Evernote Review
Evernote remains the best tool for searching inside PDFs, images, and handwritten notes. Its web clipper is still best in class. But high pricing, a crippled free plan, and strong competition from Notion and Obsidian make it hard to recommend for new users.
We used Evernote Professional for two full weeks, migrating a subset of notes from Notion to test search quality, web clipper reliability, AI feature utility, and mobile experience. We evaluated whether Evernote’s search and capture strengths justified the price premium over Notion and Obsidian for comparable workflows.
The ClickUp Learn Hub is maintained by ClickUp. Some tools reviewed may compete with ClickUp products. We strive for accuracy and fairness in all evaluations. Our methodology and scoring criteria are disclosed on each page.
Overview
Evernote is one of the original digital note taking apps, launched in 2008 by Evernote Corporation (now owned by Bending Spoons, an Italian software company that acquired it in 2023). At its peak, Evernote was synonymous with digital note taking. It had over 200 million users and defined the category that Notion, Obsidian, and others now compete in.
Evernote’s core strength has always been search. It can find text inside PDFs, photographs, handwritten notes, and scanned documents. For users who treat their note app as a digital filing cabinet, this search capability remains unmatched.
Key Features
Search across all content types is the headline feature. Type a keyword and Evernote finds it whether it appears in a text note, a PDF attachment, a photograph of a whiteboard, or a scanned receipt. For users who capture diverse content types (documents, images, web clips, handwritten notes), this universal search is genuinely useful.
The web clipper browser extension captures articles, simplified reading views, full page screenshots, and bookmark links directly into your notebooks. It is the most mature web capture tool available and remains a reason many users stay with Evernote despite competition.
Evernote AI (added in 2024) provides note summarization, writing assistance, and Q&A across your notebooks. The AI search feature answers questions by synthesizing information from multiple notes, similar to Notion AI’s workspace Q&A.
Who Should Use Evernote
Users who capture and search diverse content types: PDFs, images, web clips, scanned documents, and handwritten notes. If your workflow involves capturing information from many sources and finding it later through search, Evernote’s universal search is its genuine competitive advantage.
Long time users with years of notes already stored in Evernote. Migration is painful, and Evernote still works. If your existing vault is large and well organized, switching costs may outweigh the benefits of a newer tool.
Who Should NOT Use Evernote
New users choosing a note taking app for the first time. Notion offers more flexibility at a lower price. Obsidian offers permanent data ownership for free. Evernote’s advantages (search quality, web clipper) are real but narrow, and its pricing is higher than comparable alternatives.
Users who need collaboration features. Evernote’s sharing and collaboration tools are basic compared to Notion’s real time editing and database sharing. Teams should look elsewhere.
Budget sensitive users. Evernote’s free plan is severely limited (60MB monthly upload, one device sync), and the Personal plan at $14.99 per month is expensive relative to Notion Plus at $10 per month with more features.
Pricing
Evernote’s free plan includes 60MB monthly upload and sync across one device (plus web). Personal at $14.99 per month adds 10GB monthly upload, unlimited devices, offline access, and search in PDFs and images. Professional at $17.99 per month adds AI features, widgets, boolean search, and integration with Google Calendar and Slack.
These prices have increased significantly over the past three years. The free plan was once generous; it is now effectively a trial tier.
Verdict
Evernote earns a 7.0 out of 10 for productivity. It remains the best tool for searching across diverse content types (PDFs, images, handwritten notes) and its web clipper is still the most reliable in the category. The 7.0 reflects real problems: high pricing relative to competitors, a severely limited free plan, years of eroded user trust through pricing changes and ownership transitions, and features that newer tools (Notion, Obsidian) now match or exceed in most areas. It is still useful for its specific strengths. It is no longer the default recommendation for new users.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Best in class search finds text inside PDFs, images, handwritten notes, and scanned documents
- Web clipper is the most mature and reliable browser capture tool available for saving web content
- Cross platform availability on every major operating system and device
- AI search and summarization features are useful for large note collections
Cons
- Free plan is severely limited: 60MB monthly upload and one device sync makes it effectively unusable
- Personal plan at $14.99 per month is expensive compared to Notion Plus at $10 per month with more features
- Years of pricing increases and ownership changes have eroded user trust and community goodwill
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 60MB monthly upload, 1 device sync (plus web), basic search |
| Personal | $14.99/month | 10GB monthly upload, unlimited devices, offline access, PDF/image search |
| Professional | $17.99/month | AI features, widgets, boolean search, Google Calendar integration, 20GB upload |
Common Questions About Evernote Review
Is Evernote still worth using in 2026?
For specific use cases, yes. If you capture and search across diverse content types (PDFs, images, web clips, handwritten notes), Evernote’s universal search is still the best available. For general note taking and organization, Notion and Obsidian offer more functionality at lower prices. Evaluate whether Evernote’s search advantage justifies its premium pricing for your workflow.
Is Evernote free?
Technically yes, but the free plan is severely limited: 60MB monthly upload and sync across only one device plus web access. Most users hit these limits within the first week. The free plan is better understood as a trial rather than a usable long term option.
Should I switch from Evernote to Notion?
If you primarily take text notes and organize projects, yes. Notion offers more flexibility, better collaboration, and lower pricing. If you rely on Evernote’s ability to search inside PDFs, images, and handwritten notes, test whether Notion’s search meets your needs before migrating. Evernote’s content search remains superior for non text content.
Should I switch from Evernote to Obsidian?
If data ownership and offline access matter to you, Obsidian is a strong alternative. Your notes are local Markdown files that you own permanently. The tradeoff is that Obsidian does not search inside PDFs or images natively (plugins exist but are less reliable than Evernote’s built in search). Obsidian is free; Evernote Personal costs $14.99 per month.
Does Evernote have AI features?
Yes, on the Professional plan at $17.99 per month. Evernote AI provides note summarization, writing assistance, and Q&A across your notebooks. The AI can synthesize answers from multiple notes, which is useful for large knowledge bases. The quality is comparable to Notion AI for similar use cases.