Evernote vs Notion (2026): Which Should You Use?
A practical comparison of Evernote and Notion covering pricing, note-taking features, databases, collaboration, and which tool fits small teams vs individual note-takers.
Updated 2026-09 · 2026
Evernote
Note-taking and web clipping app built for personal knowledge capture
Strengths
- +Excellent web clipper for saving articles, PDFs, and screenshots
- +Strong OCR search (finds text inside images and scanned documents)
- +Mature handwriting and scanning support on mobile
Weaknesses
- -Free plan is very limited (2 devices, small monthly upload cap)
- -No real database, task, or wiki functionality
- -Weak team collaboration compared to modern tools
Best for
Individuals who clip a lot of web content and need strong search over scanned/handwritten notes
Notion
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and databases
Strengths
- +Flexible databases (tables, boards, calendars, galleries) from one dataset
- +Combines notes, wikis, docs, and light project management in one tool
- +Generous free plan for individuals with unlimited blocks
Weaknesses
- -Steeper learning curve than a simple notes app
- -No native OCR or handwriting support
- -Can get slow with very large databases or heavy embeds
Best for
Teams and individuals who want notes, docs, and lightweight project tracking in one workspace
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan usability | Very limited (2 devices, 60MB/month uploads) | Generous, unlimited blocks for individuals |
| Web clipper | Excellent, dedicated browser extension | Basic clipper, less polished |
| Databases / tables | None | Full relational databases with views |
| OCR / image text search | Yes, searches text in images and PDFs | No |
| Handwriting/scanning support | Strong, built for scanned docs | None |
| Team collaboration | Basic shared notebooks | Full workspace with permissions, comments, mentions |
| Task/project management | Minimal (basic to-dos) | Kanban boards, calendars, timelines |
| Offline access | Strong offline sync | Limited offline support |
| API / integrations | Limited third-party integrations | Public API, Zapier, Make, Slack, Google Drive support |
| Templates | Basic note templates | Large template gallery and community templates |
| Pricing entry point | $14.99/mo for Personal plan | $10/mo (annual) for Plus plan |
The Verdict
Evernote still wins for pure note capture, web clipping, and searching scanned/handwritten content, but its free plan and pricing have become hard to justify. Notion is the better default for most small teams today because it replaces notes, docs, and light project tracking in a single tool with a genuinely usable free tier. Unless OCR or heavy web clipping is core to your workflow, Notion is the more versatile and cost-effective choice.
How to switch from Evernote to Notion
- 1In Evernote, go to each notebook (or select all notes) and use File > Export Notes, choosing the ENEX format to download your notes with attachments and metadata intact.
- 2Convert the ENEX files to Markdown or HTML using a converter tool (several free open-source ENEX-to-Markdown converters exist), since Notion doesn't import ENEX directly.
- 3In Notion, create a workspace structure mirroring your Evernote notebooks and stacks, then use Import > Markdown/HTML or Import > Text Files to bring content in as pages.
- 4Manually review imported notes for broken formatting, especially tables, checklists, and embedded images, and rebuild any Evernote tags as Notion database properties or tags.
- 5Recreate any Evernote email/browser clipping workflows using Notion's web clipper extension or a Zapier/Make automation that sends clipped content into a designated Notion database.
- 6Migrate your team gradually by running both tools in parallel for 1-2 weeks, then set Evernote notebooks to read-only and announce Notion as the source of truth once migration is verified.
Evernote vs Notion: common questions
How do I export my notes from Evernote to Notion?+
Use Evernote's built-in export feature to save notebooks as .enex files (Export Notes > Format: ENEX). Notion doesn't natively import ENEX, so you'll typically use a third-party converter tool or an import service to convert ENEX to Markdown/HTML before importing into Notion. For small note counts, manual copy-paste is often faster and cleaner.
What features do I lose by switching from Evernote to Notion?+
You lose Evernote's OCR search inside images and scanned PDFs, since Notion doesn't index text within images. You also lose the polished web clipper and native handwriting/scan support if you use Evernote on mobile for physical documents. Everything else — notes, tags, attachments — has a reasonable equivalent in Notion.
Is Notion's free plan enough for a small team?+
Yes, for teams up to about 5-10 people doing basic collaboration, Notion's free plan works fine with unlimited pages and blocks. You'll hit limits around guest permissions, version history, and advanced admin controls, which require the Plus ($10/mo/user) or Business ($18/mo/user) plan. Most small teams start free and upgrade only when they need more granular permissions.
Does Notion integrate with the same tools Evernote does?+
Notion has broader native integrations (Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, Zapier, Make) and a public API, whereas Evernote's integration ecosystem is more limited and app-specific. If you relied on Evernote's Gmail or Outlook clipping integrations, you'll need to recreate those workflows using Notion's web clipper or Zapier automations.
Is switching from Evernote to Notion cheaper long-term?+
Yes, in most cases. Evernote's Personal plan starts at $14.99/mo per user with no meaningful free tier, while Notion's Plus plan is $10/mo per user (billed annually) with a usable free option for individuals. For a 5-person team, that's a difference of roughly $300-350/year in Notion's favor.