# Evernote Problems & Issues 2026 - Price Hikes & 50-Note Limit

Source: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote
Last analyzed: 2026-10-21
Try or Bye score: 40/100

## Verdict: Bye

Evernote disappoints many users (score 40/100). Most reported issues: Why is Evernote so expensive? Repeated price increases since 2023; Evernote free plan limited to 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device; Unresponsive customer support after layoffs. Not a good fit for: Long-time Evernote users with large note collections; Budget-conscious users and students; Users who need reliable sync across devices. Users most often switch to Notion, Obsidian, Microsoft OneNote.

## What it is

Evernote is a veteran note-taking app with a strong web clipper, OCR search and tasks, owned by Bending Spoons since 2023. Under the new owner the free plan was cut to 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device, and paid plans were consolidated into Starter ($99/year) and Advanced ($249.99/year). Best for long-time users who rely on its clipper and search; most others now find cheaper alternatives.

## Common errors & fixes

### Evernote App Not Opening or Crashing

If Evernote won't open or keeps crashing, update to the latest version, sign out and restart, and as a last resort reinstall — but first confirm your notes are on Evernote Web, because unsynced local notes are deleted on reinstall.

1. **Update Evernote** — Install the latest version from evernote.com or your app store
2. **Sign out, reboot and sign in** — Sign out of the app Restart the device Sign back in
3. **Reinstall safely** — Sync and confirm all notes are visible on Evernote Web Copy any unsynced notes elsewhere Uninstall, restart, and install the latest version
4. **Fix Evernote Web loading** — Clear browser cache Update the browser or try another one Sign out and back in

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/app-not-opening

### How to Cancel Evernote Subscription

Cancel on Evernote Web under Account Settings > Billing, or in the App Store / Google Play if you subscribed there. Export your notes first: after the paid period ends you drop to Free, with its 50-note and 1-device limits.

1. **Export your notes first** — Export notebooks to ENEX from the desktop app before cancelling
2. **Cancel on Evernote Web (card or PayPal)** — Sign in on Evernote Web Open Account Settings > Billing Choose the cancel option, give a reason, and confirm
3. **Cancel on iPhone/iPad** — Open Settings > your name > Subscriptions > Evernote > Cancel Subscription
4. **Cancel on Android** — Open Google Play > Profile > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions > Evernote > Cancel

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/cancel-subscription

### Evernote Device Limit Reached

Free accounts can sync only 1 device (Evernote Web counts) and Starter 3. Unsync an old device in Account Settings, but Free and Starter users can unsync only 2 devices per month.

1. **Unsync a device from the pop-up** — On the new device, choose Unsync (or Disconnect) a device in the limit pop-up Pick the device you no longer use
2. **Remove devices in Account Settings** — Sign in on Evernote Web and open Account Settings Go to Devices / Device limits Remove the device you no longer need
3. **Revoke a lost device if you're out of unsyncs** — Use Revoke for lost or stolen devices when you've used your 2 monthly unsyncs
4. **Upgrade for more devices** — Starter allows 3 devices, Advanced is unlimited

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/device-limit-reached

### How to Export Evernote Notes to ENEX

Export only works in the Evernote desktop app for Mac or Windows. Right-click a notebook or selected notes, choose Export, and pick ENEX. Large selections are limited, so export notebook by notebook or use evernote-backup.

1. **Export from the desktop app** — Install Evernote for Mac or Windows and sign in Right-click a notebook (or select notes) and choose Export Choose ENEX, tick attributes like tags and created date Click Export and save the file
2. **Export notebook by notebook** — Entire notebooks can be exported even when they hold thousands of notes Repeat for each notebook instead of selecting notes manually
3. **Set the ENEX file size** — Choose a maximum file size between 300 MB and 2 GB so huge notebooks are split
4. **Use evernote-backup for a full archive** — Install the open-source evernote-backup tool (Python) Run init-db, sync, then export to get one ENEX per notebook
5. **If an ENEX won't import elsewhere** — Re-export the notebook in smaller pieces Make sure the file downloaded completely; partial files are invalid XML

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/export-to-enex

### Evernote Not Syncing

Evernote stops syncing when there's a service issue, you're over your device limit, the app is outdated, or one bad note blocks the queue. Check Evernote Web first, then sign out, restart and sign back in.

