Apple Notes vs Evernote
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Evernote
Note-taking app with web clipping, tasks, calendar and AI search
Where they differ
- Apple Notes is free. Evernote starts at $99 per year (about $8.25 a month), or $14.99 billed monthly.
- Only Evernote lists Windows and Android apps.
- Only Evernote lists a browser extension.
- Apple Notes also covers transcription and linked notes.
- Evernote also covers web clipper, templates, tasks and calendar.
At a glance
| Apple Notes | Evernote | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $99 per year (about $8.25 a month), or $14.99 billed monthly |
| Free plan | The app is listed as free on the App Store, with no in-app purchases. Syncing runs through iCloud, which includes 5 GB of free storage with an Apple Account. | 50 notes, 1 notebook, 5 spaces, 20 tags, 200 attachments, 1 GB of storage, 1 connected external calendar and sync on 1 device. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of paid plans; Evernote Enterprise can be tried free for 14 days. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Apple | Bending Spoons |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | frontdeskreview.com (not the vendor's own page) |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Notes
- People who use only Apple devices
- Quick capture with Quick Note, Siri or dictation on Apple Watch
- Scanning receipts and documents into searchable notes
- Families and friends sharing notes and folders over iCloud
Evernote
- People who save web pages, scans and documents and need to search across them
- Keeping notes, tasks and calendar events in a single app
- Teams that want shared notes with central administration and single sign-on
Worth knowing
Apple Notes
- Apps are listed only for Apple devices; on anything else, notes are reached in a web browser at iCloud.com.
- Notes on iCloud.com works only with notes stored in iCloud, not with notes kept in other accounts such as Google or Yahoo.
- Sync relies on iCloud, which includes 5 GB of free storage; iCloud+ plans with more storage start at $0.99 per month for 50 GB.
- Sharing is limited to people who use iCloud, and Apple says certain features are available only in select languages and regions.
Evernote
- The Free plan is limited to 50 notes, 1 notebook and sync on a single device.
- Starter is capped at 1,000 notes, 20 notebooks, 5 GB of storage and 3 synced devices.
- There is no Linux app; the desktop apps are for Mac and Windows only.
- In-note encryption is offered only in the Mac and Windows apps, and AI Cleanup only on mobile.
Key features
Apple Notes
- Rich notes
- A note can combine text styles, checklists, tables, photos, PDFs, maps and web links. Section headers collapse to hide the text under them.
- Audio recording and transcripts
- Audio sessions are recorded inside a note with a live transcript, and transcripts are searchable to find a particular moment.
- Document scanner and handwriting
- A built-in scanner captures paper documents. Sketches and handwriting are added with a finger, or with Apple Pencil on a compatible iPad, including on inline PDFs.
- Folders, tags and Smart Folders
- Notes sit in folders and subfolders or carry typed or handwritten tags. Smart Folders collect notes by rules such as date created, checklists or attachments.
- Search and links between notes
- Search covers typed text, handwriting and the text inside scanned documents and photos. Notes can link to one another, with >> as a typing shortcut.
- Shared and locked notes
- Notes and folders can be shared with other iCloud users, with changes shown in real time and an Activity view. A note can be locked with the device passcode or a custom password.
Evernote
- Web Clipper and document scanning
- A browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari saves web pages into notes, and paper documents can be scanned in alongside them.
- Advanced and semantic search
- Search supports Boolean, geographic and filtered queries, and semantic search surfaces related notes based on their content.
- Tasks and calendar
- Tasks take due dates, reminders and assignees. Google and Microsoft calendars can be connected: 1 on the Free plan and 5 on paid plans.
- AI Assistant
- A chat assistant searches, organizes and enriches notes, with monthly and per-chat usage limits. AI Edit writes, summarizes, tidies and translates notes.
- AI Transcribe
- Records meetings and conversations, then produces a transcript and summary inside a note.
- Collaboration and MCP
- Shared notes support real-time editing, comments and task assignment. An MCP connector lets Claude, ChatGPT and other compatible AI tools use your notes.
Plans
Apple Notes
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus browser access at iCloud.com.
Evernote
Free$0
50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 GB of storage and sync on 1 device.
Starter$99
per year ($14.99 if billed monthly)
1,000 notes, 20 notebooks, 10 spaces, 5 GB of storage, 5 external calendars and sync across 3 devices.
Advanced$249.99
per year ($24.99 if billed monthly)
Unlimited notes, notebooks, spaces, storage and synced devices, subject to safeguard limits against abuse.
Enterprise (Flexible, Unlimited)Custom
Team plans with centralized account administration, user activity logs and single sign-on. Pricing is by quote.
Ways to pay less
Apple Notes
No public discounts listed.
Evernote
- Education
40% off Evernote Advanced for students
Eligible college students who are not already paying subscribers get 40% off a one-year Evernote Advanced subscription, with student status verified through UNiDAYS.
