A notepad that feels like
what Evernote used to be
Simple. Mac-native. Yours.
Capture what you read, watch or listen to with a single keystroke. Build a personal library of notes and sources you can draw on with perfect recall.
Unlimited notes on the free plan
Why people are leaving Evernote in 2026
Evernote helped invent the modern notetaking app. For long-time users, it was the standard for years. Then it changed. Evernote's free plan was cut to 50 notes in December 2023. Paid plans now run $14.99–$17.99/month — long-time subscribers report renewal increases of 100–257% over three years. The v10 Electron rebuild drew complaints about Mac app speed. AI features arrived turned on by default. After Bending Spoons acquired Evernote in 2023, many long-time users have been exploring alternatives.
- Renewal prices that doubled, then doubled
- A Mac app that drags to open
- AI features that ship turned on
- A 50-note cap on a 15-year archive
Choose the tool for the job you actually do
Choose Leo if you…
- Are on Mac and want native speed
- Want to take notes mid-article, video, or podcast
- Want a personal library that builds itself as you read
- Want your notes to stay yours — encrypted, exportable, always accessible
- Want AI chat across your library — optional, private, included
Choose Evernote if you…
- Live in PDFs, scans, and OCR-heavy workflows
- Need handwriting and Apple Pencil annotation
- Need Windows support
What's different about Leo
Capture mid-read, not after
Evernote's web clipper saves a decided-keeper after you've stopped to clip it. Leo's popover sits beside what you're reading and captures the line that struck you with one keystroke — without leaving the article, video, or podcast.
Sources saved automatically
Every note lands with the URL, page number, podcast timestamp, or video frame attached. No manual copy-paste of citations later — the trail back to where the idea came from is always one click away.
A library that builds itself
Collect articles, highlights, and ideas over months and across sources. The piece you clipped last year is still there this one — sourced, searchable, ready to draw on. Years of reading become the references you reach for when you need them.
Connect the dots
Ask across everything you've clipped over the years — what's the through-line, where did this thought first land, what does your own writing actually say — and turn an archive that's been sitting there into something you can use again. Use Leo's built-in model, or connect it to your favourite LLM.
Side by side
| Leo | Evernote | |
|---|---|---|
| Capture method | Mac-native popover, single keystroke, sits over your reading | Web Clipper (browser extension), share-sheet on mobile |
| Source attached automatically | URL, page number, video timestamp, podcast time — every note | URL on web clips; manual otherwise |
| File format | Open, exportable | Proprietary (.enex export, lossy) |
| Free tier | Unlimited notes | 50 notes, 1 notebook |
| Mac client | Native | Electron |
| iOS / iPad | Coming soon | Yes |
| Windows / Linux / Android | No | Yes |
| Handwriting, OCR, PDF annotation | No | Yes |
Pricing and feature notes pulled from Evernote's public plans and the rolling teardown at /blog/best-evernote-alternatives. Verified 2026-05-01.
Moving from Evernote
Leo doesn't try to import your Evernote archive. The fastest way to switch is to leave the old archive in place and start fresh — your next note is the first one. If you do need everything in one place, the step-by-step below covers the route most people take.
-
1
Start fresh in Leo for the work you're actively thinking about
Download Leo and start capturing today. Most people who try this approach are surprised how little they actually pull forward from the old archive — the work you're doing now is the work that matters.
-
2
Leave Evernote on the free tier as a read-only archive
The free tier (50 notes / 1 notebook) won't fit a large library, but you can keep your existing Evernote account around as a search-only fallback for the few times you need to look something up.
-
3
If you really need to bring it all over, pair tools
Export each notebook as
.enexfrom Evernote desktop, then use UpNote, Joplin, or Apple Notes to read it. Each handles the import differently — see the full migration breakdown for tradeoffs.
Free for Mac. Pro when you want it.
Free
$0
Everything you need to start a Mac-native notepad with source-attached capture.
- Unlimited notes
- AI chat within and across notes
- Source-attached capture
- End-to-end encrypted, exportable to your Mac
Pro
$14.99 / mo
Unlimited notepads, longer chats, more context window. Max plan available at $59.99/mo for heavier use.
- Unlimited notepads
- Longer AI conversations
- Larger context across your library
- Connect your own OpenAI / Anthropic key
See full pricing details · Cancel anytime · Your notes are yours either way.
Frequently asked questions
What does Leo do that Evernote doesn't?
How do I move my Evernote notes to Leo?
Is Leo really free?
Can I turn off AI?
What happens to my notes if I stop paying Pro?
Where do my notes live, and how long will they last?
Is there an iPhone or iPad app?
Ready to switch?
Download Leo for Mac and start with the next note that strikes you.