Foam vs Joplin (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Joplin grades higher than Foam: 3.6 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Joplin grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
Which one is for you
Pick Foam if
- Fits if you already live in VS Code and keep notes as Markdown files
- Works for people who want notes in Git with no vendor lock-in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as there isn't one
- Not for you if you don't use VS Code, since it runs only inside that editor
- Watch out: it is a code editor with notes added, which is heavy for a quick shopping list
- Watch out: it sends anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting
Pick Joplin if
- Fits if you want your notes in open source apps and on storage you control
- Works for people leaving Evernote, as its export files come in with formatting and attachments
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want sync that works the minute you install, because you connect a storage service yourself
- Not for you if you'd forget a password, since encryption is off by default and a lost encryption password can't be recovered
- Tight if you want to share notebooks, as Cloud Basic can only join them and sharing or Email to Note needs Pro at 5.99€ a month
- Watch out: Cloud prices are in euros, Teams needs at least 2 users, and the web app and Cloud AI need a Cloud plan
- Watch out: the iPhone app sits at 4.1 from about 480 App Store ratings
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFoamGood | 3.6GPAJoplinExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source with no subscription. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free. | AThe apps are free and open source and sync through storage you already pay for, in a category whose middle plan is $6 a month. If you want Joplin to host it, Cloud Basic is 2.40€ a month billed yearly, and students and teachers get half off. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free, with no plan limits and no paid tier. | AFree outright: the desktop, mobile and terminal apps, with no cap on notes, syncing through your own Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3. Joplin Cloud is optional, and only the browser web app, publishing and shared notebooks need it. |
| Features | CWikilinks, backlinks, a graph view, daily notes, templates and Git-based sync. It has no mobile app, and the docs offer capture from a phone only as a workaround through other apps. | AMarkdown or rich text, notebooks, tags, full-text search everywhere, images, PDFs, audio, math, diagrams, a web clipper, optional end-to-end encryption, plugins, and Evernote exports that import with their attachments. And it does what rivals don't: you pick the storage it syncs to, and you can switch later. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install VS Code and the extension, and it works as plain files and commands, which suits developers more than most note-takers. | C4.1 from about 480 App Store ratings, squarely in C territory. You also choose and connect a sync service yourself, encryption stays off until you turn it on on one device, and a forgotten encryption password can't be recovered. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, Windows and Linux desktops only, through VS Code. A command-line tool with an MCP server exists, but nothing for phones or the web. | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, a terminal app and clippers for Chrome and Firefox, plus Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 and an extension API. The browser web app is the one piece that comes only with Joplin Cloud. |
| Best for | linked Markdown notes inside VS Code | free, open source notes synced your own way |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Foam and Joplin. How we grade
Price against what you get
Foam has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Joplin starts at about $2.68 a month and scores 3.3.
Joplin scores higher, and starts $2.68 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other note-taking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Foam for less, and 3 score higher than Joplin for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Joplin is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Foam also covers linked notes, daily notes and templates.
- Joplin also covers notes and web clipper.
At a glance
| Foam | Joplin | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic) |
| Free plan | Everything is free; the project says it has no subscriptions. | The Joplin apps are free and open source, and can sync through your own Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3 storage. Joplin Cloud is an optional paid service. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the paid plans; cancel during the trial and you are not charged. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Foam | Laurent Cozic |
| Price read from | docs.foam.md | joplinapp.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Foam
- It runs inside VS Code, so you install the editor as well as the extension.
- The docs describe mobile capture as a workaround through other apps; there is no Foam mobile app.
- It collects anonymous usage data and follows VS Code's telemetry setting.
Joplin
- End-to-end encryption is not on by default, and a forgotten encryption password cannot be recovered.
- Joplin Cloud and Joplin Server Business prices are listed in euros.
- On Joplin Cloud Basic you can join a shared notebook but not share your own; that and Email to Note need Pro.
- The browser-based web app and Joplin Cloud AI (beta) are available only with a Joplin Cloud subscription.
Key features
Foam
- Wikilinks and backlinks
- Link notes with double brackets; a Connections panel shows what links to the current note.
- Graph view
- Visualize how your notes connect to one another.
- Daily notes and templates
- Create timestamped daily notes and standard note templates.
- Plain Markdown files
- Notes are ordinary Markdown files you own, with embeds, block anchors, tags and footnotes.
- Git and publishing
- Sync through source control and publish to GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel and other hosts.
- Command line and MCP server
- A CLI includes an MCP server for AI clients; it is read-only unless writes are allowed.
Joplin
- Markdown notes and to-dos
- Notes and to-dos are written in Markdown or a rich text editor, organized into notebooks with tags, and found through full-text search on every platform.
- Multimedia, math and diagrams
- Notes can hold images, videos, PDFs and audio files, and math expressions and diagrams are created inside the app.
- Sync through a service you choose
- Notes synchronize through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 or the local file system, and switching from one service to another is supported.
- End-to-end encryption
- Synchronized notes can be end-to-end encrypted so that the sync service cannot read them. It is off by default and has to be enabled on one device first.
- Web clipper
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox save web pages and screenshots as notes.
- Plugins, themes and publishing
- Plugins, custom themes and an extension API change how the app works. With Joplin Cloud, a note can be published to a URL and notebooks shared for collaboration.
Plans
Foam
Foam$0
Free, open-source VS Code extension. You also need VS Code, which the docs call free.
Joplin
Joplin appFree
The open source desktop, mobile and terminal apps, with sync through third-party storage and optional end-to-end encryption.
Joplin Cloud Basic2.99€
per month, or 28.69€ per year (2.40€ / month)
2 GB of storage and 10 MB per note or attachment, with note publishing, the web app and Joplin Cloud AI (beta). Can join shared notebooks only.
Joplin Cloud Pro5.99€
per month, or 57.48€ per year (4.79€ / month)
30 GB of storage and 200 MB per note or attachment, plus sharing notebooks, Email to Note and a custom publishing banner.
Joplin Cloud Pro 100 GB9.99€
per month, or 95.88€ per year (7.99€ / month)
Everything in Pro with 100 GB of storage space.
Joplin Cloud Teams7.99€
per user / month, or 80.28€ per user / year; minimum 2 users
50 GB of storage, with multi-user management, consolidated billing, share permissions and priority support.
Joplin Server Business3.33€
per user / month for 2-10 users, billed annually (40.00€)
Self-hosted server with source code available and no storage or attachment limits. 2.92€ per user for 11-50 users, 2.50€ beyond that.
Ways to pay less
Foam
No public discounts listed.
Joplin
- Annual discount
Roughly 16% to 20% lower price when paying yearly
Basic works out to 2.40€ a month on yearly billing against 2.99€ monthly, Pro to 4.79€ against 5.99€, and Teams to 6.69€ per user against 7.99€.
- Education
50% Education Discount for students and teachers
Students and teachers who write in from a school or university email address get 50% off Joplin Cloud for a year, renewable for as long as they remain in education.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foam or Joplin?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Foam is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $2.68 a month for Joplin. Foam is free, and Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic).
Which has a free plan, Foam or Joplin?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Foam and Joplin have a free plan.
Which platforms do Foam and Joplin run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Joplin lists a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.