1. The Evernote alternative solutions listed below offer similar collaboration features that allow teams to communicate, share documents, and track project progress effectively. However, there are some key differences between these solutions.
2. Joplin is a free and open-source Evernote alternative that is great for taking notes and organizing your to-dos. You can search for your notes, copy them, tag them, and even modify them.

Let us start with our review guide of Evernote alternatives: Evernote is a sturdy note-taking app that offers a quick gathering of notes, the development of to-do lists, and the list management of. 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.

When note-taking app Evernote launched back in 2004, it was a bold, innovative software product that promised to help us remember… well, everything.

In 2004, Evernote was in the enviable position of being first-to-market. Evernote was among the very first software products to offer native apps for Windows, OS X, Android, and iOS. It was one of the first tools to offer cloud syncing as a baseline feature. The earliest versions of Evernote were incredibly generous in terms of how much storage users were given for free.

Fast-forward to today. Evernote is still around, but it’s a shadow of its former self. It’s much more expensive than it used to be. Some legacy bugs and stability issues still haven’t been fixed. Even Evernote’s Business plan offers very little value for teams.

Now there are dozens of note-taking apps and organizational tools we can use to keep our digital lives in order. But which Evernote alternatives are worth looking at and which should you avoid?

That’s exactly what we’ll be looking at in this post.

Below, we explore three Evernote alternatives and offer a rundown of each. We’ve examined each tool’s strengths and weaknesses relative to Evernote. By the end of this post, you’ll have a much better idea of how these tools stack up and how they can help you organize your digital life.

Evernote Alternative #1: Bear

The first alternative to Evernote we’ll be looking at is Bear by app development studio Shiny Frog. Of the three Evernote alternatives we’ve reviewed, Bear is the “purest” note-taking app of them all.

The first thing you’ll probably notice about Bear is that it looks a lot like a mash-up of Slack and a generic email client. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the simplicity of Bear’s sleek, minimal UI––and its simplicity as a whole––is one of the app’s major selling points.

One of the biggest problems with Evernote in recent years is bloat. Bear was seemingly designed with this in mind. Bear might not have as many features as Evernote. But it runs a lot faster––so much faster that most long-time Evernote users will probably feel the difference immediately.

This is especially true on mobile. Bear’s mobile app, which is only available for iOS, feels a lot faster than Evernote. Its mobile UI is similarly quick, utilizing familiar slide-and-swipe gestures to sort, delete, and pin notes. The icons used throughout the app are intuitive and the app does a decent job of walking new users through its features.

One of the biggest differences between Bear and Evernote is Bear’s organizational structure. Unlike Evernote, which relies on the Notes/Notebooks schema, Bear favors a Slack-like hashtag system that organizes relevant items by hashtag. One of the most immediate benefits of hashtag organization is that one note can be saved across multiple relevant hashtags. Notes in Bear can also be assigned an unlimited number of tags.

Another of Bear’s handiest features is the ability to link between notes. This might not sound that impressive but it’s amazing how few tools offer this functionality. (Google Docs still doesn’t do this after fourteen years!) Bear’s linking works similarly to adding a hyperlink to a text document. Best of all, there’s no limit on how many links you can add between notes.

In terms of pricing, Bear’s free version is solid. Almost all of Bear’s core functionality is available without purchasing a Pro subscription. The one feature you may be tempted to pay for is the ability to sync Bear across multiple devices. This feature is not available in Bear’s free version, nor are Bear’s custom themes and export options. Generally, though, Bear’s free version will probably be enough for casual users.

Now that we’ve taken a look at Bear, let’s summarize the pros and cons.

Bear: Pros

Bear is a quick, lightweight note-taking app that looks and feels great. Here’s what we really liked about it:

• Clean, elegant UI
• Great mobile functionality
• Flexible hashtag organization
• Fast, responsive search function
• Linking between notes

Bear: Cons

No software product is without its faults. Here’s where we thought Bear fell short:

• Only available for iOS/OS X; no Android or Windows versions available
• No sharing/collaboration features
• No password protection/encryption options
• No notifications or reminders for timely tasks

If you’re an Apple user, Bear is a lightweight, capable note-taking tool that offers much of the functionality of Evernote without the bloat. But it’s a shame that Android and Windows users have been left out in the cold.

Evernote Alternative #2: Notion

Some people might argue that comparing Evernote to Notion isn’t really fair. After all, Evernote is primarily a note-taking app aimed at individuals, whereas Notion is an all-in-one workspace designed for teams.

Although this is true, it’s also fair to say that––for better or worse––Evernote has become much more than a note-taking app since it launched in 2004. It’s also fair to say that Notion has become one of Evernote’s greatest competitors.