1. **Check whether notes exist on Evernote Web** — Sign in at evernote.com in a browser If the note is there, the problem is the local app; if not, it never uploaded from the original device
2. **Update the app and check your connection** — Install the latest Evernote version for your OS Switch to a different Wi-Fi or mobile network and try again
3. **Sign out, restart and sign back in** — Make sure unsynced notes are copied elsewhere first Sign out of Evernote Restart the device Sign back in and let it sync fully
4. **Check your device limit** — Open Account Settings > Devices on Evernote Web Unsync devices you no longer use
5. **Recreate a note that won't sync** — Copy the note's content into a new note Delete the original note and empty the trash Sync again
6. **Match sort settings across devices** — Set the same note sort order on each device so recent notes appear in the same place

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/not-syncing

### Evernote Note Limit Reached (Free Plan)

Evernote Free allows only 50 notes and 1 notebook. Over that, you can still view, edit and export notes but can't create new ones. Delete notes and empty the trash, or upgrade to Starter (1,000 notes) or Advanced (unlimited).

1. **Delete notes and empty the trash** — Delete notes you no longer need Open Trash and choose Empty Trash, since trashed notes still count
2. **Merge short notes** — Combine several small notes into one to reduce the count
3. **Export older notes, then delete them** — Export notes to ENEX from the desktop app as a backup Delete the exported notes and empty the trash
4. **Upgrade or move to another app** — Starter allows 1,000 notes ($99/year); Advanced is unlimited ($249.99/year) Or import your ENEX export into a free app like Joplin or OneNote

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/note-limit-reached

### Evernote Refund Request

After cancelling, you can request a refund for your last payment via the 'Need help?' button next to Billing history or Evernote's contact form. Requests outside the refund policy are denied, so ask right after an unwanted renewal.

1. **Use the Need help? button** — On Evernote Web open Account Settings > Billing Click 'Need help?' next to Billing history Advanced users may see full refund (cancels) or partial refund (moves to Starter)
2. **Submit the contact form** — Log in and open Evernote's contact form Choose Accounts and Subscriptions > refund Verify your account details
3. **Request through Apple or Google** — For App Store purchases use reportaproblem.apple.com For Google Play purchases request a refund in your Play order history

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/refund

### Evernote Search Not Working

If Evernote search misses notes you know exist, check the note is synced on Evernote Web and update the app. When notes still can't be found, users report Evernote support fixed it by rebuilding the account's search index.

1. **Confirm the note is synced** — Search the same term on Evernote Web If it's found there, sign out and back in on the problem device
2. **Update the app** — Install the latest Evernote version and retry
3. **Ask support to rebuild the search index** — Contact Evernote support with an example note and search term Ask them to rebuild your search index

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/search-not-working

### Why Is Evernote So Slow?

Evernote slowdowns usually come from an outdated app, huge notes and attachments, low disk space or, on Windows, hardware acceleration and old GPU drivers. Update everything, restart, and toggle hardware acceleration.

1. **Update Evernote and your OS** — Install the latest Evernote version Install pending OS updates Restart the computer
2. **Toggle hardware acceleration (Windows)** — Open Evernote settings and switch hardware acceleration off (or on if it was off) Restart Evernote
3. **Update your graphics driver** — NVIDIA users: install the latest driver, since older ones shipped a bad profile for Evernote
4. **Split huge notes and free disk space** — Break very long notes into smaller ones Move large attachments out of Evernote Free up disk space
5. **Check your connection** — On Evernote Web, test another network or browser

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/slow

### Evernote Stuck on "Signing In" / Can't Log In

Login loops are most often caused by ad blockers, VPNs or browser cache on the sign-in page. Clear the browser cache, disable blockers for accounts.evernote.com, and check your device clock if 2FA codes are rejected.

1. **Clear browser cache** — Clear cache for 'All time' in the browser that opens the login page Retry the sign-in
2. **Disable blockers, VPN and firewall for Evernote** — Turn off ad blockers/VPN for Evernote Brave: cancel the stuck attempt, turn off Shields for accounts.evernote.com, and log in again
3. **Fix rejected 2FA codes** — Enter a fresh code immediately Set your phone's clock to automatic time
4. **Use a backup code or reset 2FA** — Use a one-time backup code, or reset two-step verification in Account Settings > Security Summary if you can sign in on Web

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/stuck-signing-in

### Evernote "Syncing Temporarily Paused" Error

This message means Evernote's servers can't accept your changes right now, usually because of a service issue. It clears on its own once Evernote reconnects; your edits stay on the device and sync later.

