Evernote is a staple for every productivity geek’s collection of apps. Designed for note-taking, managing tasks, and archiving, Evernote helps you capture your ideas and categorises them based on your preference and is able to sync the notes on multiple devices.
As one of the industry leaders in the note taking apps space, what makes Evernote popular is also their downfall. Evernote is designed to appeal to everyone, offering a bit of every function, but ultimately, if you're looking for a note taking application for a specific task, such as project management, then there are better applications out there for you.
1) Notion
Notion is an all in one, note taking and project management software that lets you have a more robust experience if you have a team working with you. Evernote is mainly designed for a single user, but Notion is built for a team.
Key features
- Powerful note taking
- Task and project management
- Templates
- 3rd party integration
Cons
- Not a full fledged project management system
- More customization options means a more complicated system
Pricing
Notion is free to use for up to a team of 5 and it’s premium plan starts at only $4 a month, and goes up to enterprise solutions if your team is large enough.
2) Click Up
ClickUp is a project management and productivity app with a range of note taking features built in. They are used by the teams at Google, Airbnb, and Nike and boast a range of positive reviews too. The app splits itself into two main functions: note taking and task management, and has an abundance of features in both to help with your team’s productivity
Key features
- Process management
- Team management
- Team collaboration
- Mobile application
- Reporting
Cons
- Hard to use UI
- More customization options means a more complicated system
- Overwhelming amount of features
Pricing
ClickUp has a free plan that gives you up to 100mb storage and it’s premium plan starts at $6.88 a month for uncapped storage.
3) Zenkit
The project management tool that grows with you. Zenkit gives you the flexibility to create custom workflows, and the freedom to organize your data the way you want. Unlike Evernote, where the notes are stored in just a straight down chronological order, Zenkit is more flexible and allows you to place your notes based on different workflow categories (as seen in the photo above).
Key features
- Global calendar
- Team management
- Activity tracking
Cons
- Low data storage limits
- Confusing interface
- Lack of native mobile app
Pricing
Zenkit has a free plan to start you off and it’s premium plan starts at 9 pounds a month.
4) Workflowy
Workflowy is a simple cloud based note taking tool that enables users to create lists: personal to-dos, notes, team projects, research papers, and many more. With a cult like following, Workflowy users pride on their own organisational skills, which the app allows them to sort their notes however they want.
Key features
- Simple user experience
- Highly customisable
- Mobile applications available
Cons
- Not as robust for team use
- Can be too simple
Pricing
Workflowy is free to use, but loyal users may want to consider getting a Pro membership, at $50 a month, giving them unlimited notes and automatic backup to your Dropbox for maximum security.
5) Proofhub
Proofhub is a project management platform with a robust note taking system built in, allowing you to organise your notes however you desire. You can have both private notes and shared notes for your team and you will be able to colour coordinate them, a function not all note taking applications have.
Key features
- Project management system
- Team collaboration
- Color coordination
- No additional user fee
Cons
- Not as robust for team use
- Can be too simple
Pricing
Proofhub starts at $45 a month for it’s essential plan to cover up to 40 projects and unlimited users.
Tettra is an internal company wiki tool, made for internal documentation, employee onboarding and project management. A big selling point of Tettra is its ability to integrate with Slack, so the team can manage all the notes and access information without leaving Slack. As a web based product, the team will be able to check in from all devices without worrying about saving data.
Key features
- Developed for internal team use
- Integrates with Slack, Github, Google Drive and Zapier
- Cloud based
Cons
- No mobile application
Pricing
Tetra is free to use for up to 5 users and starts at $99 a month for up to 10 users.
7) CintaNote
CintaNote is a note taking app designed specifically for Windows, allowing you to organise your screenshots and write notes as you go. CinraNote is also able to encrypt your notes with a password and even do so for a while in the folder too. Other advanced features include text clipping, full-text search, configurable hot-keys, notes backup, hierarchical tags, password protection, auto-tagging and more.
Key features
- Developed for desktop use
- Note encryption
- Text Search
Cons
- UX and UI not as elegant as others on this list
- Lack of support on Mac
Pricing
CintraNote is free to start and allows you to organise your notes up to 3 sections. It’s paid plans start at $39 for lifetime access.
8) NoteJoy
NoteJoy is a collaborative note taking tool that was designed for teams to use. They push the aspect of writing a note on NoteJoy is much faster than sending an email. As all team collaboration tools, NoteJoy is cloud based, so all updates are instantly live. With a built in search function, you will be able to dig up old notes easily.
Key features
- Developed for team use
- Built in search function
Cons
- Reviews mention there is a slight learning curve to utilise all features
Pricing
NoteJoy is free to use and it’s paid Solo plan starts at $4 a month.
