★ 56k
September 2026
Not stated
Writing & notes
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 9 Sept 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 13 Sept 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE) and found conditions attached to how it may be used.
- 3 Sept 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 52 tools we list in Writing & notes
- Works without using a terminal38 of 52
- No API key required27 of 52
- Sends your input to the provider11 that do not →
Only 22 of the 52 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Keeps large numbers of notes organised into notebooks, all stored as Markdown and fully searchable, taggable and editable either in the app or in your own text editor. Notes exported from Evernote can be imported with formatting, attachments and metadata intact, which is why it is a common destination for people leaving hosted note services. Desktop and mobile apps are available; syncing between devices is something you configure yourself.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultyEasy to start
- Command lineNot required
- API keyNot required
- Sends data onlineYes
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
joplin FAQ
- Is joplin free?
- Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use joplin?
- You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.
- Does joplin work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use joplin commercially?
- We could not confirm this. The publisher does not state it clearly, so we have not verified whether what you make with it may be used commercially. Ask the publisher before relying on it.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| joplin (this page) | Not needed | Not needed | Yes | No | Not verified |
| Lumina-Note | Not needed | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
| AppFlowy | Not needed | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| notesnook | Not needed | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.