Evernote Alternative: 6 Options for Notes Your AI Can Read
The best Evernote alternative depends on why you’re leaving. If it’s the free plan limits, Apple Notes, Google Keep or OneNote cost nothing and cover everyday notes. If you want plain files you own, Obsidian keeps every note as Markdown on your disk. If you want the AI you already use, like Claude or ChatGPT, to read and write your notes, pick a vault with an MCP server, such as Valta.
Most people leave Evernote for one of three reasons. Pick the reason first, and the choice gets easy.
Why do people look for an Evernote alternative?
- The free plan shrank. In December 2023 Evernote limited free accounts to 50 notes and one notebook. Long-time free users hit the cap with their first new note.
- Prices went up and the plans keep changing. Under its new owner, Evernote has renamed and repriced its paid plans more than once. Check Evernote’s pricing page for what’s current.
- The notes are locked in a format. Evernote exports to ENEX, its own XML format. Most other apps can import it, but your notes are not plain files you can open anywhere.
- The AI inside isn’t the one you use. Evernote has its own AI features. If you spend your day in Claude or ChatGPT, those don’t help much there.
Which Evernote alternatives are worth a look?
| App | Free plan | Format | Imports Evernote (ENEX) | Your AI can read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Notes | Free on Apple devices | Apple’s own | Yes, on Mac | No |
| Google Keep | Free | Google’s own | No | Gemini, inside Google |
| OneNote | Free with a Microsoft account | Microsoft’s own | Through Microsoft’s importer, where offered | Copilot, on paid plans |
| Notion | Free for personal use | Notion blocks, exports to Markdown | Yes | Notion AI; others through Notion MCP |
| Obsidian | Free, local files | Markdown | Yes, with the Importer plugin | Through community MCP plugins |
| Valta | 1 vault, 100 notes | Markdown | No, your AI saves notes for you | Yes: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor over MCP |
1. Apple Notes
The easiest switch if you’re on iPhone and Mac. Folders, tags, checklists, scans and shared notes, all free. The Mac app imports ENEX files. The trade-off: it only works well on Apple devices, and no outside AI can read it.
2. Google Keep
Quick notes, lists and reminders, free and on every platform. It’s a sticky-note app, not an archive, so it fits people who used Evernote for quick capture rather than a library of notes.
3. OneNote
Free, with notebooks, sections and pages, much like Evernote’s old structure. It’s strongest if you already use Microsoft 365. See OneNote alternatives if you’re weighing it against others.
4. Notion
Pages, databases and templates in one workspace, with a free personal plan and an Evernote importer. It’s more of a workspace than a notes app, so it suits people who also plan projects. Notion MCP shows how to connect it to Claude and ChatGPT, and Notion alternatives covers the trade-offs.
5. Obsidian
Every note is a Markdown file on your own disk, free for personal use. Its Importer plugin reads ENEX files. Links between notes and a graph view make it strong for long-term knowledge. It needs a bit of setup, and AI access comes through community plugins. Obsidian alternatives compares it with similar apps.
6. Valta
A hosted vault of Markdown notes that Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor connect to through MCP. Your AI saves notes, links related ones and searches the vault when it needs context. It fits people whose notes are mostly about their work with AI: brand voice, decisions, research, ideas. It doesn’t import ENEX files and isn’t built for web clipping or scans.
How do you choose the right Evernote alternative?
Answer one question: what do you open Evernote for?
- Quick notes and lists: Apple Notes or Google Keep.
- Notebooks of class or meeting notes: OneNote.
- Notes plus projects and docs: Notion.
- A long-term library you own: Obsidian.
- Context your AI should remember: Valta.
Many people end up with two: a quick-capture app on the phone and a place for the notes that matter. Best note taking app for AI goes deeper on that second one.
How do you move your notes out of Evernote?
- In the Evernote desktop app, export each notebook as an ENEX file.
- Import the ENEX files into the new app (Apple Notes on Mac, Notion, or Obsidian’s Importer plugin).
- Check a few notes with images, tables and attachments, since those are where imports break.
- Keep the ENEX files as a backup until you’re sure nothing is missing.
You don’t need to move everything. Most Evernote libraries are full of web clips nobody reopens. Move the notes you used in the last year and archive the rest.
How is Valta different from Evernote?
Evernote is an app you open to find notes. Valta is a vault your AI opens for you.
- Your AI reads and writes it. Ask Claude “what did we decide about pricing?” and it searches the vault. Say “save this as a note” and it does.
- One vault, every AI. Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor connect to the same notes, so context doesn’t stay stuck in one assistant. How to share memory between Claude and ChatGPT shows how.
- Plain Markdown. Notes have frontmatter and
[[links]], and you can export the whole vault as a zip of Markdown files any time.
| Evernote | Valta | |
|---|---|---|
| Notes format | ENEX export | Markdown export |
| Who writes notes | You | You or your AI |
| Works inside Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor | No | Yes, over MCP |
| Web clipper, scans, attachments | Yes | No |
| Free plan | 50 notes, 1 notebook | 1 vault, 100 notes |
| Paid plan | See Evernote’s pricing page | Pro $9/month: 5 vaults, unlimited notes (fair use 10,000) |
FAQ
What is the best free Evernote alternative?
For everyday notes, Apple Notes on Apple devices or OneNote everywhere else. For notes stored as files you own, Obsidian.
Can I import Evernote notes into Obsidian?
Yes. Export ENEX files from Evernote, then use Obsidian’s Importer plugin. It converts notes to Markdown files.
Is Evernote still free?
Yes, but the free plan is limited to 50 notes and one notebook since December 2023.
Which Evernote alternative works with ChatGPT or Claude?
Apps with an MCP server. Valta is built for it. Notion has an official MCP server, and Obsidian works through community MCP plugins. See MCP server for notes.
Do I lose my notes if I stop paying for Valta?
No. You can export your vault as Markdown any time, and the Free plan keeps one vault with up to 100 notes.
Try a vault your AI can read
If you’re leaving Evernote because your work now happens in an AI chat, start where the AI is. Create your free Valta vault: one vault, 100 notes, no card. Connect it to Claude or ChatGPT with the setup guide.