Joplin is a powerful, open-source note-taking application designed for users who prioritize data ownership and privacy. It allows you to create and manage a vast collection of notes and to-do lists, organizing them into a flexible notebook structure. This application is a robust Evernote alternative, offering a comprehensive feature set without vendor lock-in. Notes are written in the universally accessible Markdown format. This ensures your content remains portable and future-proof, regardless of application updates or changes.
The software includes a built-in Rich Text editor, allowing users to toggle between the raw Markdown source and a formatted WYSIWYG view for easier editing. Crucially, Joplin is an “offline-first” application. All your data is stored locally on your device, providing instant access even without an internet connection, and End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) secures your notes when synchronizing across multiple devices using various cloud services.
In This Post
Quick Start & Pro Tips
Enable End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)
- Open Joplin and navigate to Tools > Options (or Joplin > Preferences on macOS). 2. Select Encryption from the left-hand menu. 3. Click the Enable Encryption button. 4. Enter a strong master password and confirm it. 5. Click Save to begin encrypting your existing notes.
Why: Enabling E2EE ensures that your notes are encrypted locally before syncing to any cloud service, preventing unauthorized access to your private data.
Configure WebDAV Synchronization
- Go to Tools > Options > Synchronization. 2. Set the Sync Target dropdown to WebDAV. 3. Enter your WebDAV URL, username, and password. 4. Click Check Sync Configuration to verify the connection. 5. Click Apply to save and initiate the first sync.
Why: WebDAV allows you to self-host your notes on private cloud servers like Nextcloud, giving you complete ownership and control over your data storage.
Download Joplin
File size: 300 MB
OS support: Windows, macOS, Linux
Windows
Download Joplin 3.7.18 for Windows
Download Joplin 3.7.18 for Windows – Portable
macOS
Download Joplin 3.7.18 for macOS (DMG)
Linux
Tech Specs
| Software Name | Joplin |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.7.18 |
| License | Open Source |
| File Size | 300 MB |
| OS Support | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Language | English, Japanese, French, Spanish, German, Multi-language |
| Developer | Laurent Cozic |
| Homepage | https://joplinapp.org/ |
| Changelogurl | https://joplinapp.org/changelog/ |
| Last Updated | September 14, 2026 |
What You Need
Minimum
- OS: Windows 8 or later; macOS 10.8 or later; Linux (with libnotify-bin)
Changelog Highlights
- Improved: Fixed notes imported from OneNote displaying with an extremely small font size.
- Improved: Fixed broken tag area when using the Japanese language interface.
- Improved: Added double-click empty canvas gesture to add notes in Whiteboard.
- Fixed: Allowed OpenAI reasoning models to be utilized with integrated tools.
- Fixed: Resolved WebDAV sync failures returning 409 errors after upgrading to version 3.7.
- Fixed: Corrected keyboard navigation issues associated with level-1 headings.
- Fixed: Fixed in-editor Markdown rendering where markup syntax remained visible during scrollbar dragging.
- Fixed: Resolved WebDAV sync error Protocol https: not supported on redirecting servers.
What Sets It Apart
- Markdown-Based Editing: Write and format notes using standard Markdown syntax. The app features a side-by-side viewer or a rich-text editor, rendering images, math formulas, and chemical equations perfectly.
- End-to-End Encryption: Secure your notes with client-side encryption before they ever leave your device. Your data remains completely private and unreadable to third-party cloud providers.
- Multi-Platform Syncing: Synchronize your notebooks across desktop and mobile devices. Joplin supports Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, and the dedicated Joplin Cloud service.
- Evernote Import: Migrate effortlessly from Evernote. Joplin imports.enex files, preserving formatted content, images, attachments, tags, geolocation, and creation metadata.
- Web Clipper Extension: Save web pages, simplified articles, or screenshots directly from Firefox and Chrome. The clipped content is automatically converted into clean Markdown notes.
Getting Started
Installation Steps
- Download the Joplin installer for your operating system from the links above.
- Double-click the downloaded setup file (e.g., Joplin-Setup-3.7.18.exe) to launch the installation wizard.
- Choose whether to install the application for all users or just the current user, then click Next.
- Select the installation destination folder and click Install.
- Once the installation is complete, check the Run Joplin box and click Finish to launch the app.
Compatibility: Compatible with Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), macOS 10.15 or later, and major Linux distributions supporting AppImage.
Problem Solving
- Issue: WebDAV sync fails with a 409 error -> Solution: Ensure you are running Joplin 3.7.18 or later, as this version contains a specific fix for WebDAV redirection issues.
- Issue: Application fails to launch on Windows -> Solution: Try running the installer as an administrator or check if your antivirus is blocking the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joplin completely free to use?
Yes, Joplin is entirely free and open-source software licensed under the MIT License. You can use all of its core features, including end-to-end encryption and self-hosted syncing, without paying anything.
How do I sync Joplin across my devices?
You can sync Joplin by going to the Synchronization settings and choosing a cloud provider like Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, or WebDAV. Alternatively, you can subscribe to it Cloud for a seamless, zero-configuration syncing experience.
Can I import my notes from Evernote into Joplin?
Yes, Joplin has a built-in import tool that accepts Evernote.enex files. It converts your formatted notes into Markdown while preserving attachments, images, tags, and metadata.
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