Joplin

Joplin is a free, open source note-taking and to-do app built for people who want to keep control of their data. Notes are stored in an open Markdown format, sync through whatever service you choose, and can be protected with end-to-end encryption, so no company, including the Joplin project itself, can read them.

The app covers the classic notebook model: notebooks can be nested, notes support full Markdown with images, attachments, math notation and checkboxes for to-do lists, and everything is searchable. A web clipper extension for Firefox and Chrome saves pages, screenshots or simplified articles straight into a notebook.

Sync is deliberately flexible. Joplin Cloud is the project's own paid hosting, with sharing and publishing features, but you can also sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3, a self-hosted Joplin Server, or simply the file system. End-to-end encryption applies to whatever target you pick: notes are encrypted on the device before they leave it, and only your devices hold the keys.

Desktop apps exist for Windows, macOS and Linux, with mobile apps for Android and iOS and a terminal application for the command-line inclined. Everything works offline first; sync happens in the background when a connection is available, and sync conflicts are kept as copies rather than silently overwriting anything.

The plugin system and theming support go a long way: there are community plugins for calendars, note linking, kanban boards and much more, and the editor can switch between a rich text view and a split Markdown view. Notes can also be published to the web with a link when they sync through Joplin Cloud or Server.

On the weaker side, the interface is functional rather than beautiful, and the desktop app can feel heavy for a notes tool since it is built on Electron. Real-time collaboration like you get in Notion or Google Docs is not there; sharing works, but not simultaneous editing. And while encryption is a major selling point, it only protects data once you turn it on and complete the setup on every device, which trips up new users.

Joplin is the natural home for anyone leaving Evernote or OneNote who wants open formats, offline access and real encryption without giving up sync. It imports Evernote ENEX files directly, which makes the switch easier than most.

A note on the numbers: this figure covers GitHub release downloads only; it does not include downloads from other channels or represent unique users.