1. **Wait and keep the app open** — Don't sign out or reinstall while the banner is showing, or local changes can be lost Leave the app open; the message disappears and changes sync once Evernote reconnects
2. **Check for an outage** — Look for current incidents on Evernote's status page or r/Evernote
3. **Retry on another network** — Switch Wi-Fi or mobile data, then trigger a manual sync

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/syncing-temporarily-paused

### Evernote Web Clipper Not Working

The Web Clipper usually fails because of blocked third-party cookies, ad or tracker blockers, an outdated extension, or a disabled extension. Allow cookies for Evernote, pause blockers, update and re-sign in.

1. **Update and enable the extension** — Update Evernote Web Clipper in your browser's extension page Make sure it's toggled On (Edge: Extensions page)
2. **Allow cookies and JavaScript for Evernote** — Allow third-party cookies for evernote.com Allow JavaScript on the page you're clipping
3. **Disable ad blockers temporarily** — Pause your ad or tracker blocker (or Brave Shields) and clip again
4. **Clear cache and sign in again** — Clear browser cache Sign out of the clipper and sign back in
5. **Try a different clip type** — Switch between Article, Simplified Article, Full Page or Screenshot
6. **Test another browser** — If it still fails, try Chrome or another supported browser to isolate a browser-specific bug

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/evernote/issues/web-clipper-not-working

## Common problems

- **Why is Evernote so expensive? Repeated price increases since 2023** (pricing): Bending Spoons has raised prices several times: renewal notices in 2024 jumped some yearly plans from about $64 to $114, Personal accounts in Europe were moved to Advanced at EUR 18.99/month in September 2025, and in 2026 users were emailed that Personal/Professional were being replaced by Starter ($99/yr) and Advanced ($249.99/yr). Long-time users report their bill roughly doubling.
- **Evernote free plan limited to 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device** (pricing): The free plan caps you at 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 synced device (Evernote Web counts as that device) and 1 GB of storage. Once you go over, you can still view, edit and export notes but cannot create new ones, and notes in the trash still count toward the limit.
- **Unresponsive customer support after layoffs** (support): After Bending Spoons laid off nearly all US employees in 2023, customer support has deteriorated significantly. Users report accounts cancelled without reimbursement, being charged while locked out, and receiving only automated replies. Some cannot even contact support because their accounts were cancelled.
- **Slow performance and frequent crashes** (performance): The app suffers from slow loading and lag, particularly on mobile. The web app takes 30 seconds to a minute to load before you can do anything, with upgrade pop-ups appearing every time. Users report V10 getting slower on loading notes and searching, with frequent crashes especially when handling large amounts of data.
- **Evernote not syncing between devices** (reliability): Users regularly report notes that do not appear on other devices, 'Syncing temporarily paused' messages and single notes that refuse to sync and block the rest. Causes range from server-side incidents to device-limit overruns and corrupted individual notes; the fixes are mostly manual (recreate the note, sign out and back in).
- **V10 redesign broke workflows and removed features** (usability): The Version 10 redesign introduced GUI changes nobody asked for, added functions that ruined workflows, and in some cases the app doesn't start after updates. Users describe V10 as making once-simple things now take more steps. The forced migration from Legacy was costly in workflow disruption.
- **Hard to export Evernote notes (desktop only, batch limits)** (security): Export only works in the Mac or Windows desktop app, not on web or mobile, and is limited to batches of selected notes (users report 50-100 at a time) or whole notebooks. ENEX is the only full-fidelity format, so most people moving thousands of notes rely on notebook-by-notebook exports or third-party tools like evernote-backup.
- **Unauthorized charges and billing issues** (pricing): Users report being charged without authorization and facing difficulties canceling subscriptions. One long-time user had their 13-year subscription cancelled due to a credit card glitch, then was charged twice ($62 and $309.99) before access was restored. Account deletion requests are ignored.
- **Aggressive upgrade pop-ups and UX traps** (usability): The free version prompts users to buy the paid version every time they open it, with intrusive pop-ups that require navigating through UX traps to close. Users find this experience hostile and indicative of a product prioritizing revenue extraction over user experience.
- **Free plan device limit locks users out after downgrading** (reliability): Users who let a subscription lapse or downgrade to Free report suddenly being unable to sync or edit until they unsync all but one device. Free and Starter users can only unsync up to 2 devices per month, which makes switching phones or computers painful.
- **Cluttered interface and poor search functionality** (usability): The interface can be cluttered and overwhelming, making navigation difficult. The search functionality barely works, and it's not obvious when search is within a note versus across all notes. Customization options are limited compared to competitors.
- **Paying more for AI features many users don't want** (pricing): The 2026 plans bundle AI Assistant, Semantic Search, AI Transcribe and AI Edit into both Starter and Advanced. Several long-time users say they only need notes and clipping and resent paying a higher price for AI tools they never use, and that the main difference between tiers is storage.

