allows you to create and sync notes across your Apple devices. A unique feature of Bear is the hybrid markdown editor that offers a full range of formatting options. This feature, along with the ability to export and get important stats like word/character count, read time, and paragraph numbers, make this app ideal for authors and students.
Features:
- Compatible with Mac and iOS.
- Format text as you type with a hybrid markdown editor.
- Organize notes using hashtags and slashes for nested tags.
- Use focus mode to concentrate on the task at hand.
- Beautiful themes and typography, including a Dark Mode.
- Encrypt individual notes with a password or Face/Touch ID.
Best for: Writers and students who need the option to take notes or write long-form content they can format before exporting.
Cost: Free option: Create notes, add tags and attachments, and export notes. Pro subscription ($1.49/monthly or $14.99 annually): Syncing, themes, and more powerful export options.
7. Simplenote
Simplenote‘s appeal is described in its name — it's a simple app with a simple user interface. Simplenote offers a no-frills experience with minimal features, making it ideal for those who tend to get overwhelmed or distracted by all the options and functionality of other mobile note-taking mobile applications. If you're looking for a distraction-free experience with simple text notes, and you don't need advanced features, Simplenote may be your new go-to program.
Features:
- Available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and web browsers like Chrome.
- Automatic and real-time sync.
- Add tags to find notes quickly with the instant search feature.
- Share notes with others or publish notes online.
- Write, preview, and publish notes in markdown format.
Best for: People who prefer simplicity over fancy features or want a distraction-free note-taking experience.
Cost: Free
8. Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper is another powerful alternative to Evernote that's ideal for team collaboration. In addition to allowing you to add and edit notes as a team, Dropbox Paper offers a task management tool that lets you assign to-do lists, add due dates, and mention team members in real time within the document. You can also drop a link to nearly anything in your note — YouTube video, Pinterest board, Google Map, SoundCloud clip, GIF — and Paper displays the preview properly.
Features:
- Compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android.
- Variety of templates, including meeting notes, launch plan, brainstorming, creative brief, project plan, new hire onboarding, and product spec.
- Annotate specific parts of an image with feedback.
- Turn Paper docs into professional-looking presentations in one step.
- Simplify to-do lists with task management tools like task assignments, due dates, reminders, and task completion.
- Integrates with Sketch, Invision, Dropbox, Slack, and more.
Best for: Dropbox customers looking to collaborate on notes, or teams that need task management capabilities for project management.
Cost: Free
9. Notion
Notion is another Evernote alternative focused on team collaboration. One of the best note-taking apps for teams, Notion offers a variety of project management capabilities, including Kanban boards, tables, and lists to customize your workflow. Unique to Notion is the team wiki feature, which allows you to turn your team knowledge into a database of easy-to-find answers. If you're just looking for a personal note-taking solution, Notion may be overkill.
Features:
- Web app, desktop app, and apps for iOS and Android devices.
- Turn any type of project into a template, including multi-layered pages.
- Use tables to create databases or a team wiki.
- Nested hierarchical organization, including dropdowns.
- Collaborate in real time, mentioning coworkers when you need input or responses.
- Invite others to work on notes or share with your entire company.
- Embed 500+ other apps inside your Notion pages to create a hub for your team's work.
Best for: Teams that need an easy way to collaborate on notes while accessing a team wiki.
Cost: Free plan allows unlimited pages and blocks you can sync across devices and share with five guests. Paid plans start at $4 a month and offer unlimited guests, unlimited team members, admin tools, and advanced permissions.
10. Zoho Notebook
Zoho Notebook is a unique Evernote alternative, as it takes a novel approach to creating note types by using different note cards. Zoho offers different formatting for text notes, checklists, audio notes, photos, files, sketches, and smart notes with advanced formatting. Another distinction between Zoho Notebook and other solutions is a beautiful visual experience, with separate images for each notebook and colored backgrounds.
Features:
- Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux.
- Use pinch and swipe gestures to navigate the app and organize notes.
- Customize notebooks with image covers and color-coded note cards.
- Search for and organize notes using tags.
- Secure notes with passcodes or Touch ID.
- Automatically sync notes to the cloud across all your devices.
Best for: People who need to manage many different types of notes within the same app, and people who are visually inclined and want a beautiful experience.
Cost: Free
11. Apple Notes
If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you're probably already familiar with Apple Notes. While simple, Notes makes it easy to capture thoughts, create checklists, and sketch ideas quickly. It comes loaded on your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, so there's no need to download the app. To create a note, open the app, tap the 'compose' button, create your note, and tap 'Done.' Then it's saved and synced to all your devices. It couldn't be easier!
Features:
- Use iCloud to update your notes across all your devices.
- Pin important notes, so they are easier to find later.
- Create checklists to mark off as you finish.
- Format with headings, bold, italics, underline, strikethrough, and more.
- Scan and sign documents within the app.
- Add attachments like a website, photo, video, or Google map.
- Organize your notes in folders.
Best for: Apple users who want a quick and easy way to save thoughts, ideas, to-dos, notes, and attachments.
