Joplin
Open source note-taking and to-do application
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask joplin
Joplin — Official Website
Quick Take: Joplin
In August 2026 Joplin remains the pick for privacy-conscious, cross-platform note-taking that refuses SaaS lock-in. Version 3.6 closed long polish gaps: visual Markdown, OneNote fidelity including .onepkg on macOS, clearer sync status, and mobile attachment management. Joplin Cloud added a 100 GB Pro tier (€9.99/mo or €7.99 yearly) and beta Cloud AI without paywalling the desktop or mobile apps. Stable desktop sits at 3.6.15 (20 June 2026) with a 3.7.x pre-release stream for early sync work. It is less glamorous than Apple Notes and less graph-focused than Obsidian, but for Mac users who want E2EE, free Dropbox/OneDrive/WebDAV/S3 sync, and a Markdown brain that outlives any single vendor, Joplin is still the best open-source choice. Skip it only if you need real-time multi-cursor collaboration or a fully native Swift UI.
Best For
- •Privacy Advocates
- •Software Developers
- •Academic Researchers
What is Joplin?
Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking and to-do application that remains the privacy-focused standard for knowledge management on macOS in August 2026. Created by Laurent Cozic in 2017, Joplin was built as a direct response to proprietary lock-in from Evernote-class apps, offering a local-first architecture where users own their data. As of mid-2026 the stable desktop line sits at version 3.6.15 (20 June 2026), with an active 3.7.x pre-release stream (3.7.10 on 28 July 2026) that continues sync and Cloud-linked-note work. Joplin 3.6, announced 5 May 2026, was the headline shipping cycle since the May content baseline: a more visual Markdown editor with in-editor rendering, embedded YouTube and media time ranges, a substantially improved OneNote importer (including .onepkg on macOS), clearer sidebar sync status, accessible PDF export with OCR text layers (Chinese and Norwegian added), and mobile parity for per-notebook sorting and attachment management. At its core, Joplin is an Electron desktop app that stores notes in Markdown with an SQLite index. What still sells it in 2026 is simple: cloud synchronization via Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, S3, or WebDAV without giving up client-side end-to-end encryption. Joplin Cloud plans now explicitly include Joplin Cloud AI (beta), a hosted chat model that can summarise, rewrite, or answer questions about notes from the desktop app, plus a new Pro 100 GB storage tier between Pro and Teams. Unlike competitors that may scan notes for model training, Joplin still guarantees mathematical inaccessibility of E2EE data to operators and attackers. For Mac users, Joplin bridges structured notebooks and hacker-friendly plain text. It supports multimedia, KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, ABC music notation (now first-party), a Safari/Chrome/Firefox Web Clipper, and a large plugin ecosystem. It is not as fluid as Apple Notes, and real-time multi-cursor collaboration still trails Notion-class products, but for developers, academics, and privacy-minded users who need cross-platform E2EE plus free third-party sync, Joplin is still a strong second brain.
Analysis: The Tech Behind Joplin
Joplin's longevity is built on standard, non-proprietary technologies that ensure your data outlives the app itself.
History & Background
Founded in 2017 by Laurent Cozic, Joplin grew from a terminal tool into a full desktop/mobile suite without VC capture. Through 2025, 2026 it shipped multi-instance support, warrant canary transparency, 3.5 stability work, and the large 3.6 editing/import cycle (May 2026), followed by 3.7 pre-releases for Cloud recursive linked notes and sync target upgrades.
How It Works
Joplin is an Electron app on desktop and React Native on mobile. Uniquely, it doesn't just read files from a folder; it uses a local SQLite database for speed, indexing, and complex relationships (like tags and note links). This architecture enables fast search across tens of thousands of notes but requires an 'Export' step to get raw files.
Ecosystem & Integrations
The ecosystem has over 200 plugins. From 'Math Mode' for LaTeX to 'Note Overview' for dynamic dashboards, the community fills every gap. The 'Joplin Cloud' service also funds development, creating a sustainable financial model that keeps the core app open-source.
