Simple Evernote replacement for web and Android?
December 2, 2023 9:24 AM Subscribe
Due to Evernote Free's limiting/demise I've been looking at replacement services, but my sticking point is a web version - one of my use cases is a computer on which I do not have software installation privileges. Is there anything like that sticking around? Other snowflakes below.
- use cases: Windows PC, Windows PC without software installation privileges, Android phone - syncing between all three
- not using a lot of the more advanced features; simple text with markup and clipping webpages is 99% of my use cases, I have less than 500 notes total
- full text search a must
- capable of importing Evernote export files (.enex)
- simple workflow without forcing me to use all the extra bells and whistles
- this is not a very important service for me, so free or closer to $5 per year than $120 is preferable. I don't make US kind of money.
As far as I've been able to find out, this rules out Obsidian, SimpleNote and OneNote on at least one of the above requirements. What else is there, usable and not looking likely to implode in a year or two?
- use cases: Windows PC, Windows PC without software installation privileges, Android phone - syncing between all three
- not using a lot of the more advanced features; simple text with markup and clipping webpages is 99% of my use cases, I have less than 500 notes total
- full text search a must
- capable of importing Evernote export files (.enex)
- simple workflow without forcing me to use all the extra bells and whistles
- this is not a very important service for me, so free or closer to $5 per year than $120 is preferable. I don't make US kind of money.
As far as I've been able to find out, this rules out Obsidian, SimpleNote and OneNote on at least one of the above requirements. What else is there, usable and not looking likely to implode in a year or two?
- capable of importing Evernote export files (.enex)
Just in case this is blocking some otherwise good solution: you might be able to use some intermediate app that can import from Evernote and export to a format that your preferred app can deal with.
posted by trig at 10:38 AM on December 2, 2023
Just in case this is blocking some otherwise good solution: you might be able to use some intermediate app that can import from Evernote and export to a format that your preferred app can deal with.
posted by trig at 10:38 AM on December 2, 2023
I made the post on the blue and you should definitely check it out! For you, on NotesApp.info's features page, I checked the boxes for:
* Import/Export and Data Backups >> Import from Evernote
* Platforms >> Android
* Search & Navigation >> Full text search
And it shows 9 matches. To deal with the Windows PC without installation privilege, you might want to check the box for Platform >> Web. However, I think I installed UpNote onto my PC from the Windows Store without needing privileges.
posted by polecat at 11:42 AM on December 2, 2023
* Import/Export and Data Backups >> Import from Evernote
* Platforms >> Android
* Search & Navigation >> Full text search
And it shows 9 matches. To deal with the Windows PC without installation privilege, you might want to check the box for Platform >> Web. However, I think I installed UpNote onto my PC from the Windows Store without needing privileges.
posted by polecat at 11:42 AM on December 2, 2023
Response by poster: The post on the Blue was why I asked this question. I missed the comparison site, thanks - looks like AmpleNote and Notion are closest to my wishlist. Notion looks like it has a wider userbase and more chance of sticking around. I'd love to hear from actual users of these apps.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:04 PM on December 2, 2023
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:04 PM on December 2, 2023
I use Notion. I don't think you're likely to run into the limitations of the free plan at all; it can be very powerful, but you can just do extremely basic stuff and it won't be a struggle. You can just open it in-browser so you don't need to install anything.
The one wrinkle I can see is the Evernote import works by connecting your Evernote account and importing from there, but as far as I can tell, Evernote reducing how much stuff you can have on the free tier doesn't actually delete any of your notebooks or notes, it just keeps you from adding more, so importing into Notion should work anyway.
posted by sailoreagle at 1:23 PM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
The one wrinkle I can see is the Evernote import works by connecting your Evernote account and importing from there, but as far as I can tell, Evernote reducing how much stuff you can have on the free tier doesn't actually delete any of your notebooks or notes, it just keeps you from adding more, so importing into Notion should work anyway.
posted by sailoreagle at 1:23 PM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm a Notion user and find it quite helpful for both work and personal use. I use it for a ticketing system at work and for keeping meeting notes, code snippets, screenshots, and such things, and my personal workspace keeps track of phone numbers, recipes, my reading list, and just general notes.
It has a bit of a learning curve. Things in Notion are structured in blocks and in Pages, and you can have a Page within a Page on down, sort of like a nested folder structure in Windows or OS. One type of block is the database, which I find quite handy, but it's not for the strict beginner (and it seems to be the only block that's beyond the reach of full text search).
In general, Notion is quite flexible, and it is free for personal use, so it's worth checking out. You might want to watch a few tutorials to figure how it works.
Another option is Workflowy, which is more of an outlining app than a notes app, but it is also flexible and might suit your needs.
posted by Leontine at 1:24 PM on December 2, 2023
It has a bit of a learning curve. Things in Notion are structured in blocks and in Pages, and you can have a Page within a Page on down, sort of like a nested folder structure in Windows or OS. One type of block is the database, which I find quite handy, but it's not for the strict beginner (and it seems to be the only block that's beyond the reach of full text search).
In general, Notion is quite flexible, and it is free for personal use, so it's worth checking out. You might want to watch a few tutorials to figure how it works.
Another option is Workflowy, which is more of an outlining app than a notes app, but it is also flexible and might suit your needs.
posted by Leontine at 1:24 PM on December 2, 2023
+1 for Notion. I have used it to import Evernote data quite easily.
posted by methroach at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2023
posted by methroach at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2023
Not recommending a program, but you can also export notes from Evernote in html format. It needs to be done from the app on a computer though, not mobile. That might simplify the transition for you.
posted by peppermind at 8:17 AM on December 3, 2023
posted by peppermind at 8:17 AM on December 3, 2023
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posted by ejs at 9:50 AM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]