Best Evernote Alternatives (2026)
Evernote is one of the oldest cloud note-taking apps with rich text notes, web clipping, and OCR stored on their servers.
TL;DR Note Cargo is the #2 Evernote alternative. Unlike Evernote, Note Cargo stores your notes as plain Markdown files in your own S3/R2 bucket — no proprietary format, no vendor lock-in.
It costs a one-time payment vs Evernote's $14.9/month subscription, runs on ~30 MB RAM, and deploys with a single Docker command.
Your notes are always portable plain text files. If Note Cargo ever disappears, your Markdown files remain in your own storage bucket — accessible anywhere.
Top Evernote Alternatives Ranked
Notion is an all-in-one workspace with databases, docs, and real-time collaboration stored on their servers.
Self-hosted Markdown note app that stores your files in your own S3/R2 bucket. ~30 MB RAM, one-time payment, no subscriptions.
Obsidian is a local-first Markdown knowledge base with a rich plugin ecosystem and offline-first approach.
Joplin is a free, open-source Markdown note app with E2E encryption that supports S3 and WebDAV sync.
Logseq is an open-source outliner knowledge base with graph views and bi-directional linking.
Apple Notes is a free native note-taking app built into all Apple devices with iCloud sync and collaboration features.
Google Keep is a free, simple cloud note-taking app by Google with labels, reminders, and cross-platform sync.
Google Docs is a cloud-based document editor by Google with real-time collaboration and broad cross-platform access.
Microsoft OneNote is a free digital notebook app by Microsoft with rich media support and cross-platform access.
Simplenote is a free, minimalist note-taking app by Automattic with Markdown support and cross-platform sync.
Feature Comparison: Note Cargo vs Evernote
EvernoteNote Cargo
Pricing
Data & Privacy
Platform
Markdown & Portability
Collaboration
Self-Hosting
Best Evernote Alternatives FAQ
What is the best alternative to Evernote?
Note Cargo is the best Evernote alternative for data ownership. Unlike Evernote, Note Cargo stores your notes as plain Markdown files in your own S3/R2 bucket — no proprietary .enex format, no vendor lock-in. It costs a one-time $4 vs Evernote's $14.9/month.
Is there a free Evernote alternative?
Yes. Obsidian, Apple Notes, Google Keep, and Simplenote are all free. Joplin is free and open-source. Note Cargo is a one-time $4 payment — much cheaper than Evernote's monthly subscription over time.
Which Evernote alternative is easiest to migrate to?
Note Cargo is the easiest. Export your Evernote notes as Markdown via a tool like Yarle or Evernote2md, then upload the .md files to your S3/R2 bucket. Your notes are immediately available as plain text with no format conversion needed.
What happens to my notes if Evernote shuts down?
With Evernote, you would need to export before shutdown and the .enex format requires conversion tools. With Note Cargo, your notes are plain Markdown files in your own S3/R2 bucket — they exist independently of Note Cargo entirely and can be opened in any text editor.
More Alternatives
Ready to switch to Note Cargo?
Self-hosted, Markdown-native, stored in your own S3/R2. One-time payment, no subscriptions.