Joplin is an open-source note-taking and task management application that organizes Markdown notes, attachments, and reminders into notebooks, with offline access and optional synchronization across computers and mobile devices.
Joplin is a note-taking application that brings written records, reference material, and to-dos together in searchable notebooks. It suits people managing meeting notes, study material, personal records, or ongoing projects who want their information available without a constant internet connection. A note can hold formatted text and supporting files, while tags provide another way to group material across notebook boundaries. The desktop app offers Markdown and Rich Text editing, allowing users to choose how they compose everyday content. Its organization centers on a practical notebook workflow, so a collection can grow from quick reminders into a reference library containing documents, observations, and follow-up actions.
Joplin maintains a local application profile and synchronizes through a configured service, rather than treating a cloud connection as a prerequisite for writing. If you are comparing note-taking workflows, Obsidian emphasizes a folder of Markdown files, while this application manages notes through its own interface. Supported synchronization targets include Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, and the developer's hosted service. The supplied download is a Windows installer; other supported systems require their respective packages. Rich Text editing still uses Markdown underneath, which imposes formatting limits. Large attachment collections also affect disk space and initial synchronization time, so download settings matter when preparing a device for offline work.
Joplin helps keep the material needed for a task close to the task itself, reducing repeated searches through separate documents and browser tabs. A notebook can collect meeting decisions, supporting attachments, and follow-up notes so that returning to a project does not require rebuilding its background. Local access supports work during travel or unreliable connectivity, provided the necessary attachments have been downloaded beforehand. Choosing a synchronization provider gives you flexibility over how that collection moves between devices, while the free application keeps basic note-taking independent of a hosted subscription. Import and export options also make it easier to evaluate a new workflow without manually retyping an existing archive. For long-running projects, consistent notebook names and a small set of useful tags can make accumulated material easier to retrieve. The practical result is a portable working reference that supports both capturing information quickly and acting on it later.
Key capabilities and highlights.
Two editing modes let you work directly with Markdown syntax or use a visual editor for formatted text. Joplin keeps Markdown as the underlying representation for these notes. This accommodates different writing preferences, although complex HTML and some Markdown plugin formatting may not survive changes made in Rich Text mode.
To-do notes add completion tracking and optional alarms to the same notebook environment used for reference material. You can convert between ordinary notes and to-dos as work changes. This keeps an action's supporting details nearby and provides reminders without requiring every item to live in a separate task application.
Full-text search indexes note content and supports queries that narrow results by fields such as notebook, tag, title, or dates. Combining filters helps distinguish similarly named items in a growing collection. Users can retrieve a passage from remembered wording instead of opening notebooks individually and scanning their contents manually.
The Web Clipper extension captures web pages and screenshots from supported browsers into notebooks. It connects to the desktop application's clipper service, which must be enabled for capture to work. This provides a direct route from online reading to saved reference notes without repeatedly copying text and images by hand.
Optional end-to-end encryption protects synchronized notes and resources before they reach the synchronization service. It requires configuration and the encryption password on participating devices. Joplin supports multiple sync destinations, allowing you to choose storage separately from the note editor while keeping encrypted content unreadable to the storage provider.
Desktop OCR extracts searchable text from supported images and PDFs, with processing performed locally once the required language data is available. The extracted information can synchronize to mobile devices for searching. This helps locate scanned documents and screenshots, although recognition quality depends on clear text and handwriting is not supported.
Import tools bring in Evernote ENEX exports and Markdown files, reducing manual work when moving an existing collection. Supported Evernote content includes attachments and metadata, with formatted text converted for use in the app. Complex styling may change during conversion, so representative notes should be checked after migration.
JEX export packages notes and associated information into a format that can be imported back into the application. It preserves resources and metadata such as tags and timestamps, making it useful for transferring collections or keeping independent archive copies. Additional export formats support using note content outside the application.
Browse historical releases and previous builds.
Common questions about Joplin.
Yes. The application is free and open source under AGPL-3.0-or-later. The optional hosted Cloud service is a paid product; a subscription is not required for local note-taking.
Yes. You can create, edit, and search locally stored notes offline. Attachments must already be downloaded to open them without a connection; synchronization and capturing new online pages require network access.
Its end-to-end encryption protects data during synchronization and on the sync target. It does not encrypt the local application profile. Use device access controls or disk encryption to protect locally stored notes and attachments.
No. You can configure another supported target, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, or a compatible WebDAV service. Use the same target on your devices and let synchronization finish before editing the same note elsewhere.
Yes. The desktop application's external editor command opens a note in your configured text editor and tracks saved changes. Use this integration instead of modifying the application's internal database or synchronization files directly.
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and task management application that organizes Markdown notes, attachments, and reminders into notebooks, with offline access and optional synchronization across computers and mobile devices.
Power Automate for desktop is Microsoft's robotic process automation app for Windows. It builds low-code desktop flows that automate repetitive work across applications, websites, files, and email, and Power Automate for desktop can start from a button, a schedule, or an event.
Wondershare EdrawMax is a diagramming application that builds flowcharts, org charts, mind maps, network layouts, floor plans, and technical drawings from large template and symbol libraries, with AI assistance for generating and checking them.
Asana is a work management platform where teams plan projects, assign tasks, and track progress against company goals. Lists, boards, timelines, and dashboards show the same work from different angles, so status is visible without extra reporting effort.
Element is a Matrix-based secure messenger and collaboration app with end-to-end encryption, group calls, and file sharing. It targets individuals, teams, and public institutions that want to self-host their own messaging network instead of renting one.
Comments