Future Development
Near-term work continues on sync reliability, Cloud-linked notes, accessibility, and optional server-side capabilities (HTR/Rocketbook-class integrations have been discussed publicly). Mobile feature parity and plugin quality remain community priorities. Joplin Cloud AI is explicitly beta and may change.
Key Features
End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)
Joplin's flagship security feature remains client-side AES-256 encryption with Argon2 key derivation. Notes, images, and metadata are encrypted on your Mac before they leave the device. Even when you sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, S3, or Joplin Cloud, the server only sees ciphertext. In 2026 this continues to differentiate Joplin from Evernote-class cloud notebooks and from many AI-first note apps that require plaintext server access.
Visual Markdown Editor (Joplin 3.6)
Since Joplin 3.6 the Markdown editor renders headings, bold, italic, links, images, inline HTML, YAML frontmatter, and code highlighting directly while you type. Multi-line formatting commands now apply per line. You still keep portable Markdown on disk (via export) and can toggle traditional split preview or Rich Text (WYSIWYG) modes when needed.
Joplin Cloud AI (beta) & Sync Agnosticism
Optional Joplin Cloud subscribers gain Joplin Cloud AI (beta) for summarisation, rewrite, and Q&A against notes from the desktop app, plus faster first-party sync, note publishing, and collaboration. Independently, free users can still sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, filesystem, or S3, treating those stores as dumb encrypted blobs. Pro adds Email-to-Note and notebook sharing; Teams adds multi-user admin and share permissions.
Web Clipper & OneNote Migration
The browser Web Clipper (Safari, Chrome, Firefox) still captures simplified articles, full pages, screenshots, or URLs into a local notebook, critical against link rot. Joplin 3.6 further improved OneNote import so .onepkg works on macOS/Linux, large .one files with attachments import correctly, ink/handwriting positioning improved, and cross-page links and non-ASCII notebook titles are preserved. Evernote ENEX import remains a first-class path.
Plugin Ecosystem & Note History
Hundreds of community plugins extend Joplin with Kanban boards, note tabs, BibTeX, themes, and AI bridges that use your own API keys. Note history still snapshots revisions locally so you can restore earlier versions after bad edits. Built-in ABC music notation, Mermaid, and KaTeX cover academic and creative notes without extra installs.
Cross-Platform Mobile Parity
Joplin 3.6 closed several mobile gaps: per-notebook sort orders, a dedicated attachments manager, reorderable editor toolbars with jump-to-start/end, remembered edit/view mode, Reveal in notebook, and direct .txt import. Desktop gained multi-instance profiles, clearer sync report UI, accessible PDF export, and global show/hide shortcuts. The stack remains macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS with the same encrypted sync target.
Who Should Use Joplin?
1The Academic Researcher
Dr. Aris needs to organize thousands of PDFs, web clippings, and citations for a thesis. Using Joplin, they create a 'Thesis' notebook hierarchy. They use the Web Clipper to capture journal articles from Safari directly into specific sub-notebooks, stripping away ads. They attach PDFs to notes, which Joplin encrypts automatically. Using the 'BibTeX' plugin, they cite sources within their Markdown drafts. Finally, they use the 'Export' feature to compile their chapter notes into a single PDF for review. The outcome is a completely offline, searchable, and encrypted research database that syncs securely to their iPad for reading.
2The Privacy-Conscious Developer
Marcus works on sensitive code and refuses to use cloud-based apps like Notion that lack E2EE. He installs Joplin via Homebrew and points the sync target to his self-hosted Nextcloud server running on a Raspberry Pi. He uses the Markdown editor to write technical documentation, using triple-backtick code fences for syntax highlighting and Mermaid syntax to draw flowcharts. He installs the 'VS Code Integration' plugin to edit his notes directly inside his favorite IDE. The result is a workflow where his intellectual property never leaves his physical control.
