What is Joplin used for?

Joplin is a free, open-source, offline-first note-taking and to-do app with Markdown notes, end-to-end encrypted sync, plugins and apps for desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for replacing Evernote with a private notes app, keeping notes synced across phone and laptop, and clipping web pages into searchable notes.

Is Joplin open source?

Yes. Joplin is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at laurent22/joplin and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. Joplin is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from €2.99 per month.

Can I self-host Joplin?

Yes. Joplin can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Joplin an alternative to?

Joplin is an open-source alternative to Evernote, Notion, Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes. Other open-source alternatives to Evernote include Notesnook, Trilium Notes and Standard Notes.

Is Joplin actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Joplin was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v3.7.21, published on 25 September 2026. The project has 57k stars on GitHub.

Joplin: open-source alternative to Evernote, Notion

About Joplin

Joplin is a note-taking and to-do application, free and open source, that can manage large collections of notes organized into notebooks. Notes are written in Markdown, are searchable, can be tagged, and can be edited either in the app or in your own text editor. Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

The app is offline first, so all your data lives on your phone or computer and stays accessible without a connection. Notes can be synchronized with end-to-end encryption through services such as Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive and Joplin Cloud, and topics also mention WebDAV. Full-text search is available on every platform, and plugins and themes let you customize the app. A web clipper saves pages, and notes exported from Evernote can be imported with formatting, attachments and metadata intact; plain Markdown files can be imported as well.

The repository license is listed as 'Other', so check its terms if you plan to redistribute. Joplin is a popular choice for people who want an Evernote replacement that keeps data local or on storage they already control.

Key features

Markdown notes organized into notebooks
Offline-first storage on your own devices
End-to-end encrypted sync via Nextcloud, Dropbox or OneDrive
Evernote import with attachments and metadata
Plugins and themes
Web clipper for saving pages
Apps for desktop and mobile

Good fit for

→Replacing Evernote with a private notes app
→Keeping notes synced across phone and laptop
→Clipping web pages into searchable notes

Built with: TypeScript; React Native; Node.js; Electron; JavaScript
Tags: note-taking; markdown; offline-first; encryption; evernote-alternative; sync; to-do; privacy

Joplin: questions and answers

What is Joplin used for?: Joplin is a free, open-source, offline-first note-taking and to-do app with Markdown notes, end-to-end encrypted sync, plugins and apps for desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for replacing Evernote with a private notes app, keeping notes synced across phone and laptop, and clipping web pages into searchable notes.
Is Joplin open source?: Yes. Joplin is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at laurent22/joplin and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Joplin free?: Yes. Joplin is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from €2.99 per month.
Can I self-host Joplin?: Yes. Joplin can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Joplin an alternative to?: Joplin is an open-source alternative to Evernote, Notion, Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes. Other open-source alternatives to Evernote include Notesnook, Trilium Notes and Standard Notes.
Is Joplin actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Joplin was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v3.7.21, published on 25 September 2026. The project has 57k stars on GitHub.