What is Joplin?
Joplin is an open-source note-taking app that keeps notes in an open format and syncs them through a service the user chooses — Joplin's own cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive — rather than one vendor's account. Notes can be written in Markdown or a rich-text editor, and sync is protected with end-to-end encryption so the storage provider cannot read them. It handles images, video, PDFs and audio, takes a web clipper, and can be extended with plugins and themes. It suits people who want their notes portable and independently stored, and who do not mind configuring sync themselves.
Verified product facts
- Type
- note-taking appEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- JoplinDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Current version
- 3.7.21Developer-stated
- Official website
- joplinapp.org/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Joplin does at a glance.
Notes
In Markdown or a rich-text editor, in an open format you can export
End-to-end encryption applied to synced notes
Sync through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive
Multimedia notes
Images, video, PDFs and audio
Math expressions and diagrams
Written inside a note
Web clipper
For Chrome and Firefox that saves pages or screenshots as notes
Plugins, custom themes and an Extension API
Apps
For Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a terminal app
What you can use Joplin for
- Keeping one set of notes in sync across a Mac, phone and tablet
- Clipping web pages and screenshots into notes as you research
- Storing notes in an open format that can be exported without a vendor's help
Who is Joplin for?
- People who want their notes encrypted and stored somewhere they choose, not in a single vendor's cloud
- Users who prefer Markdown and an open format they can move at any time
Who is Joplin not for?
- Anyone who wants real-time collaborative editing — Joplin's model is per-note sync, not a shared live document
- Users who want zero setup — syncing requires connecting a storage target first
Limitations
- Collaboration and note publishing run through the paid Joplin Cloud service
- The desktop app is community-maintained and notarised builds come from the project rather than the Mac App Store
- Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks
Strengths and trade-offs
What Joplin does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Notes are stored in an open format, so they can be exported without the app.Developer-stated
- Sync is end-to-end encrypted, and the storage target is chosen by the user.Developer-stated
- Supports Markdown and a rich-text editor, plus plugins, themes and an Extension API.Developer-stated
- Sync can run through Dropbox, OneDrive or a self-hosted server at no cost.Developer-stated
Trade-offs
- Sharing and publishing notes to the web require the paid Joplin Cloud subscription.
- Sync is not enabled by default; it has to be configured against a storage target before notes appear on other devices.Editorially reviewed
- There is no real-time co-editing of a single note, unlike Google Docs or Craft.Editorially reviewed
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Direct download from joplinapp.org; notarised macOS builds are also published on the project's GitHub releases.
- First launch Developer-stated
- No account is required. Notes live locally until a sync target is configured.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Offers a web clipper for Chrome and Firefox, and a separate terminal app.
What it does
Joplin treats a note as a file, not a row in someone else’s database. Notes can be written in Markdown or in a rich-text editor, and the app keeps them in an open format that can be exported without Joplin’s help. Sync is a separate step: the user points Joplin at Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or a self-hosted server, and from then on notes appear on every connected device.
Privacy model
Joplin applies end-to-end encryption to synced notes, so the service holding the files cannot read them. Joplin Cloud is operated from France, which the project notes places it under European Union privacy law; self-hosting removes the third party entirely. This is the main structural difference from note apps that store content in their own cloud as the only option.
Extending it
Plugins, custom themes and an Extension API are supported, and a web clipper for Chrome and Firefox saves pages or screenshots straight into a notebook. Sharing a note to the web, or collaborating on one, is a feature of the paid Joplin Cloud plan rather than the free app.
Questions about Joplin
Is Joplin free?
Yes. The app is free and open source. Joplin Cloud, the optional hosted sync and sharing service, is a paid subscription, but syncing through Dropbox, OneDrive or your own server is free.
Where does Joplin store my notes?
Notes are saved locally and, if sync is configured, in the service you choose — Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive. Synced notes are protected with end-to-end encryption.Developer-stated
Does Joplin support Markdown?
Yes. Notes can be written in Markdown or in a rich-text editor.
Is Joplin open source?
Yes. The application is open source and its notes are stored in an open format.
Alternatives to Joplin
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
Obsidian
Local-first Markdown notes, with optional paid sync.
Both keep notes in plain files the user owns, but Obsidian works on local folders while Joplin adds its own sync and encryption layer.
Similar apps
Related in purpose, but not a straight swap.
Craft
Block-based docs, notes and tasks for Mac, with AI and publishing built in.
Both are note apps with multimedia content, but Craft is a closed-source, subscription product with live collaboration while Joplin is open source and syncs per note.
FSNotes
Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone, files on disk.
Both are Markdown note apps for macOS that store notes as files, but FSNotes is a native Mac app while Joplin is cross-platform with its own database.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
- Joplin — official websiteGrade B
- Joplin — developer websiteGrade B
- Joplin — documentationGrade C
- Joplin — source repositoryGrade D
