Websites using Evernote

Let s break down Evernote with an overview, revenue context, alternatives, pricing, and customer care details.

Evernote Overview

Evernote is a widely used note-taking application designed to help users organize information and stay productive. It s been around for a while and has become synonymous with digital note-taking for many.

Key Features and Strengths:

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works seamlessly across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and web browsers.
• Note Organization: Robust system for organizing notes with notebooks, tags, and stacks.
• Multimedia Support: Can handle text, images, audio recordings, web clippings, PDFs, and more within notes.
• Web Clipper: A powerful browser extension to save web pages, articles, and screenshots directly into Evernote.
• Search Functionality: Excellent search capabilities, including searching within PDFs and images (OCR - Optical Character Recognition).
• Templates: Offers pre-designed templates for various note types (meetings, projects, planners, etc.).
• Task Management (Basic): Includes basic task lists within notes.
• Collaboration (Paid Plans): Allows sharing notes and notebooks with others for collaboration.
• Offline Access: Notes are available offline (depending on your plan and settings).

Overall: Evernote is a versatile tool for capturing, organizing, and accessing information. Its strength lies in its organizational features, cross-platform availability, and robust search.

Revenue and Business Model

• Private Company: Evernote is privately held. It was previously a publicly traded company (under Bending Spoons after acquisition), but is now private again after being acquired by Francisco Partners in 2023.
• Freemium Model: Evernote operates on a freemium business model:
  • Free (Basic) Plan: Offers limited features and storage to attract users.
  • Subscription Plans (Personal, Professional): Provide more features, storage, devices, and collaboration options to generate revenue.
• Revenue Streams:
  • Subscription Revenue: Primarily from users paying for Personal and Professional plans.
  • Potentially Enterprise Solutions (Less Emphasized Now): In the past, Evernote Business was a stronger focus. While they still have features for teams within Professional, it s less of a distinct enterprise offering now.

Specific Revenue Figures: As a private company, Evernote s exact revenue figures are not publicly released. However, we can infer that subscription revenue from its large user base is the primary source. Estimates vary, but it s safe to say they generate significant revenue.

Alternatives to Evernote

The note-taking space is crowded. Here are popular alternatives, categorized for clarity:

1. For Simpler Note-Taking & Integration (Often Free):

• Google Keep: Simple, free, and tightly integrated with the Google ecosystem. Great for quick notes, lists, and reminders. Less organizational depth than Evernote.
• Microsoft OneNote: Free and powerful, deeply integrated with Microsoft Office. Good for organization, drawing, and collaboration within the Microsoft ecosystem. Can be perceived as slightly less user-friendly than Evernote for some.
• Apple Notes: Free, pre-installed on Apple devices, and syncing seamlessly across them. Good for basic note-taking within the Apple ecosystem, improving rapidly but still less feature-rich than Evernote in some areas.

2. For More Feature-Rich & Flexible Organization (Often Paid, but can be free):

• Notion: Highly flexible, database-driven workspace that can be used for note-taking, project management, wikis, and more. Steeper learning curve than Evernote, but incredibly powerful for customization. Freemium model with generous free plan, paid plans unlock more features and collaboration.
• Obsidian: Markdown-based note-taking app focused on knowledge management and linking notes. Powerful for building personal knowledge bases. Free for personal use, paid for commercial use and sync.
• Roam Research (Paid): Another knowledge management tool focused on linked notes and networked thought. More expensive than Evernote and Obsidian.
• Joplin: Open-source, free note-taking application that s a strong alternative to Evernote, emphasizing privacy and self-hosting options.

3. For Specific Niches:

• Bear (Apple Ecosystem Only, Paid): Beautifully designed, Markdown-based note-taking app focused on writing and organization. Apple ecosystem only.
• Simplenote (Free): As the name suggests, a very simple and fast note-taking app with cross-platform syncing. Lacks many advanced features of Evernote but is great for basic text notes.

Choosing an Alternative: The best alternative depends on your specific needs. Consider:

• Simplicity vs. Complexity: Do you need something quick and easy or highly customizable?
• Ecosystem Preference: Are you deeply invested in Google, Microsoft, or Apple?
• Collaboration Needs: How important is it to share and collaborate on notes?
• Price Sensitivity: What s your budget?
• Features You Value: Do you prioritize web clipping, search, organization, or specific features?

Evernote Pricing (as of late 2023/early 2024 - always check their website for latest info)

Evernote has recently restructured its pricing and plans. It s crucial to check their official website for the most up-to-date pricing as it can change. However, here s a general overview of their typical plan structure:

• Free (Basic):

  • Limited Devices: Typically limited to two devices.
  • Note Size Limits: Smaller note size limits.
  • Storage Limits: Smaller monthly upload limit.
  • Basic Features: Core note-taking, web clipping (limited), basic search.
  • No Offline Access (often limited to specific number of notes)
  • Ads (sometimes)

• Personal (Paid Subscription):

  • More Devices: Access on unlimited devices.
  • Larger Note Size Limits:
  • Increased Storage: Larger monthly upload limit.
  • Offline Access:
  • Tags & Notebooks: Full organizational features.
  • PDF Annotation:
  • Email Notes to Evernote:
  • Basic Task Management Features.
  • Customizable Home Dashboard

• Professional (Paid Subscription):

  • All Personal Plan Features +
  • Even Larger Storage and Note Limits
  • Advanced Search:
  • Tasks: More robust task management features, including due dates and reminders.
  • Integrations: Calendar integrations.
  • Collaboration Features: Share notebooks and collaborate with others.
  • Team Spaces (Limited Collaboration Features):

Pricing Model Changes & User Feedback: Evernote has increased prices and changed plan features over time, which has led to user frustration and some negative reviews. Users sometimes perceive the free plan as becoming too limited. It s important to weigh the cost against the features offered and compare it to alternatives.

Customer Care Details

Evernote s customer support structure is primarily focused on self-service and community, especially for free and lower-tier paid users.

• Help Center/Knowledge Base: Extensive online documentation with articles, FAQs, and tutorials covering various features and troubleshooting. This is the first line of support.
• Community Forums: User forums where you can ask questions, share tips, and get help from other Evernote users and sometimes Evernote staff.
• Email Support (Limited, mainly for Paid Plans): Paid subscribers (Personal and Professional) typically have access to email support. Response times can vary.
• Chat Support (Potentially for Higher Tiers/Specific Issues): Chat support might be available for higher-tier subscribers or for specific technical issues, but is not always readily advertised as a primary channel for all users.
• No Phone Support: Evernote generally does not offer phone support.

Customer Care Reputation:

• Self-Service Focus: Evernote heavily relies on self-service resources. This can be efficient for common issues but less helpful for complex or personalized problems.
• Mixed Reviews on Direct Support: User reviews on customer support quality are mixed. Some users report helpful responses, while others find it slow or less personalized, especially when dealing with complex issues. The level of support you receive often depends on your subscription plan.
• Impact of Pricing Changes: Periods of price increases and plan changes often lead to a surge in customer support inquiries and potentially longer response times, sometimes impacting user perception of customer care negatively.

In Summary:

Evernote remains a powerful and popular note-taking tool with a rich history. Its strengths lie in organization, cross-platform access, and search. However, the competitive landscape is strong, and alternatives offer compelling features and pricing models. When considering Evernote, carefully evaluate the pricing plans, feature sets, and customer support options compared to your individual needs and the available alternatives. Always check their official website for the most current pricing and plan details.