Introduction
In my quest for the ideal alternative to Evernote, I’ve been assessing numerous note-taking apps. This evaluation is just one aspect of a broader project aimed at comparing various note-taking platforms. For further details, feel free to explore this post: Finding the perfect alternative for Evernote.
Assesment Evernote
In the early 2010s, Evernote boasted a valuation exceeding $1 billion and was hailed as the premier note-taking app and it had no equal in the market. How times have changed… Over the ensuing decade, it faced a string of setbacks and eventually was acquired by Bending Spoons in 2023, presumably at a significantly reduced price. Since then, prices skyrocketed, followed by mass layoffs of its original staff. Meanwhile, competitors such as Microsoft steadily enhanced the alternatives to Evernote. Despite its challenges, Evernote continues to function effectively, almost in spite of itself. However, for new users, the steep price tag makes Evernote a less compelling option. For example, the current price is higher then a full Office 365 Personal subscription. Its main appeal lies in its existing user base who are so far reluctant to transition to alternative platforms.
PROS
- Evernote is a well-developed and reliable product.
- In many ways, Evernote has long been a market leader and innovator, thus proving itself.
- Creating new notes is fast, easy, and reliable, regardless of the platform you’re using (except for Linux, unfortunately)
CONS
- In recent years, significant and strong price increases.
- Falls short on some fronts, lacking features that are taken for granted in other solutions.
- Leaving the platform and exporting data is frustrating and requires a lot of effort.
| Topic |
Score (1-10)
|
| Product |
6,4 |
| Platform support |
8,5 |
| Characteristics vendor/product |
4 |
| Functionality |
8,7 |
| Integrations |
4 |
| Personal evaluation |
7 |
Criteria
Product
Platform
Characteristics
Functionality
Integrations
Personal
- Supplier: Bending Spoons (since January 2023)
- Product/service: Evernote Personal
- Product/service: Evernote Professional
- Part of (suite or package deal): stand-alone
- Depending on (suite or package deal): stand-alone
| Platform |
Score |
Remarks |
| Apple iOS |
10 |
Full app support |
| Android |
10 |
Full app support |
| Windows |
10 |
Full app support |
| MacOS |
10 |
Full app support |
| Linux |
1 |
Not available |
| WebApp |
10 |
Full app support |
| Topic |
Score |
Remarks |
| Open-Source |
1 |
Fully closed source |
| Vendor lock-in |
1 |
Export is possible, but it is made difficult. |
| Reputation confidentiality |
5 |
Hacked, but kept quiet for a while. [2] |
| Reputation integrity |
5 |
Forum with critical comments shielded [3] |
| Reputation availability |
10 |
Good/perfect uptime [4][5] |
| Reputation privacy |
5 |
Could be better [6] |
| Reputation pricing developments |
1 |
Huge price increases last years [1][7] |
| Topic |
Score |
Remarks |
| Capacity, max. number notes |
10 |
100,000 notes (personal and higher) |
| Capacity, max GB |
10 |
10/20 GB monthly uploads |
| Offline access |
10 |
Fully supported |
| Folder structure |
1 |
Not supported |
| Tags |
5 |
Tags supported, subtags not working OK |
| Photo’s and camera (app) |
10 |
Fully supported |
| Other files (pdf, zip, etc) |
10 |
Fully supported |
| Version history |
10 |
Fully supported |
| External sharing |
10 |
Fully supported |
| Create tasks from notes |
10 |
Fully supported |
| Support handwritten notes |
10 |
Fully supported |
| Topic |
Score |
Remarks |
| Plugins |
5 |
Limited [8] |
| API-interface |
1 |
Limited, no REST |
| (Outlook) agenda |
5 |
1 or 4 connectable calendars |
| AI / LMM |
5 |
Limited, only professional and higher |
| Topic |
Score |
Remarks |
| Experience smartphone |
10 |
Pleasant and reliable |
| Experience laptop |
10 |
Pleasant and reliable |
| Deal-breakers |
1 |
Missing folder structure, limited tag support, archiving could be better, exit-strategy limitations. |
Sources
- https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/evernote
- https://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/04/tech/web/evernote-hacked/index.html
- https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/62922-evernote-is-good-but-just-integrity/
- https://uptime.com/evernote.com
- https://status.evernote.com/
- https://privacy.commonsense.org/evaluation/evernote
- https://effectivefaith.medium.com/evernotes-price-hike-and-where-to-from-here-7276e58cf206
- https://appcenter.evernote.com/apps/index.html