3The Cross-Platform Freelancer
Sarah switches between a MacBook Pro for design work and an Android phone on the go. She uses Joplin Cloud (Basic tier) to sync smoothly between them. She uses the 'Kanban' plugin on her Mac to manage client project stages (To Do, In Progress, Done). On her phone, she uses the newly improved mobile Rich Text editor to jot down meeting minutes during client calls. She uses the 'Note Tabs' plugin on desktop to keep multiple project specs open simultaneously. The outcome is a unified workspace that costs her less than a cup of coffee a month and keeps her client data secure.
How to Install Joplin on Mac
Installing Joplin on macOS is straightforward. You can download the DMG directly or use a package manager for easier updates. The app supports both Intel and Apple Silicon (M-series) chips natively.
Install via Homebrew (Recommended)
Open your Terminal and run the following command to install the latest maintained cask: brew install --cask joplin
Alternative: Direct Download
Visit the official download page at joplinapp.org/download and grab the latest .dmg file for macOS.
Initial Launch & Permission
Launch Joplin from your Applications folder. You may need to grant it permissions to access the network for synchronization.
Pro Tips
- • Enable the 'Web Clipper' service in settings immediately to pair it with your browser extension.
- • If using the DMG, enable 'Check for updates' in preferences to stay on the latest version.
- • Allow Joplin to run in the background if you want sync to happen silently.
Configuration Tips
Set Up Encryption First
Before you sync a single note, go to Settings > Encryption and enable it. Create a strong master password. This ensures that when you do connect a cloud service, your data is uploaded in an encrypted state from the very first byte. Doing this later can trigger a long re-sync process.
Optimize the Layout
Go to View > Change application layout to customize your pane arrangement. For a cleaner look, disable the 'Note List' if you prefer navigating via the sidebar. Also, install the 'macOS Theme' plugin to make the interface blend better with the native Mac aesthetic.
Configure the Web Clipper Port
If the Web Clipper extension fails to find the app, go to Settings > Web Clipper and ensure the port (usually 41184) is not blocked by your firewall. This local server is required for the browser extension to talk to the desktop app.
Alternatives to Joplin
Joplin occupies the open-source, E2EE, multi-sync niche. Here is how it compares in the August 2026 landscape.
Obsidian
Obsidian is the closest local-first rival: more polished UI, stronger graph/backlink culture, larger plugin marketplace. It is not fully open-source, and official Obsidian Sync is a paid add-on (~$4, $8+/mo depending on plan), whereas Joplin lets you sync for free via Dropbox/OneDrive/WebDAV. Choose Obsidian for graph UX and visual polish; choose Joplin for AGPL/open core, built-in free third-party sync, and Joplin Cloud collaboration.
Apple Notes
Faster, more native, deeper iCloud/Handoff/Quick Note integration on Mac and iPad, including strong Pencil support. Export and non-Apple device access remain weak. Choose Apple Notes for convenience inside Apple's garden; choose Joplin when you need Markdown portability, E2EE you control, and Android/Windows clients.
Evernote
The product Joplin was created to escape. In 2026 Evernote remains a paid, closed cloud notebook with OCR/AI search strengths but subscription pricing and weaker data ownership. Joplin is the free, private migration path via ENEX import.
Standard Notes / Logseq
Standard Notes emphasises encrypted simplicity; Logseq emphasises outliner/graph daily notes. Joplin sits between them with notebooks, to-dos, clipper, and optional Cloud AI while staying E2EE-capable.
Pricing
Joplin desktop and mobile apps are free open-source software. Core features (unlimited local notes, E2EE, plugins, Web Clipper, third-party sync) have no paywall. Optional Joplin Cloud (official managed sync, as listed on joplinapp.org/plans, August 2026): *Basic: €2.99/mo or €2.40/mo billed yearly (€28.69/year), 10 MB per note/attachment, 2 GB storage, publish notes, collaborate on notebooks shared with you, Joplin Web App, Joplin Cloud AI (beta) * Pro: €5.99/mo or €4.79/mo yearly (€57.48/year), 200 MB per note, 30 GB storage (upgrade path to 100 GB), share notebooks, Email-to-Note, custom publish banners, Cloud AI * Pro 100 GB: €9.99/mo or €7.99/mo yearly (€95.88/year), same Pro features with 100 GB storage * Teams:** €7.99/user/mo or €6.69/user/mo yearly (€80.28/user/year), minimum 2 users, 200 MB notes, 50 GB storage, multi-user admin, consolidated billing, share permissions, priority support Education discount: 50% for students/teachers via school email. Self-hosted Joplin Server Business is available for organisations (from €40/user/year for 2, 10 seats). Free Dropbox/OneDrive/WebDAV/S3 sync remains available without Joplin Cloud.
