Joplin & Standard Notes
FOSS Evernote alternatives — markdown sync, encrypted notes, the unsung workhorses.
Two FOSS picks that aren't trying to be Notion or Obsidian — they're trying to be the boring, reliable note app you actually use. Pair with pkm-overview-methodologies; see also pkm-obsidian-deep, pkm-trilium-silverbullet, pkm-migration-portability, selfhost-notes-wiki.
Joplin ★
- ★ ★ Free OSS (AGPL).
- ★ Markdown notes, notebooks (folders + sub-folders), tags.
- ★ E2E encrypted sync to Joplin Cloud (paid), self-hosted Joplin Server (free OSS), Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive, S3.
- ★ Mobile is good. iOS + Android first-class.
- ★ Web Clipper — official browser extension; clip to a notebook.
- Plugins — growing ecosystem; not Obsidian-deep but covers tasks, mermaid, footnotes, tabs.
- Import from Evernote is gold-standard — see pkm-migration-portability.
- https://github.com/laurent22/joplin
Pick Joplin if: you want an FOSS Evernote replacement, you need encrypted cross-device sync without Obsidian's Sync subscription, and you don't need Obsidian-grade plugins.
Standard Notes
- ★ Free + paid; OSS (AGPL).
- ★ End-to-end encryption is the design centre; widely audited.
- Plain text core, paid editors unlock markdown / rich text / spreadsheets / 2FA codes.
- Self-host server option (free).
- Tags + nested tags + smart views as organisation.
- Subscriptions are pricey vs. peers (~$8/mo Pro) — paying for the editors is the model.
- https://github.com/standardnotes/app
Pick Standard Notes if: encryption is the top priority, you want a simple text app rather than a database, and you're OK with the editor paywall (or running plain text).
Joplin vs. Standard Notes vs. Obsidian
| Joplin | Standard Notes | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSS | yes (AGPL) | yes (AGPL) | no (free for personal) |
| Encryption | E2E | E2E (default) | none built-in (3rd party plugins) |
| Markdown | yes | paid editor | yes |
| Mobile | strong | strong | strong |
| Plugins | growing | small | huge |
| Backlinks / graph | weak | none | strong |
| Self-host sync | yes | yes | yes (3rd party) |
Sync setups (free)
- ★ Joplin Server — official OSS server; runs as Docker; the cleanest self-host. See selfhost-notes-wiki.
- ★ Joplin + Nextcloud / WebDAV — your existing Nextcloud works as the sync backend.
- Joplin + Syncthing — flat-file sync of the Joplin DB; works but conflict resolution is rougher.
- Standard Notes self-hosted server — Docker; lighter than Joplin Server.
Joplin's killer features
- Evernote import is the best in the FOSS world — preserves attachments, tags, notebooks, dates. The default landing for Evernote refugees.
- Beautiful PDF output — markdown → PDF works well for sharing.
- Web Clipper is faster than Obsidian's was pre-2024.
- Built-in encryption — a checkbox; not a plugin chain.
Standard Notes' killer features
- Plain text first — there's something restful about a notes app that resists feature creep.
- Audit history — paid plan keeps revisions.
- Two-factor codes editor — neat side-feature; replaces a 2FA app.
Limitations
- Joplin has no real backlinks / graph; tags + folders only. Not a Zettelkasten tool.
- Standard Notes is intentionally minimal — no graph, no Dataview, no plugins ecosystem.
- Both are worse than Obsidian for power-user PKM. They're better at "I want my notes encrypted, on my devices, working forever."
Other FOSS Evernote-shape options
- Turtl — older OSS encrypted notes; mostly inactive.
- CherryTree — desktop-only hierarchical notes; quirky but stable.
- QOwnNotes — markdown notes with ownCloud / Nextcloud sync; KDE-flavoured.
- Notesnook — open core; encrypted; commercial-friendly free tier; growing in 2024-26.
- Saber — FOSS handwriting + markdown notes (Flutter); niche but interesting on tablets.
Pick this if…
- You want encrypted FOSS notes with great mobile: Joplin (or Standard Notes if encryption is the top priority).
- You're migrating off Evernote: Joplin — its import is the reason.
- You want to self-host but not run a complex stack: Joplin Server or Standard Notes server.
- You want backlinks / graph: these aren't your tools — go to pkm-obsidian-deep or pkm-logseq-deep.
- You're a team: see selfhost-notes-wiki.