## What users like

- **Powerful web clipper for saving content**: Evernote's web clipper remains one of the best in the industry, allowing users to save articles, PDFs, and web content directly to notebooks with various formatting options.
- **Excellent OCR and document search**: The ability to search text within images, PDFs, and handwritten notes is powerful. OCR works reliably across uploaded documents, making all content searchable.
- **Wide range of integrations**: Evernote integrates with many popular apps including Google Drive, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook. The ecosystem built over 20 years remains valuable.
- **Rich note formatting options**: Notes support tables, checkboxes, attachments, audio recordings, and formatted text. The note editor handles complex content well when it works properly.
- **Still actively developed: tasks, calendar and AI tools**: Unlike many legacy apps, Evernote keeps shipping features under Bending Spoons: built-in tasks, Evernote Calendar with external calendar connections, AI Transcribe, Semantic Search and an MCP connection to AI tools. Some long-time users credit the new owner for ongoing development.

## Pricing

- **Free**: $0.00 (free) — hidden costs: Evernote Web counts as your one device; trash counts toward the 50-note limit; frequent upgrade prompts
- **Starter**: $8.25 (monthly) — hidden costs: $8.25/mo only when billed $99/year; $14.99 when paid monthly
- **Advanced**: $20.83 (monthly) — hidden costs: $20.83/mo only when billed $249.99/year; $24.99 when paid monthly; replaced old Personal/Professional plans at a higher price
- **Enterprise (Flexible / Unlimited)**: yearly — hidden costs: Pricing not published; Unlimited is contact-sales only

## Who should and shouldn't use it

- **Long-time Evernote users with large note collections** — Avoid: The drastic price increases (up to 3x) combined with data export difficulties create a situation where years of notes are effectively held hostage. Consider migrating to alternatives before investing more in the platform.
- **Budget-conscious users and students** — Avoid: The 50-note free tier is very restrictive and paid plans start at $99/year. Students get 40% off Advanced, but free tools like OneNote, Apple Notes or Obsidian still cost less.
- **Users who need reliable sync across devices** — Avoid: Free is limited to 1 device (Web included) and Starter to 3, sync errors are a recurring complaint, and fixes are mostly manual. Only Advanced removes device limits.
- **Teams looking for collaboration tools** — Avoid: After laying off most staff, Evernote's team features are underdeveloped compared to Notion, Confluence, or even free tools like Google Docs. Customer support is unreliable.
- **Power users wanting customization** — Avoid: V10 removed many power user features, the interface is rigid, and competitors like Obsidian and Notion offer far more customization. Evernote's development appears focused on monetization, not features.
- **Users heavily invested in web clipping workflow** — Depends: Evernote's web clipper remains one of the best. If web clipping is your primary use case and you're willing to pay, it may still work. But consider alternatives like Raindrop.io or Notion.
- **Engineering teams** — Avoid: No code blocks, no Git integration, poor Markdown support. Engineers should use Obsidian, Notion, or dedicated documentation tools.
- **Sales teams** — Depends: Web clipper useful for research, but no CRM features. Better as supplementary tool than primary sales workspace.
- **Researchers and academics** — Depends: Good web clipping and OCR, but limited linking and organization compared to modern alternatives like Obsidian or Notion.

