Joplin: when to install it, and when not to
Straightforward Markdown notes stored locally by default, with clients on every major platform and no account required to start. It is easier to get going…
The short version
Joplin: Markdown notes that sync end-to-end encrypted through a folder, Dropbox or your own Nextcloud, with web clipping and no subscription. Pick it over Obsidian if sync is the priority.
| Licence / price | Free · Open source |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Category | Documents & Notes — 8 programs |
| Official download | https://joplinapp.org/download/ ↗ |
What it is for
Straightforward Markdown notes stored locally by default, with clients on every major platform and no account required to start. It is easier to get going than the more configurable alternatives, which is the whole point of it.
When to pick something else
Some capabilities arrive as plugins rather than being built in, and there is no web version. If you want deep linking and a large theme and plugin ecosystem, Obsidian is the more flexible - and more demanding - choice.
What independent reviewers found
We do not run lab tests or benchmarks. These summaries are written in our own words, with the publisher named and the original linked. Our citation policy explains what we will and will not reproduce.
PCMag — 2025
What the source says. PCMag gives Joplin an Editors' Choice rating, emphasising local storage, cross-platform clients and ease of use, with OCR and sketching arriving through plugins.
What we take from it. Local-first is the feature, and it makes you the backup plan. Decide where the notes live before writing anything you would mind losing.
Joplin review ↗ (PCMag · 2025 · Editorial product review)
How it compares in Documents & Notes
These are the alternatives we would consider for the same job. The notes are the same ones used on the main list, so there is no separate ranking hiding on this page.
| Program | Licence / price | Platforms | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Publisher's site ↗ | Free for personal use | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Notes stored as plain Markdown files in a folder you own, linked together into a graph. Nothing is locked in a proprietary database, so you can walk away with everything at any time. |
| Zotero Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | One click in the browser saves a paper, its PDF and its citation data together. Then it formats your bibliography in any style you name. If you write anything with references, this is not optional. |
| LibreOffice Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | A complete office suite with no account, no telemetry and no ribbon. Opens and saves .docx and .xlsx reliably enough for everyday work. Install it even if you own Microsoft Office, as a second opinion on stubborn files. |
Practical notes
- Decide where the notes live before you write anything valuable: local folder, a sync service you choose, or Joplin Cloud.
- Use notebooks and tags from day one; retrofitting structure into hundreds of notes is tedious.
- Export a backup archive occasionally. Local-first means you are the backup plan.
Questions people ask
Do I need an account?
No. You can install it and start writing immediately. An account only becomes relevant if you use its sync service.
Where it appears in our guides
- This tool is covered in its category explainer.
See the full Documents & Notes explainer for the other 7 programs in this category.
How to read this page. How to read this page. Platform, licence and publisher details come from our directory data. Where an independent review, audit or survey is mentioned, it is summarised in our own words with the source named and linked; our /sources page sets out that policy. The recommendation, the trade-offs and every 'skip it if' line are our editorial judgement. We do not run benchmarks, publish measured performance figures or host installers, and every download link goes to the publisher's own site. If a detail is out of date, our About page explains how to tell us.