Evernote is the better fit when…
- You rely on twenty years of Evernote workflows
- You need Windows, Android and the web
- You want cloud AI across every device
iki vs evernote
Your notes should survive the next price change.
Evernote invented the everything notebook, and many people have twenty years of their lives inside it. Since 2023 the deal has kept changing. Your notes shouldn’t have to.
EvernoteIKI
Reads videosPartly: AI Transcribe: speech from MP4 and MOV, up to 60 minutesYes: Yes
Transcribes voicePartly: AI Transcribe, in their cloudYes: Yes
Picks up screenshotsPartly: Text in images is searchable once you add themYes: Yes
Answers with sourcesPartly: AI Assistant on AdvancedYes: Yes
Runs on the phoneNo: Their serversYes: Yes
The facts: after the Bending Spoons acquisition, prices rose about 86%, the free plan was cut several times and now caps at 50 notes on one device, and a documented wave of long-time users left. Evernote still makes sense if you’re deeply invested in it and want cloud AI on every platform. Its AI Transcribe turns audio, MP4 and MOV video and images into text, up to 100 MB or 60 minutes, processed by a third party, and Advanced adds unlimited notes with an AI Assistant. IKI works the other way around: transcription and reading happen on your phone, the library is markdown files on your device, and no future pricing decision of ours can lock your notes away, because we never hold them.
IKI is the better fit when…
- You want voice and video transcribed on your phone, not by a third party
- You want answers from your notes and a free plan without a note cap
- You want your notes as files that no price change can touch
side by side
The details.
| Question | Evernote | IKI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Starter about $99/yr; Advanced about $249.99/yr | Free; Pro $6.99/mo or $49/yr; Founder $99 once (500 seats) |
| Free tier | Capped: 50 notes, one notebook, one device | Yes: unlimited saves, on-device AI, Ask, three recipes |
| Voice and video | AI Transcribe: audio and MP4 or MOV video, up to 100 MB or 60 minutes, processed by a third party | Transcribed on the device; videos also get their on-screen text read |
| Screenshots | Text in images is searchable once you add them | New ones arrive by themselves, text already read |
| Ask your library | AI Assistant, on the $249.99/yr plan | Free, with sources; says “not in your library” when it isn’t |
| AI, and where it runs | AI Assistant and semantic search on Advanced, cloud-side | On your phone, Apple’s on-device model; your own Claude key optional |
| Where your notes live | Their cloud | Your iPhone, or your own iCloud Drive |
| Format and export | ENEX, an Evernote-specific XML | Markdown files, the plainest format there is |
| Device limits | Free: one device. Starter: three | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Safari on Mac, with no device count |
| Account | Required | None |
Evernote details checked in September 2026. Prices change, so check evernote.com. Sources: Evernote plans.
credit where it’s due
Where Evernote wins.
Platforms
Windows, Android, the web and everything in between. IKI is Apple-only.
Depth
Twenty years of clipping, search operators and workflows. Advanced also removes the note cap and adds cloud AI.
Maturity
Evernote has outlived most of its obituaries. IKI is a young product.
moving over
How to move over.
- 1Export your notebooks from Evernote’s desktop app as .enex files, one per notebook.
- 2In IKI, open Settings › Library › Import Evernote (.enex). The import runs on your phone, with progress in the Dynamic Island.
- 3Each note becomes a markdown file and a card with a summary and tags.
Start with one save.
It’s free to start, and every save is a file you own.
Free · iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac · Made for iOS 27
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