Notion is built on the idea of Blocks. Everything in a Notion workspace is a Block. Paragraphs of text, images, embedded spreadsheets or calendars, to-do lists––all of these elements can be added to a single Notion “page” as individual Blocks that make up a workspace. This concept of Blocks is what makes Notion so powerful. A Notion workspace can be whatever you need it to be.

The biggest difference between Evernote and Notion is that Notion was built for teams from the outset. Evernote tried––and largely failed––to make the leap from a personal tool aimed at consumers to a collaborative tool aimed at teams. Notion, however, was designed with teams in mind. Notion’s collaboration features are very strong. Items can be shared with and assigned to team members. Notifications can be set to alert multiple users of pending meetings, deadlines, or urgent tasks. Changes made to one Block can cascade throughout workspaces. In this way, Notion is closer to tools like Airtable that utilize relational databases than a mere note-taking application.

For all its strengths, Notion has two fundamental weaknesses. The first is its flexibility. Although Notion can do pretty much whatever you want it to, that flexibility can make Notion intimidating to newcomers. Even creating a simple note brings up half a dozen potential templates to choose from. This makes Notion less than ideal for taking quick notes in a hurry. The second drawback is Notion’s speed. Notion is a very powerful tool. Unfortunately, this means that the tool as a whole can feel sluggish at times. This can feel especially painful on mobile.

Pricing-wise, Notion is reasonable. Notion’s free version is decent, but has a 1,000-block limit and an upload restriction of just 5MB. Notion is also available on Personal and Team plans, priced at $4 and $8 per month respectively. Notion also offers an Enterprise tier aimed at larger teams priced at $20 per user per month with a dedicated support manager.

Now let’s talk pros and cons.

Notion: Pros

We like Notion a lot. What does it get right?

• Very reasonable pricing
• Flexible, diverse toolset with broad functionality
• Clean, minimal UI
• Strong collaborative features

Notion: Cons

Notion is a capable tool but it isn’t perfect. Where could Notion improve?

• Not ideal for taking quick notes on the fly
• Learning curve can be steeper than that of comparable tools
• Can feel sluggish at times, particularly on mobile

Evernote Alternative #3: OneNote

The third Evernote competitor we’ll be looking at is Microsoft’s OneNote, a deceptively capable note-taking app that can do a lot more besides.

OneNote is unique in that it looks like a classically Microsoft product but feels like a blend of Evernote and Notion. Open OneNote and you’re presented with an unmistakably Microsoft interface that looks very similar to Outlook and Office. However, that’s where the similarities end.

Once you get past the familiar toolbar navigation at the top of the screen, you’ll notice that OneNote uses a blended notebook/tab system as its primary organizational scheme. First you have Notebooks, which are listed in the left-most column. Each Notebook can be broken down into distinct Sections. Finally, each Section can have multiple Pages, which function similarly to Notion’s freeform workspaces.

This is a little more complex than OneNote’s old tab system, but it’s still easy enough to see where you are in your OneNote file system at a quick glance. You can also add tags to individual elements within OneNote to keep track of your stuff.

Once you drill down into OneNote’s workspaces, you’ll find they’re as flexible and powerful as Notion’s workspaces. Similarly to Notion, OneNote allows you to add many different elements to a workspace. You can add images (including handwritten notes), checklists, media files, and file attachments to OneNote’s spaces. In this regard, OneNote feels much closer to a real notebook than Notion does. OneNote also supports simultaneous editing by multiple users. There’s a little lag between user input and edits displaying in real time, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker.

Like Evernote’s popular Web Clipper, OneNote allows you to save content from virtually any page and store it in OneNote. You can clip a single image or entire webpage, including PDFs. Clipped items can be categorized, tagged, and stored like any other item. This makes OneNote a very capable tool for researchers and users working across a wide range of source material.

In terms of pricing, OneNote is unique in that the product itself is completely free. It doesn’t even have a premium or pro tier. Instead, storage in OneNote is connected directly to a user’s OneDrive account. This is a blessing and a curse. If you’re already using OneDrive, you’re probably already using OneNote, too. If you aren’t using OneDrive, though, switching to another cloud storage provider is quite an ask. OneNote allows you to export notes to virtually every major productivity tool including G Suite, but the connection to OneDrive is its biggest weakness.

Now, let’s see what OneNote gets right and where it could use some improvement.

