What changed at Evernote
Evernote was acquired in January 2023 and is now listed under Bending Spoons' products (Bending Spoons, Evernote pricing page).
The free plan is capped at 50 notes, 1 notebook, 5 spaces, 20 tags, 200 attachments, 1 device for sync and 1 GB of storage (Evernote plans). Paid plans are named Starter, Advanced, Flexible and Unlimited, and prices are not stated here (Evernote pricing).
If you mainly wrote notes
Notion: Free plan at $0 per member per month with unlimited pages and blocks for solo use, and export of an entire workspace as HTML, Markdown and CSV (pricing).
Obsidian: the core app is free without limits, with local Markdown files; Sync costs $4 per user per month billed annually (pricing).
Standard Notes: free plan with unlimited notes and unlimited devices; paid plans at $90 or $120 per year, and the code is open and independently audited (plans, homepage).
Joplin: an open source note-taking app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, with sync via Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive and others, and a Chrome and Firefox clipper extension (joplinapp.org).
Apple Notes: the Mac User Guide shows the same note on Mac, iPhone and iPad through iCloud (Notes User Guide).
Google Keep: everything you add syncs in real time across all your devices (Google Keep page).
Bear: available on Mac, iPhone and iPad, with a Web Clipper and a "Migrate From Evernote" guide listed in its FAQ; details and prices are not stated here (Bear FAQ).
If you mainly clipped web pages
Notion Web Clipper: a browser extension for Chrome and Safari that saves any web page to your workspace, plus the native share sheet on iOS 13+ and Android 7+ (help page).
Obsidian Web Clipper: a free browser extension for Chrome, Brave, Arc, Orion, Firefox, Safari and Edge that saves content locally to your vault; its code is open source and auditable (Web Clipper help).
Readwise Reader: a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari with highlighting and annotating, alongside apps for iOS, Android and desktop (readwise.io/read).
KnowMan extension: listed on the Chrome Web Store as "KnowMan - Save to Read Later" with one-click saving from any webpage (Chrome Web Store).
If you want your reading searchable and answerable
KnowMan is a knowledge base for reading, not a note-taking app. Free is $0 with unlimited saving and full-text search of saved text; Pro is $12.99 a month or $99 a year, with a 14-day Pro trial and no credit card.
It can import from Pocket, Instapaper, Omnivore, Readwise, Wallabag and a browser bookmarks file, and its extension works in Chrome. Its MCP server lets Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor search and question your saved reading.
How to choose
Start with your main Evernote habit. Note writers should shortlist Notion, Obsidian, Standard Notes, Joplin, Apple Notes, Google Keep or Bear by platform and export needs. Clippers should compare the Notion, Obsidian, Readwise and KnowMan extensions. Readers should treat KnowMan as a reading knowledge base, not a notes app, and check what each tool can import before moving anything.
Questions people ask
Is there a free Evernote alternative?
Yes. Evernote's own free plan is capped at 50 notes and 1 notebook (Evernote plans). Free options with sourced free tiers include Notion (pricing), the Obsidian core app (pricing), Standard Notes (plans), open source Joplin (joplinapp.org) and KnowMan at $0.
Can I clip web pages without Evernote?
Yes. Notion has a Chrome and Safari extension (help), Obsidian has a free extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and more (help), Readwise Reader has Chrome, Firefox and Safari extensions (readwise.io/read), and the KnowMan extension is on the Chrome Web Store (listing).
Is KnowMan a note-taking app?
No. KnowMan is a knowledge base for saved reading, with AI questions over your articles. Writing and organising your own free-form notes are outside its scope. It imports from Pocket, Instapaper, Omnivore, Readwise, Wallabag and a browser bookmarks file.
Can I move my Evernote notes into Bear?
Bear lists a "Migrate From Evernote" guide in its FAQ, but its formats and steps are not stated here (Bear FAQ). Check the vendor's guide before moving anything.