commons
Built in the open
THE REPLACEMENT INDEX

Open alternatives to Evernote.

Compare projects for personal notes. Pick the workflow you need, then check the gaps and adoption documentation.

Want to help build an alternative?

Platforms describe available clients; self-hosted services still need a server. “Mixed licenses” means editions or components have different terms.

A PLACE TO START

Open alternatives exist. Start a Commons project.

The curated references below are independent upstream projects. A member-owned Commons project is a separate place to share work and coordinate a team.

No Commons project is linked to Evernote yet. Add yours or use the guide to start one.

How to start one
1 project for this comparison

Reviewed upstream alternatives

Comparisons cover specific workflows, not complete feature parity. An active alpha can be worth building while still being unsuitable for daily work.

Productivity

Joplin

Established project

Personal notes, Markdown, attachments and synchronization across devices.

Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOSLocal / Self-hosted / HostedAGPL-3.0-or-later · clientsMixed licenses
Personal notes, attachments and web clippingSelected workflows

Review note import and synchronization. Client and server licensing differ.

Sources, activity & license scope

Joplin Server uses a separate Personal Use License. The client and server should not be treated as one AGPL product.

License source Release: 3.7.21 · Sep 25, 2026
Workflow source

Reviewed Oct 14, 2026 · Commons editorial research

Explore project Adoption & documentation

Independent curated reference · discuss it here; contribute upstream.