OneNote: Pros

OneNote looks like a Microsoft product but doesn’t feel like one. Here’s what we liked about OneNote:

• Smart, intuitive organizational structure
• Powerful, flexible workspaces
• Great for casual/quick note-taking
• Solid collaboration and sharing functionality
• Integrations with most major products and services
• Completely free to use

OneNote: Cons

OneNote is a strong Evernote alternative, but it isn’t perfect. Here’s what disappointed us about OneNote:

• No longer any dedicated desktop app; OneNote for Windows 10 is now the default OneNote experience in both Office 365 and Office 2019
• Microsoft OneDrive account required
• No advanced security options/two-factor authentication

Making the Switch from Evernote

Even ten years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine not just one, but several, software products threatening Evernote’s dominance. Evernote isn’t a bad product––it’s just not nearly as good as it used to be.

Fortunately for users, Evernote’s loss is their gain. There’s never been a better time to make the switch from Evernote to a competing tool. That said, there are some users who would probably benefit from sticking with Evernote. All three of the tools above make it easy to import notebooks and notes from Evernote. However, unless you urgently need any of the functionality Evernote lacks, it might be worth sticking with Evernote.

Microsoft OneNote is one of the most popular note-taking tools, but it is primarily for Windows users, and limited functionality with Linux, macOS, Android, or iOS.

If OneNote isn’t your cup of tea, We’ve handpicked 11 alternatives to OneNote for you to choose. Let’s get right into first.

Contents

1. Evernote

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

Even if you’ve never used it, you’ve probably heard of Evernote. It is probably the most popular note-taking app today. And we pick it as the first and best alternative to OneNote.

Firstly, it offers the same basic functionality as OneNote – the ability to create, organize and sync notes among multiple platforms, including Windows PCs, Macs, iPads and iPhones, Windows Phones, Android devices and the web.

Then, Evernote has a handful of features that support collaboration. Among them, you can share any notebook by right-clicking on it and selecting “share notebook.” Input the email addresses of those with whom you want to share your notebook and select the type of access permissions you want to grant them: view, edit or edit and invite.

Finally, Evernote has a handy chat feature that can be used to discuss notes.

Related Post:Evernote vs OneNote: The Best App for Note-Taking in 2020

Pros:

• Offline access
• Syncing across multiple platforms and devices
• Quick to capture notes and thoughts
• Sharing capabilities
• Easy to use layout

Cons:

• Web application has limited features especially with respect to images.
• No option to record audio and video directly from Evernote.

Pricing: Evernote Basic- Free, Evernote Premium- $69.99/year, and Evernote Business- $14.99/user/month.

2. Notion

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web

Notion is an all new task and project management tool which stands out different from the peers. It’s basically like a folder that contains everything you need such as documents, notes, tasks, wikis, database, and more to help you manage workload quite efficiently.

Pros:

• Allows flexible management of individual and team projects
• Easy on-boarding
• Provides for unrestricted access including offline
• Customizable and distraction free

Cons:

• Offline access is limited to only recently opened pages
• No handwriting support

Pricing: Notion has four pricing tiers—a Free plan, a Personal plan for $4 a month, a Team plan at $8 per member per month, and an Enterprise plan at $20 per member per month.

3. Google Keep

Platforms: Android, iOS, Web

Google Keep is similar to OneNote but with a simpler approach. It lets you take down short notes with just a basic title and your note content. You can also choose to add an image to a note and color code each note.

Pros:

• Create notes and lists, set time and place reminders, and check off your completed tasks.
• Add a collaborator to your notes and lists, then get things done together.
• Search notes by automagically created topics.
• Integrated with Gmail and Chrome to easily create notes
• Access your notes on any device – synced automatically to your phone, tablet, watch, and laptop.

Cons:

• Google Keep is best for short notes or short-term notes. But if you have a long list of notes, it might be unmanageable.
• It never notifies when some new notes are added to the shared list.
• You may notice some problems with syncing data between devices

Pricing: Free

4. Apple Notes

Platforms: iPhone/iPad/Mac

OneNote is default for Windows users. Similarly, as for Apple users, Apple Notes is the default option for them. Starting with Apple Notes, the software allows you to create multiple notebooks. You can create sub-notebooks inside it. When editing a note, you can choose from Title, Headings, Subheading, Monospaced, Bullet list, and Numbered list. Users can also integrate photos and documents inside a note.

Pros:

• Nativity with iOS
• Simple yet useful app

Cons:

• There is no way to tag;

Pricing: Free

5. Notability

Platforms: iOS, macOS, Android, Chrome, and Windows

Notability is a powerful note-taker to annotate documents, sketch ideas, record lectures, take notes and more. It combines, typing, handwriting, audio recording, and photos so you can create notes that fit your needs.

