Joplin: Self-Hosted Note-Taking App

Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do application with end-to-end encryption support, available on desktop, mobile, and terminal. With over 53,000 GitHub stars, it is one of the most trusted alternatives to Evernote and OneNote for users who value data ownership. Joplin Server provides self-hosted synchronization, letting you keep all your notes synced across devices through your own infrastructure.

Self-hosting Joplin Server means your notes, attachments, and to-do lists sync through your own VPS — no cloud service ever sees your unencrypted data.

Key Features

• Markdown-based notes with a rich text editor and split-view editing
• End-to-end encryption for securing notes before they leave your device
• Cross-platform clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
• Notebook organization with tags, search, and nested folder structures
• To-do lists with alarms and due dates integrated into your note workflow
• Web clipper browser extension for saving articles and web content
• Note sharing and collaboration through Joplin Server
• Plugin ecosystem with 200+ community plugins for extending functionality

Why Self-Host Joplin Server?

Private note synchronization. Joplin clients can sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, or WebDAV, but self-hosting Joplin Server gives you a dedicated sync backend where your data never touches a third-party service. Combined with end-to-end encryption, this is the most private note-taking setup available.

Collaboration and sharing. Joplin Server enables note sharing between users — a feature not available with file-based sync backends. Share individual notes or entire notebooks with team members while maintaining access control.

No storage limits. Cloud sync services impose storage quotas that can fill up quickly with image-heavy notes and file attachments. Your self-hosted server's storage is limited only by your VPS disk, giving you room to grow without upgrading subscription tiers.

Full data portability. Your notes are stored as standard Markdown files with metadata. Export everything at any time. There is no proprietary format lock-in — if you ever leave Joplin, your data comes with you in plain text.

System Requirements

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 vCPU	1+ vCPUs
RAM	512 MB	1 GB
Storage	10 GB SSD	30 GB SSD
OS	Ubuntu 22.04+	Ubuntu 24.04

Joplin Server is lightweight for basic sync operations. Storage requirements depend on how many notes and attachments you sync. If you store PDFs, images, and large files in your notes, plan for proportionally more disk space.

Getting Started

The fastest way to deploy Joplin Server on your VPS is with Docker Compose through Dokploy. Our step-by-step deployment guide walks you through the full setup, including persistent storage, environment configuration, and SSL.

Deploy Joplin with Dokploy →

Alternatives

• Memos — Lightweight memo hub with a microblog-style interface for quick capture
• Trilium — Hierarchical note-taking app designed for building personal knowledge bases
• Standard Notes — End-to-end encrypted notes focused on longevity and simplicity
• Silverbullet — Markdown-based note-taking app with wiki-like linking and scripting

FAQ

Do I need Joplin Server to use Joplin? No. Joplin clients work independently and can sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, or the local filesystem. Joplin Server adds features like note sharing and better sync performance, but it is optional.

Is Joplin's end-to-end encryption on by default? No. End-to-end encryption is an opt-in feature you enable in the Joplin client settings. Once enabled, all notes are encrypted on your device before syncing to the server. The server only ever stores encrypted data.

Can I import notes from Evernote? Yes. Joplin has a built-in Evernote import feature that reads .enex export files. It preserves note content, tags, and attachments. For large Evernote libraries, the import may take a few minutes but handles thousands of notes reliably.

How does Joplin handle conflicts during sync? When a note is modified on two devices before syncing, Joplin creates a conflict note containing the alternate version. You can review both versions and manually merge changes, ensuring no data is silently lost.

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App data sourced from selfh.st open-source directory.