Joplin

A note-taking and to-do app that stores notes as Markdown, syncs with end-to-end encryption through many services, and imports Evernote exports.

57k stars, 6.4k forks TypeScript On GitHub since January 2017

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Joplin?

Joplin organizes notes and to-dos into notebooks with tags and full-text search, and stores them in Markdown, which you can also edit in your own text editor. It is offline-first, with apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS plus a terminal version, and syncs through Joplin Cloud, Joplin Server, Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV or S3, with optional end-to-end encryption. Evernote exports import with formatting, attachments and metadata, and plugins extend the apps. The interface is translated into about 40 languages.

Good fit if

  • You are leaving Evernote and want your notes in an open format.
  • You want encrypted sync through a storage service you already use.

Look elsewhere if

Before you adopt it

The apps moved from MIT to AGPL-3.0 in December 2022. Joplin Server, the self-hosted sync server, has its own Joplin Server Personal Use License, which is not open source and covers personal rather than commercial use. Contributors sign a CLA. Laurent Cozic, its creator, still leads the project.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Joplin health: is it still maintained?

87 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    482 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    12 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 38% of them.
    15 / 20
  • Releases
    6 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v3.7.22, on 28 October 2026.
    17 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 100% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 3 hours.
    20 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 4.6 of 10.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Joplin license: is it open source?

Joplin uses AGPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI. Some features sit under a separate paid license inside the same repository. Contributors sign a contributor license agreement, which lets the owner relicense their work later.

  1. January 2017First published on GitHub under MIT.
  2. 21 December 2022Changed to AGPL-3.0. Commit: All: Switch license to AGPL-3.0
  3. TodayAGPL-3.0, with paid parts: license file assigns a different licence to part of the code; separate license packages/server/LICENSE.md (This Joplin Server Personal Use License). A contributor license agreement is required.

How to run Joplin yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
docker-compose.server.yml: 4 services (postgres)
Setup effort
3 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, Windows, macOS, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
42 languages

Install instructions: joplinapp.org or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Joplin

  • NotesnookA fully open source & end-to-end encrypted note taking alternative to Evernote. 74 health · GPL-3.0 · 14.9k stars
  • QOwnNotesQOwnNotes is a plain-text file notepad and todo-list manager with Markdown support and Nextcloud / ownCloud… 79 health · GPL-2.0 · 5.9k stars
  • MarkTextA simple and elegant markdown editor, available for Linux, macOS and Windows. 85 health · MIT · 63.4k stars
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  • Trilium NotesBuild your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes 80 health · AGPL-3.0 · 38.6k stars

All 34 projects in Notes & knowledge bases

Questions about Joplin

Is Joplin open source?

Yes. Joplin is published under AGPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license. Some features are kept under a separate paid license in the same repository.

Is Joplin still maintained?

Its health score is 87 of 100 (actively developed). It had 482 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 28 October 2026.

Did Joplin change its license?

Yes. It moved from MIT to AGPL-3.0 on 21 December 2022.

How do I run Joplin?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, Windows, macOS, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Joplin?

Close alternatives in the Notes & knowledge bases category include Notesnook, QOwnNotes, MarkText.