If you’re looking to move off Evernote, you have options. Real ones. Here are the 4 open-source, self-hostable alternatives I’ve tested, with honest notes on what each does well and where each falls short.
Why leave Evernote?
- Repeated price hikes and feature paywalls.
- Notes locked in a proprietary format with limited export.
- Slow app and syncing issues that never got fixed.
The 4 best self-hosted alternatives to Evernote
Joplin
The direct Evernote replacement. Markdown-first, sync via your own server or Nextcloud.
Visit Joplin website →Trilium Notes
Hierarchical notes with note relations. Power-user territory.
Visit Trilium Notes website →Obsidian (local vault)
Not open source but your notes are just markdown files on your disk. Zero lock-in.
Visit Obsidian (local vault) website →Standard Notes
End-to-end encrypted notes with a self-host option. Extensions gated behind paid tier.
Visit Standard Notes website →Quick comparison
| Alternative | Difficulty | License |
|---|---|---|
| Joplin | Easy | AGPL-3.0 |
| Trilium Notes | Medium | AGPL-3.0 |
| Obsidian (local vault) | Easy | Proprietary (free tier) |
| Standard Notes | Easy | AGPL-3.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Evernote?
Yes. Every tool listed above is free and open source. Some, like Joplin, also have optional paid hosted tiers if you don’t want to run the server yourself. Everything else is genuinely free to self-host — you pay only for your own hardware and time.
Which one should I pick if I’ve never self-hosted anything before?
Start with Joplin. It’s the lowest-friction option here — realistic to have running in an afternoon on a small server or Raspberry Pi. If it doesn’t fit your workflow, Trilium Notes is a good second try.
Can I run these on a Raspberry Pi?
Most of them, yes — the tools marked Easy here will comfortably run on a Pi 4 or Pi 5 with 4GB+ of RAM. The Medium tools may work but appreciate a mini PC or a spare desktop. Hard-tagged tools generally want real server hardware.
What about mobile apps?
It varies. Tools like Vaultwarden and Immich have native iOS/Android apps that connect to your server. Others rely on the web UI through your phone browser — fine for occasional use, not a full app experience.