European Alternatives to Evernote
Evernote is a note-taking app now owned by a Bending Spoons (Italian company). Notes are stored in the cloud without end-to-end encryption, and the company has a history of controversial data access policies.
Why Switch from Evernote?
- ⚠Notes stored without end-to-end encryption — provider can read them
- ⚠Controversial privacy policy changes allowing employee note access
- ⚠Significant price increases after ownership change
- ⚠Limited export options make migrating away difficult
1 European Alternative
Sorted by privacy score
Joplin
Open-source note-taking with encryption. Markdown-based, cross-platform.
| Tool | Score | Privacy | Pricing | OSS | EU Data | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1Joplin Open-source note-taking with encryption. Markdown-based, cross-platform. High Trust | 84 | 90 | Free | ✓ | ✓ | 🇬🇧 |
Open-source note-taking with encryption. Markdown-based, cross-platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best European alternative to Evernote?
Joplin (UK/France open-source community) is the most feature-compatible replacement — it supports notebooks, tags, search, and markdown, with optional E2E encryption. Standard Notes (UK, now part of Proton) is more minimal but highly secure.
Can I import my Evernote notes into Joplin?
Yes — Joplin has a built-in Evernote import tool that imports ENEX export files, preserving notes, notebooks, attachments, and tags with high fidelity.
Is Joplin free?
Yes — Joplin is completely free and open-source. Optional Joplin Cloud sync costs €1.99-9.99/month, hosted in Europe. You can also sync for free via Nextcloud or any WebDAV service.
Does Joplin have mobile apps?
Yes — Joplin has apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The mobile apps support offline access, search, and note creation, similar to Evernote.