Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking and to-do application for macOS that stores everything in plain Markdown and syncs to the cloud service of your choice — with end-to-end encryption built in.
What is Joplin?
Joplin is an open-source Markdown notebook created by Laurent Cozic that runs natively on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Unlike most note apps, it keeps your data in an open format you can read without the app, and it never requires a proprietary cloud account — you bring your own sync target.
I've kept Joplin as my secondary writing brain for over a year, specifically because I trust where my notes live. Every notebook, note, and attachment is a local file first. The app is the reader, not the prison.
What does Joplin do best?
Joplin excels at private, structured long-form note-keeping with true cross-device sync that you fully control. Its Markdown editor is fast and distraction-free, with a live-preview split that snaps off when you want to focus. Notebooks nest arbitrarily deep, tags work across the whole library, and a global search across thousands of notes returns results in under a second.
The killer feature for power users is the Web Clipper — a browser extension that captures full articles, simplified text, or screenshots straight into a named notebook. Think of it as a privacy-respecting Evernote clipper that doesn't send your browsing history anywhere.
- End-to-end encryption: notes are encrypted before they leave your Mac, regardless of sync target
- Flexible sync: Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, S3-compatible storage, or a local folder
- Plugin ecosystem: community plugins add kanban boards, math rendering, custom themes, and more
- Full external editor support: open any note in iA Writer, Typora, or VS Code with one keystroke
- Portable export: export the whole library as raw Markdown files, JEX archive, or PDF at any time
Is Joplin free?
Joplin is completely free to download and use indefinitely — there is no free tier gating, no feature paywall, and no account required. The only paid option is Joplin Cloud, an optional hosted sync service run by the developer, but you can ignore it entirely and sync via your own Dropbox or Nextcloud without spending a cent.
Compare that to Evernote, which throttles uploads and devices on the free plan, or Notion, which caps history and API calls for non-paying users. With Joplin, the free version is the full version.
Who should use Joplin?
Joplin is the right choice for Mac users who think in plain text, are suspicious of vendor lock-in, or work in sensitive industries where end-to-end encryption is a non-negotiable. Developers love it because notes are just files; journalists and researchers appreciate the clipper and the encrypted sync; students on tight budgets get a fully-featured notebook without a subscription.
It is not the right pick if you need polished collaborative editing (Notion wins there), a gorgeous mobile experience out of the box, or drag-and-drop rich-media pages. Joplin's Mac desktop app is functional and fast but deliberately minimal — it rewards people who want control over people who want sparkle.
What are the best Joplin alternatives?
The closest open-source alternative is Obsidian, which also stores notes as local Markdown files but leans harder into a knowledge-graph model and has a richer plugin ecosystem; its sync is paid. Bear is the go-to for Mac users who prioritize native polish — beautiful typography, deep system integration — but Bear is Apple-only and its advanced features require a subscription. Notion offers far more structural flexibility but is cloud-first and not encrypted. Standard Notes is arguably Joplin's nearest philosophical sibling: free, open-source, end-to-end encrypted — though its editor feels more austere and the plugin library is smaller.
If you're migrating from Evernote, Joplin ships an Evernote importer that handles ENEX files surprisingly well, notebooks and all.
How does Joplin compare to Obsidian?
Both store notes as local Markdown, but their philosophies diverge sharply. Obsidian is graph-first — it shines when you want bidirectional links, backlinks panels, and a visual map of your thinking. Joplin is notebook-first — hierarchical folders, tags, and fast linear search, closer to how most people already organize information. Obsidian sync costs money; Joplin sync is free if you bring your own storage. Joplin has built-in E2E encryption; Obsidian does not (you rely on your sync provider for that). I use Joplin for reference material and clippings, Obsidian for linked thinking — they coexist peacefully.
