Joplin

Overview

Joplin is an open-source note-taking app for people who want offline access and control over how notes are synchronized. It suits individuals who need more than plain text, and teams that want shared notebooks, but its paid storage and attachment caps make plan choice important.

Notes can include images, videos, PDFs and audio, while a Chrome or Firefox extension can save web pages or screenshots. You can sync through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, S3, WebDAV or a local filesystem, and use end-to-end encryption intended to keep notes accessible only to you. Joplin Cloud data and servers are in Paris, France.

See our Note-taking apps and Secure Notes Apps lists for other options.

Key features

• Offline notes: Access notes without an internet connection, a practical advantage for travel or unreliable connectivity.
• Multiple sync routes: Joplin supports its own cloud service as well as Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, S3, WebDAV and local storage. That flexibility is useful if you already use another storage service, though the cloud plans add explicit quotas.
• Sharing and collaboration: Shared notebooks can be editable or read-only, and Joplin supports real-time collaboration. These controls suit both joint work and read-only distribution.
• Encryption: End-to-end encryption is designed so only the user can access notes. This is a central reason to consider Joplin for private material.
• Web clipping and attachments: The browser extension saves pages or screenshots; notes also support images, videos, PDFs and audio. Users keeping large media files should pay close attention to per-note limits.

Pricing

Joplin is freemium, with paid plans starting at €2.99/mo. All the priced plans below have a 14-day free trial; cancel during the trial and you will not be charged. Students and teachers can receive a 50% discount for one year, renewable while they remain in education.

Teams adds multiple-user management, member changes and centralized billing. Priority support is included with Teams and Joplin Server Business. Basic is the lowest-cost paid plan, but its 2 GB total and 10 MB file cap are meaningful constraints; Pro raises both limits, while the 100 GB tier raises only total storage.

Platforms

Joplin supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, plus a Chrome extension and API. Self-hosting is also an option through Joplin Server Business. That breadth makes it viable across desktop and mobile, with a browser extension for capture.

Who it's for

Joplin is a strong fit for people who value offline access, end-to-end encryption and a choice of synchronization services, especially if they keep notes with varied media. Its sharing controls and team plans also suit collaborative groups. It is less compelling for users whose library exceeds the smaller cloud quotas or whose individual files often exceed the plan caps; those users should compare the higher tiers or use another sync route.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Offline access and multiple sync choices let users keep working without a connection and choose a storage route that suits them.
• Pro: End-to-end encryption, read-only or editable notebook sharing, and real-time collaboration address privacy and teamwork needs.
• Pro: Multimedia support and browser clipping make Joplin useful for research and reference material, not just typed notes.
• Con: Basic's 2 GB storage and 10 MB per-note or attachment cap can constrain users who keep many files or larger media.
• Con: Teams requires at least two users, so its per-user plan is not a sensible route for an individual seeking team features.

Alternatives

• Notesnook is another freemium option with apps for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows; choose it if you want to compare a different cross-platform notes service and its free tier.
• Anytype has apps for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows, plus an extension; consider it if those platforms meet your needs and you want to compare its paid tiers.
• Cryptee is a freemium option with apps for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows; its software and cryptography are open source and independently reviewable, which may matter if that transparency is a priority.
• PrivacyNotes has apps across mobile, desktop and web, and publishes its apps and encryption code under AGPL; consider it if those platform and code-publication details fit your priorities.
• Standard Notes offers a free Standard plan with end-to-end encryption, unlimited device sync, plain-text notes and offline access; it is worth comparing if those stated basics are enough for your note-taking.
• Dash is open source under the MIT license and has web PWA, iPhone, Android and macOS support; consider it if those platforms and its ongoing-use option better suit you.
• Notyra is free, works on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows, and requires no account to begin; it may suit readers who prioritize a no-account start.
• Turtl offers Android, extension, Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosted options; compare it if its platform mix or self-hosting route better matches your setup.

Verdict

Choose Joplin if you want offline notes, strong privacy intent and flexible synchronization, with useful capture and collaboration features alongside multimedia support. Its clearest drawback is that the smaller paid plans impose tight storage and file-size limits; users with larger libraries should move up a tier or compare another app before committing.