Pros
- ✓True client-side E2EE: AES-256 before sync so operators and cloud vendors cannot read notes.
- ✓No vendor lock-in: Markdown-oriented data plus open export formats (JEX, MD, HTML, PDF).
- ✓Free third-party sync: Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, S3, and filesystem without a Joplin subscription.
- ✓Active 2026 releases: 3.6 visual editor, OneNote importer, sync UI, OCR languages; 3.7 stream still shipping.
- ✓Plugin ecosystem: Kanban, themes, academic tooling, and optional AI via plugins or Joplin Cloud AI beta.
- ✓Cross-platform parity: Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS with the same sync target.
- ✓Sustainable funding: Joplin Cloud and donations fund open-source development without enshittifying core features.
Cons
- ✗Electron UI: Less native feel than Apple Notes; larger memory footprint than pure Swift apps.
- ✗Sync complexity: Self-hosted or multi-device E2EE setup can confuse non-technical users; conflicts still possible though reduced in 3.6.
- ✗Collaboration is not real-time: Notebook sharing merges via sync rather than Google Docs-style multi-cursor editing.
- ✗Mobile polish trails desktop: Rich Text and performance improved but still catch-up versus native iOS note apps.
Community & Support
Joplin has a mature open-source community. The official Discourse forum is the main support hub, with active posts from creator Laurent Cozic and core maintainers. Users share plugin announcements, CSS themes, and troubleshooting threads. The GitHub repository stays active with regular commits and a public roadmap. There is no 24/7 chat support unless you pay for Joplin Cloud Pro, but the docs cover setup well and community answers usually arrive within a day or two.
Video Tutorials
Getting Started with Joplin
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Frequently Asked Questions about Joplin
brew install --cask joplin.About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
Expert Tips for Joplin
Open-source builders on X still cite Joplin as the default when they want Markdown notes with E2EE and self-hosted or Dropbox sync instead of renting a closed cloud notebook, several 2026 posts contrast it with subscription note apps.
The 3.6 cycle's visual Markdown editor and OneNote importer are the practical upgrade reasons long-time users mention when recommending Joplin over older 'raw Markdown only' setups.
New niche competitors (self-hosted MCP note experiments, iCloud Markdown clients) appear in timelines, but Joplin's clipper + multi-target sync remains the migration default from Evernote/OneNote discussions.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Aug 9, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Joplin Cloud Basic is €2.99/mo or €2.40/mo yearly (€28.69/year) with 10 MB notes and 2 GB storage; Pro is €5.99/mo (€4.79 yearly) with 200 MB notes and 30 GB; Pro 100 GB and Teams tiers are also listed.[cite-2]
- Joplin 3.6 (news post 5 May 2026) shipped visual Markdown editing, improved OneNote import including .onepkg on macOS, sync status UI, and OCR language expansions.[cite-3]
- Stable release 3.6.15 was published 20 June 2026; GitHub also lists 3.7.x pre-releases such as v3.7.10 (28 July 2026).[cite-4, cite-5]
- Joplin Cloud AI (beta) is included on Cloud plans for summarise/rewrite/Q&A from the desktop app.[cite-2]
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- 2Joplin Cloud Plans and Pricing
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Basic/Pro/Pro 100GB/Teams euro pricing and Cloud AI beta."
- 3Joplin News, 3.6 release
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"3.6 visual editor, OneNote importer, sync status (5 May 2026)."
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Research queries: Joplin 3.6 3.7 release 2026; Joplin Cloud pricing plans 2026; Joplin Cloud AI beta; Joplin macOS Tahoe Apple Silicon