Joplin Review - Best note taking Alternative

Overview

Joplin is one of the most respected privacy-focused alternatives to Google Keep and Evernote. Unlike Google Keep, which scans your notes to feed data profiles and lacks end-to-end encryption, Joplin is built on a “privacy-by-design” philosophy. It is an open-source application that ensures you are the only person who can access your thoughts, checklists, and research.

While Google Keep is designed for quick, ephemeral “sticky notes,” Joplin offers a more robust organizational structure using notebooks and tags. It uses Markdown as its primary format, making your data highly portable and future-proof. Whether you are looking to escape Google’s ecosystem or need a professional-grade note-taking tool that respects your digital rights, Joplin is a premier choice.

Key Features

Markdown & Rich Text Editing

Joplin offers a best-in-class Markdown editor for those who love keyboard-centric formatting. However, it also includes a “Layout” toggle that provides a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) experience, making it accessible for users who prefer a standard word-processor interface.

Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC)

One of Joplin’s strongest features is its flexibility. You aren’t locked into a specific server. You can choose to sync your notes via Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, or WebDAV. If you want a “set it and forget it” experience, they offer Joplin Cloud, which also supports note sharing and collaboration.

Extensive Plugin System

Joplin can be customized to fit your specific workflow. Through its plugin marketplace, you can add features like a calendar view, backlinking (similar to Obsidian), specialized themes, and even integration with external reference managers.

Privacy & Security

Joplin’s privacy model is centered around End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). When enabled, Joplin uses AES-128 or AES-256 to encrypt notes locally before they are uploaded to any sync service.

Because Joplin is open-source, the community can verify that there are no “backdoors” in the code. Furthermore, since the app is local-first, you can use it entirely offline without ever connecting to the internet, ensuring your data never leaves your physical device if you so choose.

Getting Started

Download the App: Visit joplinapp.org and download the version for your desktop and mobile device.
Set Up Sync: Go to Tools > Options > Sync (Desktop) and choose your preferred provider (e.g., Dropbox or OneDrive).
Enable Encryption: In the Encryption settings tab, set a Master Password. This password is used to generate your encryption keys—do not lose it!
Import from Keep: Export your Google Keep notes via Google Takeout, then use File > Import > Google Keep JSON in Joplin to move your data over.

Who Is It Best For?

Joplin is ideal for:

Privacy Enthusiasts: Anyone who wants to ensure their personal thoughts aren’t being indexed by big tech.
Students & Researchers: Users who need to organize large amounts of information with tags and notebooks.
Developers: Those who appreciate Markdown support and the ability to customize their tools with CSS and plugins.

Final Verdict

Joplin is a powerful, transparent, and highly flexible alternative to Google Keep. While it has a slightly steeper learning curve—particularly when setting up encryption and synchronization—the payoff is a note-taking system that you truly own. It successfully bridges the gap between a simple scratchpad and a complex personal knowledge management system, all while maintaining a gold standard for user privacy.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Complete end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for total privacy
Full control over where your data is stored (self-hosted or cloud)
Powerful Markdown support with rich-text toggle
Extensive plugin ecosystem and web clipper extension

Cons

User interface is less 'playful' and streamlined than Google Keep
E2EE must be manually enabled in the settings
Setting up sync with third-party providers can be technical for some

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Joplin really private and secure?

Yes, Joplin uses End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) to secure your notes before they ever leave your device. This means that even if someone intercepts your data or gains access to your sync target (like Dropbox or OneDrive), they cannot read your notes.

Can I import my data from Google?

You can import data from Google Keep by using Google Takeout to export your notes as JSON files. Joplin has a built-in import tool specifically designed to handle these files and convert them into Joplin notes.

What's the difference between free and paid plans?

The Joplin application itself is 100% free and open source. The 'Joplin Cloud' paid plan is an optional subscription that provides managed syncing, sharing features, and the ability to publish notes to the internet.

Does Joplin work on all my devices?

Joplin is available on almost every platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It uses a 'local-first' approach, meaning your notes are stored on your device and synced via a provider of your choice.

Is Joplin open source?

Yes, Joplin is licensed under the MIT License. This ensures the code is transparent, community-audited, and will remain free to use and modify forever.

Joplin