Joplin — Open-source, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app for people who want to own their notes.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
Joplin screenshots & video
Joplin in 20 seconds
Best for: People who want an offline-first, end-to-end encrypted Markdown note app with a free self-hosted sync option and no vendor lock-in.
Pricing: The Joplin app is free and open source; optional Joplin Cloud sync starts at 2.99 EUR/month (about $3.23/month) billed monthly, or 2.40 EUR/month (28.69 EUR/year) billed annually, up to 9.99 EUR/month for the 100 GB Pro plan.
- Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking app created by Laurent Cozic, first released in 2016.
- Joplin stores notes locally in Markdown format with support for images, PDFs, audio, math expressions, and diagrams.
- Joplin supports end-to-end encryption on every sync method, including free options like Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, and Nextcloud.
- Joplin Cloud, the official hosted sync service, starts at 2.99 EUR/month (about $3.23/month) billed monthly for the Basic plan with 2 GB storage.
- Joplin runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and has an official terminal client.
- Joplin Server Business, the self-hosted business tier, is billed annually starting at 3.33 EUR/user/month for 2-10 users.
Limitations: No free tier for the official Joplin Cloud sync service itself; Basic Joplin Cloud plan is limited to 10 MB attachments and 2 GB storage; Notebook sharing and email-to-note require Pro tier or above; Editor and web clipper are less polished than commercial competitors like Notion or Evernote
Top alternatives: Obsidian, Notion, Evernote, Standard Notes, Simplenote — full list
What is Joplin?
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and task-management application created by Laurent Cozic, first released in 2016. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS (plus a terminal client), stores notes locally in Markdown with attachments, and can synchronize across devices using Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, Nextcloud, or a self-hosted Joplin Server. All sync options support end-to-end encryption so that even the sync provider cannot read note content.
Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking and to-do application that stores notes in a documented, open Markdown format and supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE). The desktop, mobile, and terminal apps are free; Joplin Cloud is the optional paid sync and collaboration service, with plans starting at 2.99 EUR/month (about $3.23/month) billed monthly, or self-hosting via Joplin Server. Notes can include images, PDFs, audio, math expressions, and diagrams, and the app is extensible through a plugin API and custom themes.
Standout feature: End-to-end encryption is available on every sync method, including the free options (Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, Nextcloud), not just the paid Joplin Cloud tier.
Biggest weakness: Joplin's editor and web clipper feel less polished than Notion or Evernote, and Joplin Cloud has no free plan of its own, so ongoing hosted sync costs money even though the app itself is free.
Pros
- Fully open-source core app under a permissive license, with source code on GitHub
- Notes stored as local Markdown files with attachments, avoiding proprietary lock-in
- End-to-end encryption supported on all sync backends, including free ones like Dropbox and WebDAV
- Extensible via a plugin API, custom themes, and both Markdown and Rich Text editors
- Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and as a terminal app
Cons
- No free tier for the official Joplin Cloud sync service; cheapest paid plan is 2.99 EUR/month billed monthly
- Basic Joplin Cloud plan caps attachments at 10 MB and storage at 2 GB, well below Pro's 30 GB
- Notebook sharing and email-to-note require the Pro tier or higher, not included in Basic
- UI and mobile clipper are less refined than commercial alternatives like Notion or Evernote
Joplin pricing
Free tier · paid from $3.23/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core app (self-hosted sync) | Free | Free desktop, mobile, and terminal apps; sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, Nextcloud, or a self-hosted Joplin Server. |
| Joplin Cloud Basic | $3.23/mo | 2.99 EUR/month billed monthly (2.40 EUR/month, 28.69 EUR/year if billed annually). 10 MB max attachment size, 2 GB storage, note publishing, unlimited device sync, Joplin Cloud AI (beta). No notebook sharing or email-to-note. |
| Joplin Cloud Pro | $6.47/mo | 5.99 EUR/month billed monthly (4.79 EUR/month, 57.48 EUR/year if billed annually). 200 MB max attachment size, 30 GB storage, adds notebook sharing, email-to-note, and publishing banner customization. |
| Joplin Cloud Pro 100 GB | $10.79/mo | 9.99 EUR/month billed monthly (7.99 EUR/month, 95.88 EUR/year if billed annually). Same features as Pro but with 100 GB storage instead of 30 GB. |
| Joplin Cloud Teams | $8.63/mo | 7.99 EUR/user/month billed monthly (6.69 EUR/user/month, 80.28 EUR/user/year if billed annually), minimum 2 users. 50 GB storage, adds multi-user management, consolidated billing, and share permissions. |
| Joplin Server Business | Custom | Self-hosted, per-user pricing billed annually: 3.33 EUR/user/month for 2-10 users, 2.92 EUR/user/month for 11-50 users, 2.50 EUR/user/month for 51+ users. Unlimited attachment size and storage; no Joplin Web App or Joplin Cloud AI. |
What reviewers say
No third-party review scores on file yet.