8) Bear
Bear is an IOS only note taking app that has one main feature to help it stand out against Evernote. It’s focus on the beauty of note taking means the app includes prebuilt beautiful templates and typography not available on Evernote, and allows you to easily export your notes to PDF or Word DOC.
Key features
- Beautiful pre built templates and typography
- Simple export to PDF or Word Doc function
Cons
- Only available on IOS
- Cross device sync is a premium feature
Pricing
Bear is free to use, but its Pro plans start at $1.49 a month or $14.99 a year, which unlocks cross device sync, more export options and more templates.
9) Turtl
If you’re in need of a secure app to take notes on, then Turtle is the perfect alternative for you to use. Turtl uses high-end cryptography to protect your data. If you're worried about information leaks, competitive advantage, or blanket government surveillance, then this is the app to go for. With both mobile and desktop / web applications avablile and the ability to share your notes, Turtl is a good solution if you’re storing sensitive information.
Key features
- Secure data storage
- Mobile application available
Cons
- Limited storage on its free plan
Pricing
Turtl has a free to use plan that allows you to store up to 50mb of data and it’s paid plans start at $3 a month.
10) Quip
If you’re a Salesforce user, then Quip is the note taking app for you. Collaborate with your team and work together on documentation all inside Salesforce with Quip. The application is designed for enterprise companies, so they have a heavy focus on security.
Key features
- Enterprise level application
- Built with Salesforce integration
- High level of security and backup
Cons
- Not make for individual users
Pricing
Quip has a start plan at $10 a month for small teams, but to get access to their API to connect with Salesforce, it starts at $25 a month.
11) Milanote
Milanote is a simple tool that lets you sort your notes and image files into visual boards. Milanote supports PGs, PDFs, Word, Excel, common design files and many more. You are also able to set your privacy levels with your team.
Key features
- Ability to save text and images to the app
- Built in clipping feature for seamless image capture
- Note sharing features
Cons
- No mobile application
Pricing
Milanote is free to use up to 100 notes and starts at $9.99 a month afterwards per user.
12) Squidnotes
Squidnotes allows you to take digital handwritten notes and also help markup and sign PDFs. Developed for those who still love the handwritten aspect of note taking, but the perks of storing the information digitally. Available both on Android and Chromebook.
Key features
- Digital handwritten notes
- Sign and markup PDFs
- You can change the thickness and color of strokes of text.
- It allows you to choose from numerous paper types and sizes.
- Helps you to write naturally with pressure sensitivity.
Cons
- No IOS application, which is strange because the iPad Pro is one of the most popular note taking devices.
Pricing
Squidnotes is free to use but has in-app purchases.
13) Joplin
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, can be copied, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.
Key features
- It provides note history.
- This tool synchronizes with various services like WebDAV, NextCloud, Dropbox, and more.
- Your data is available on desktop and mobile applications without an internet connection.
- It supports Markdown and Enex tool files.
Cons
- Not UX friendly
Pricing
Joplin is free to use.
14) Day One
Day One is a security first note taking app, developed for Journalists, that promises daily backups of notes on their private server. The app is made for IOS primarily, and has built in functions for journalists to record all their information on the go, including instant photo taking and storage, capture sounds and handwriting recognition.
Key features
- Made for journalists
- Preserve even more powerful memories with unlimited photos and videos.
- It enables you to save your Instagram posts to Day One.
- This app helps you to record stories and impressions with audio.
Cons
- Only made for IOS (no love for Android)
Pricing
Day One has a free plan that gives you one journal and limited input features, but it’s premium plan unlocks everything for just $2.92 a month.
15) Zoho Notebook
Zoho notebook, made by the CRM giant, Zoho, gives you the ability to take notes and cross sync on all devices. With a built in web clipper function, the app is able to automatically save your clippings into the app.
Key features
- Artistic note storage design
- Protect your notes with Touch ID password
- Record voices and sounds
Cons
- Doesn’t integrate with your Zoho CRM
Pricing
Zoho Notebook is free to download on IOS and Play Store.
What to look for in an Evernote alternative?
Let’s get things straight, Evernote, by no means, is a bad product. As one of the leaders in the note taking space, it has (and needs) to appeal to a wide range of audience. That means, it will have a bit of every feature, but doesn’t specialise in any niche in particular. If you’re looking for something that offers better team collaboration tools for project management, then Notion or Click Up would be a more suitable application to use. If you’re storing data sensitive notes, then Turtl would be a good choice. If you’re always on the go, trying to capture the latest story to publish, then Day One would be good for you.
Final Thoughts
To wrap it up, there’s no single app that is better than Evernote in every aspect. Evernote appeals to a wide audience, with tools in there for a bit of everything, but if you’re looking for something that’s specific for the tasks you’re doing, then find an alternative that is more suitable for you!