Cost: Free
12. Turtl
Turtl is a close all-in-one Evernote competitor, with the biggest difference being that it's a secure and encrypted open-source application. Turtl works well for any kind of notes or project, including passwords, shopping lists, bookmarks, and more long-form content. It also allows you to gain control of your data by installing your own Turtl server at home or work.
Features:
- Sync across devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android. An app for iOS is coming soon.
- Use bookmark browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
- Share and collaborate with teammates or family members who can access your data without compromising security.
- Protect note data with Turtl's high-end cryptography.
Best for: Entrepreneurs and individuals who want a secure and encrypted notebook that's collaborative.
Cost: Free for up to 50MB of note data and 3 collaborators. Paid plans start at $3/month and offer more storage and additional collaborators.
13. Quip
Owned by Salesforce, Quip brings all your notes, docs, and team members into one place where you can collaborate and chat with ease. A unique feature of Quip is its chat feature, which is built into every document. Quick to set up and easy to use, Quip makes it easy to get started with creating and maintaining living documents.
Features:
- Integrates with Salesforce's CRM software so you can create spreadsheets with live Salesforce data.
- Streamline your workflow with a built-in chat feature, team chat rooms, and 1:1 messaging.
- Templates for sales, service, marketing, manufacturing, project planning, and more to kickstart your workflow.
- Collaborate on documents and edit with others in real time.
- Out-of-the-box security with encrypted, auditable, and controlled data.
Best for: Teams that need to develop and maintain documents that change over time or organizations already using Salesforce.
Cost: Starter ($10/user/month) plan includes unlimited documents, spreadsheets, and slides with group chat and 1:1 messages. Enterprise ($25/user/month) plan adds single sign-on, enterprise API and customization, and custom live apps.
14. Roam Research
Marketed as a personal knowledge management system, Roam is a note-taking tool that's ideal for organizing ongoing research and collecting data. Roam was inspired by the Zettelkasten method of note taking, which involves writing lots of small notes on rearrangeable index cards instead of taking pages and pages of notes that you then have to sort through. Roam is unique because it allows you to collect notes using 'networked thought,' which helps you discover and create relationships between notes and ideas.
Features:
- Available through web browser.
- Use bidirectional links to link existing topics or ideas together.
- Use in-text links or page links at the bottom of notes to jump from one note to another.
- Get a bird's-eye view of all your pages and how they are linked using the graph overview.
- Insert code, images, videos, tables, nested lists, diagrams, and more.
Best for: Students and professionals who need to keep track of research or ideas over time and want to see how the ideas/data interconnect.
Cost: Professional plan ($15/month) offers up to three private or public Roam graphs, unlimited collaborators, and API access. Believer plan ($500/5 years) adds first access to new features, community calls with the team, and priority support.
15. Obsidian
A direct competitor to Roam, Obsidian markets itself as 'a second brain' that helps you make connections between your notes and ideas. This knowledge base works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files. Encouraging you to make connections between your ideas, Obsidian makes it easy to connect notes with backlinks and a graph view. The ability to use offline may be a game-changer for those who want to collect ideas or make notes without the distraction of the internet.
Features:
- Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- Use offline for a distraction-free experience.
- Connect ideas and notes using backlinks with a graph view for a bird's-eye view of connections.
- Split panes infinitely, resize, and pin to keep content linked.
- Build your own note-taking toolkit with plugins like graph view, page view, backlinks, daily notes, word count, and search.
Best for: Anyone who wants to organize their notes, data, and ideas by connecting and linking based on themes or topics.
Cost: Personal plan is free for personal use; no sign-up or account needed. The Catalyst ($25+ one-time payment) and Commercial ($50/user/year) plans offer additional support and access.
16. Nimbus Note
Nimbus Note is the ultimate note-taking, sharing, and organizing tool for easy collaboration across team members and clients. This powerful platform eliminates the scatterbrained feeling of juggling tools, folders, and those pesky sticky notes on your monitor. With customizable workspaces for team members to get on the same page, simple tracking, seamless embedding, and even live desktop screen recording, productivity for your team just got a whole lot better.
Features:
- Use isolated workspaces, each with their own access permissions, branding, and third-party integrations
- Unlimited nested folders for each workspace to manage complex projects
- Assemble notes with a block editor, which lets you embed files, audio, video, websites, and widgets like Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Drive
- Mobile app lets you scan papers and add them straight to your notes
- Flexible tables that act as spreadsheets, databases, or both
- Nimbus Capture lets you record desktop videos with a live feed from your webcam, with the ability to take on-screen notes
- Public pages that you can share with teams and clients with ease
- Embeddable code of shared Nimbus Pages for your website or blog
Best for: Project managers of small and large teams looking to consolidate all their documents and info in one collaborative workspace
Google Evernote Alternative Software
Cost: Pro Plan ($24.99/year), Business Plan ($70/year).
How to Pick the Best Evernote Alternative
If you aren't loving Evernote as much as you thought you would, there are plenty of note-taking applications that are just as good as, if not better than, Evernote. The key to picking the best Evernote alternative is to choose a program that has the features you care about most, fits in your budget, and works with the technology you're already using every day.
Start with a free trial from one of the contenders above to see if you like using the software.
Google Evernote Alternative Free
If you're ready to commit, check out our AppSumo deals on note-taking software like Ideanote and Sticky Notes.