Comparison
nTilia or Evernote: which notes app for field work?
The short answer
Evernote is a mature, general-purpose notes app: web clipping, document search, tasks and calendar, on every device. nTilia is an offline notes app built for field work, in open Markdown, with on-device transcription, Travel Mode and a citable journal. To archive everything day to day, choose Evernote; to report in the field and then publish, choose nTilia.
nTilia and Evernote, side by side
| Criterion | nTilia | Evernote |
|---|---|---|
| PricenTilia’s edge | Free; Pro at $14/mo | Free; Starter at $99/year, Advanced at $249.99/year |
| Free plannTilia’s edge | Local notes, vault, offline PWA; 25 synced articles a month | 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 synced device |
| PlatformsEvernote’s edge | Web and installable app (PWA); no native app | Web plus native desktop and mobile apps |
| OfflinenTilia’s edge | Everything works offline by default | Offline notebooks to pick on mobile; full local database on desktop |
| FormatnTilia’s edge | Open Markdown; ZIP export per Mission, .md import | Evernote format; export to ENEX or HTML |
| CaptureEvernote’s edge | Text, dictation, photo and audio in the note; optional place and GPS | Web Clipper, documents, search inside images and PDFs |
| Audio and transcriptionnTilia’s edge | On-device Whisper transcription (Pro), audio is not uploaded | AI Transcribe in the cloud, on paid plans |
| OrganizationEvernote’s edge | Missions: one folder per trip | Notebooks, spaces, tags, tasks and calendar |
| Security on the phonenTilia’s edge | Encrypted vault (AES-256-GCM), device-only notes that never sync, Travel Mode (Pro) | Data synced to Evernote’s cloud; no end-to-end encryption |
| PublishingnTilia’s edge | Bilingual FR/EN public journal, indexed from Pro, Cite block, Zenodo DOI (Pro) | Share notes by link |
Choose nTilia if…
- you take notes on assignment or in the field, often without a network;
- you want your notes in open Markdown, with no lock-in;
- your interview audio must not go to the cloud;
- you publish your notes as bilingual or citable articles.
Choose Evernote if…
- you archive web pages, documents and PDFs;
- you want to search the text inside your images and documents;
- you also manage tasks and a calendar in the same tool;
- you want native apps on all your devices.
A universal filing cabinet or a field notebook
Evernote wants to collect everything: web pages, documents, photos, tasks, appointments. Its search even finds text inside images and PDFs.
nTilia focuses on one moment: taking notes on site, often without a network, then turning them into an article. Narrower, but cut for that path.
The free plan and the format
Evernote’s free plan is now limited to 50 notes, one notebook and one device. And notes stay in Evernote’s format: you export them as ENEX or HTML.
In nTilia, notes are Markdown, a text format any editor can open. A Mission exports as a ZIP of .md files, with the audio and metadata.
Sources and privacy
Evernote’s transcription goes through the cloud. nTilia’s runs on the phone. nTilia adds an encrypted vault, notes that never leave the device and Travel Mode for checkpoints. Neither end-to-end encrypts what is synced.
Frequently asked questions
Is nTilia an alternative to Evernote?
For field note-taking and publishing, yes, with an open format and local transcription. For archiving the web and documents and managing tasks, Evernote remains more complete.
What are the limits of Evernote’s free plan?
50 notes, one notebook and one synced device. Beyond that you need Starter ($99 a year) or Advanced ($249.99 a year).
Can I import my Evernote notes into nTilia?
nTilia imports Markdown (.md) files. Evernote exports are ENEX or HTML: convert them to Markdown first with a conversion tool.
Does Evernote transcribe audio offline?
No: AI Transcribe runs in the cloud, on paid plans. nTilia transcribes on the phone, without a network, from Pro.
Sources, checked on
Free · No credit card · Works offline