Pros:

• Audio recording
• Vertical and horizontal scrolling
• Change size and color of pen after it’s written
• Color picker tool, making it super easy to match your pens to your planner colors
• Can add gifs
• Syncs with iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox and works perfectly

Cons:

• Can’t select all pages or move multiple pages at once
• Can’t open 2 planners at once
• No conversion from handwriting to text

Pricing: $8.99 on iOS / $4.99 macOS/In-app purchases in the Notability shop.

6. GoodNotes

Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices

GoodNotes is a note-taking app, but it’s nothing like note-taking apps you’re used to using. It isn’t meant to be used for typing (though you can type). It’s specifically designed as a handwriting app so you can use your Apple Pencil or another stylus. You can create sketches for presentation, annotate PDFs that you’ve imported, and even search all of your notes — handwritten, typed, or imported as a PDF. Here are dozens of paper styles, including lined paper in a variety of sizes, dotted paper, grids, column pages for accounting, and more.

Pros:

• Three custom pen colors always available and just one tap to switch between them
• Pictures inserted into the notes are able to be moved around
• The *NEW* unlimited organization of notebooks within folders
• THE SEARCH FEATURE!

Cons:

• The pages don’t auto-lock to the width of the screen.
• The developers do not let you decide the backup file format.
• There is no voice recording function.

Pricing: GoodNotes 5 costs $7.99. If you previously purchased a prior version of the app, there is a Complete My Bundle option that lets you just pay the difference between whatever you previously paid and $7.99.

7. Simplenote

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Simplenote is another good alternative to OneNote. It offers markdown support, cross-platform apps, and can be accessed through most web browsers. On Simplenote, users are permitted to record an almost unlimited number of text-based notes on the platform. Once the note has been composed, it can be pinned to the top of a list for immediate access.

Pros:

• Simple and clean UI
• Markdown support that allows users to write, preview, and publish notes
• Instant searching through tags
• Users are allowed to export data
• Collaborative features to work together

Cons:

• No reminder
• No social media integration
• Poor save-to-disk feature

Pricing: Free

8. Zoho Notebook

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

Zoho Notebook sets itself apart by allowing you to incorporate graphics, colors, and photos into your notes. If you’re a visual person, using these features to store your notes will help simplify the organization of your data⁠. You can also add multiple types of media to your notes, including audio, checklists, and files.

Pros:

• Audio notes
• Cloud Syncing
• Pre-built checklist
• Completely free and ad-free

Cons:

• No text formatting
• Lacks some features like tag search

Pricing: Free

9. Bear

Platform: iOS, Mac, Apple Watch

This simple note-taking app was released in 2016 and has quickly become one of the most popular tools of its kind thanks to its simplicity and clean, intuitive UI. Also, It features powerful Markdown capability and an excellent writing experience.

Pros:

• Multiple themes and rich previews
• To-dos and Hashtags
• Focus mode
• Multiple export options
• Advanced Markup Editor

Cons:

• No tabs, so you can view only one note at a time
• Only available for Apple devices

Best Free Alternative To Evernote

Pricing: Free or $1.49 monthly and $14.99 annually

10. Laverna

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Web

Laverna is a JavaScript note taking application with Markdown editor and encryption support.

Laverna’s main selling point is its focus on privacy. Your notes are never stored on the company’s servers. However, you can store your data on Dropbox or RemoteStorage if you want to sync across devices. It’s also possible to set a password that’ll encrypt your notes, too.

Like Evernote

Pros:

• All notes are written in Markdown with a live preview window
• It has three levels of organization; profiles, notebooks, and tags
• It has distraction-free editing mode

Cons:

• Cannot drag and drop images for upload
• A few bugs in the system

Pricing: Free

11. Turtl

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android

Turtl is a secure OneNote alternative. It lets you take notes, bookmark websites, and store documents for sensitive projects. From sharing passwords with your coworkers to tracking research on an article you’re writing, Turtl keeps it all safe from everyone but you and those you share with.

Pros:

• Turtl stores your info encrypted
• You can easily share boards of bookmarks & notes you can synch files & images it’s cross platform & free

Cons:

• Limited storage on its free plan

Pricing: Turtl has a free to use plan that allows you to store up to 50mb of data and it’s paid plans start at $3 a month.

Summary: Best OneNote Alternative

To wrap it up, there are many note-taking apps are better than OneNote for specific tasks you’re doing.

Best Alternative To Evernote

Evernote is still the top pick for most people who looking for a OneNote alternative. Its vast feature set ensures that it does everything well enough and has the fewest quirks

For Mac and iOS users, Apple Notes and Bear might be good OneNote alternatives.

Alternative To Evernote Android

If you focus on privacy and data security, Laverna and Turtl are good choices.

Finally, the true best OneNote alternative is the one that fits your needs.