What it does
Joplin is an open-source note-taking app for keeping notes and attachments across desktop and mobile devices. The official site lists support for images, video, PDFs, audio, math expressions, diagrams, end-to-end encryption, and sync through Joplin Cloud or services such as Dropbox and OneDrive. It also offers a terminal app and a managed cloud service for synchronization, publishing, and shared notebooks.
Choose how your notebooks sync
Joplin combines local note-taking with a choice of synchronization routes. The product site describes multimedia notes, attachments, math and diagrams, and end-to-end encryption; users can sync through Joplin Cloud or use a supported third-party service such as Dropbox or OneDrive. This makes it useful for a reference notebook that includes source PDFs and images, while leaving the sync-provider decision explicit rather than hiding it inside a single hosted workspace.
The plans page distinguishes the open-source app from Joplin Cloud, which adds managed synchronization, web access, publishing, and collaboration. The latest official release is v3.7.21, published on 2026-09-25; its release notes include AI chat history and semantic-search improvements. Joplin lists builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. I did not install the app, configure encryption or a sync provider, or test the cloud sharing and publishing flows.
Strengths
- The product supports notes containing images, video, PDFs, audio, mathematical expressions, and diagrams.
- Users can choose Joplin Cloud or third-party synchronization services rather than being limited to one provider.
- The official site lists desktop and mobile apps, plus a terminal client.
Watch out for
- Users who want managed cross-device sync or sharing need to choose and configure a cloud provider or pay for Joplin Cloud.
Best for
- People building a portable notebook that includes text, PDFs, and other research material
- Users who prefer an open-source note app and want to select their own sync provider
Sources
- Joplin | Free your notes (Oct 25, 2026)
- Joplin Cloud Plans (Oct 25, 2026)
- Joplin v3.7.21 Release | GitHub (Oct 25, 2026)