## Alternatives

- **Notion** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/notion): Users switch for modern interface and flexibility. Gain: databases, better collaboration, more features. Trade-off: slower, requires internet.
- **Obsidian** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/obsidian): Users switch for local storage and linking. Gain: offline-first, own your data, powerful plugins. Trade-off: no web clipper, learning curve.
- **Microsoft OneNote**: Free alternative with no note limits, deep Microsoft 365 integration, and infinite canvas. Great for users who don't want to pay after Evernote's price increases. Especially popular with students.
- **Apple Notes**: Apple users switch for simplicity and free. Gain: native iOS/macOS integration, fast, free. Trade-off: Apple ecosystem only, basic features.
- **Joplin**: Open-source Evernote alternative that imports ENEX files directly. Free, supports end-to-end encryption, and you control where data is stored. Popular among privacy-conscious users fleeing Evernote.
- **UpNote**: Users leaving after the 2026 price change pick UpNote for a similar notebook-style app with Evernote import and a much lower one-time or subscription price. Trade-off: weaker web clipper and no OCR search.

## FAQ

### Why is Evernote so expensive now?

Since Bending Spoons bought Evernote in 2023 it has raised prices several times and, in 2026, replaced Personal and Professional with Starter ($99/year or $14.99/month) and Advanced ($249.99/year or $24.99/month). Many long-time users who were paying $70-130/year saw their renewal roughly double.

### Can I export my notes from Evernote?

Yes. Use the Mac or Windows desktop app (not web or mobile): right-click a notebook or selected notes, choose Export, pick ENEX to keep tags and dates. Selection is limited to batches (users report 50-100 notes), so export notebook by notebook, or use the open-source evernote-backup tool for everything at once.

### What happened to Evernote after Bending Spoons?

In 2023, Bending Spoons acquired Evernote, laid off 129 staff in February, then fired nearly all remaining US employees in July while moving operations to Europe. Since then, prices have tripled, the free tier was gutted (50 notes only), and customer support has become unreliable.

### Is Evernote still worth using in 2026?

For most users, no. The combination of high prices ($99-250/year), severely limited free tier (50 notes), sync problems, poor support, and difficult data export makes alternatives more attractive. Notion, Obsidian, and OneNote offer more features at lower or no cost with better reliability.

### Why does Evernote have sync problems?

Common causes are a temporary Evernote service issue ('Syncing temporarily paused'), exceeding your plan's device limit, an outdated app, or one corrupted note blocking sync. Check Evernote Web first: if notes are there, sign out, restart and sign back in on the problem device.

### What's the best Evernote alternative?

Depends on your needs: Notion for databases and collaboration, Obsidian for privacy and local storage, OneNote for Microsoft users (free), Apple Notes for Apple ecosystem. Joplin is an open-source option that directly imports ENEX files. All offer more value than current Evernote pricing.

### Why is Evernote free limited to 50 notes?

Bending Spoons introduced the 50-note, 1-notebook cap in December 2023 to push free users to paid plans, saying most free users were under that threshold. Free is also limited to 1 synced device and 1 GB of storage.

### How much does Evernote cost per year?

Starter costs $99/year (or $14.99 month-to-month) for 1,000 notes, 20 notebooks and 3 devices. Advanced costs $249.99/year (or $24.99 monthly) for unlimited notes, notebooks and devices. Enterprise pricing is quote-only.

### What happens when I reach 50 notes on Evernote Free?

You can still view, edit, share and export existing notes, but you cannot create new notes or notebooks until you are back under the limit. Deleted notes still count until you empty the trash.

### Does Evernote Web count as a device?

Yes. On the Free plan, Evernote Web counts as your one allowed device. You can unsync a device in account settings, but Free and Starter users can only do that twice a month.

### How do I cancel my Evernote subscription?

On Evernote Web go to Account Settings > Billing and choose the cancel option. If you subscribed through the App Store or Google Play, cancel there instead. You keep paid features until the end of the billing period, then drop to Free with its 50-note limit.

### Can I get a refund from Evernote?

Evernote lets you request a refund for your last payment after cancelling, via the 'Need help?' button next to Billing history or the contact form (Accounts and Subscriptions). Requests outside its refund policy are denied, so ask right after an unwanted renewal.

### What is the difference between Evernote Starter and Advanced?

Both include the AI tools. Starter caps you at 1,000 notes, 20 notebooks, 3 devices and 5 GB storage; Advanced removes those caps. Users note that for $150 more per year the main difference is limits and storage.

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Try or Bye aggregates problem patterns from user reviews, forums, and app stores. Methodology: https://www.tryorbye.com/methodology