Is Evernote free? What it actually costs in 2026
Yes, there is a free tier — with limits.
Free tier: 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 device, 1GB storage. Starter: $8.25/month billed annually ($99/yr) or $14.99/month billed monthly — 1,000 notes, 20 notebooks, 3 devices, 5GB storage. Advanced (recommended tier on Evernote's own pricing page): $20.83/month billed annually ($249.99/yr) or $24.99-$24/month billed monthly — unlimited notes/notebooks/storage/devices (subject to unpublished 'safeguard limits'). Team plans (Flexible) start around $10-14.99/seat/month; Enterprise is custom-priced. Verified directly against evernote.com/pricing and evernote.com/compare-plans, July 2026.
When paying is still the right call
If your workflow depends on Evernote's OCR-searchable scanned documents and Web Clipper, or you're a team that wants a fully-hosted, zero-maintenance product with dedicated support and SSO (Enterprise tier), Evernote remains a mature, well-supported choice — nobody has to run a server, and the search quality across large note libraries is still excellent.
What you are locked into
Notes live in Evernote's proprietary format inside its cloud; the only real export path is .enex (an Evernote-specific XML format) generated from the desktop app, notebook by notebook or in an all-notes batch — the web app cannot export .enex at all. Most competing apps (Joplin, Standard Notes, and paid third-party migration tools) can import .enex, but formatting, note history, and some attachment metadata don't always round-trip perfectly. There's no one-click migration to a self-hosted platform.
If you would rather not pay: Joplin
Joplin
A free, open-source, Markdown-based note app with end-to-end encrypted sync and native Evernote import.
Core app is free forever with no note/device caps. Sync is free if you bring your own WebDAV/Nextcloud/S3/Dropbox target, or self-host Joplin Server for personal use at no cost; Joplin Cloud (managed hosted sync) starts around $2.99/month.
See all 3 Evernote alternatives comparedCompare the free options head-to-head
Pricing is verified against the vendor's published figures and dated above. Vendors change prices — confirm current numbers with Evernote Corporation (Bending Spoons) before you commit. More notes & knowledge decisions on Macrostack.