An Evernote alternative made for learning
Evernote is good at keeping things. Breef is made for remembering them: notes that link into one map, come back for review just before you’d forget, and quiz you, free for up to 2,000 notes on every device.
Why people try Breef instead
From a filing cabinet to something you actually know.
A free plan with room
Up to 2,000 notes on the free plan, on every computer and phone you use, with no limit on devices.
Reviews, built in
Every note comes back after 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days, and more often as an exam nears.
Links you can see
Link notes with [[double brackets]]: Knowledge draws every note and link as one map, coloured by how well you know each one.
Your data stays yours
Stored in the EU, never sold, used for ads or used to train AI models, and exported as Markdown whenever you like.
Breef and Evernote, side by side
| Feature | Breef | Evernote |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s for | YesLearning: notes that link, come back for review and quiz you | YesCapturing and organising: notes, web clips, scans, tasks and meetings |
| Spaced review | YesBuilt in for every note: 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days | NoNot built in |
| Quizzes from your notes | YesThree questions from each due note; 10 new quizzes a month free | NoNot built in |
| Links between notes | YesLinks both ways, and a map of every note and link | In partNote links and backlinks, without a graph view |
| Recording | YesRecords a lecture and writes it up into sections and key points | YesRecords meetings and voice notes, transcribed and summarised |
| AI | YesQuizzes, missing topics and Ask your notes, with free monthly allowances | YesAI Assistant, semantic search and transcription; how much depends on the plan |
| Saving from the web | In partA pasted link becomes a badge with a preview; a saved page can be written up as notes | YesA web clipper that saves pages into your notes |
| Apps and offline | In partIn the browser on any computer or phone, and installable as an app | YesWindows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web, with notes kept offline |
| Price | YesUp to 2,000 notes free, on any device; Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year | In partFree for 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device; Starter, Advanced and more are paid |
What’s said here about other apps comes from their own websites, as of October 2026, and may have changed since.
Where Evernote is stronger
Every app makes trade-offs. These are the ones Breef makes.
- Capturing from everywhere: a web clipper, document scanning and email into your notes.
- Meeting recordings with each speaker told apart, and a summary.
- Tasks and a calendar alongside your notes.
- Native apps on every platform, with notes kept offline.
Other Evernote alternatives worth a look
Breef isn’t for everyone. Depending on what you need, one of these may suit you better.
Notion
For a workspace of pages and databases, shared with a team.
OneNote
For a free notebook on almost any device, with typing and handwriting on the same page.
Obsidian
For linked notes kept as Markdown files on your own device, free.
Joplin
For open-source notes with end-to-end encrypted sync, on computers and phones.
Bear
For Markdown notes on a Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Moving from Evernote
Breef doesn’t read Evernote’s .enex files. From Evernote’s desktop app, export your notes as HTML or PDF and drop them into Breef: each is written up as linked notes, counted against the month’s pages (50 on the free plan, 2,000 with Pro). Or convert the .enex export to Markdown with an open-source converter, and import the folder as it is: the notes arrive as they were.
Questions
Can I import from Evernote?
Yes, as HTML or PDF files exported from Evernote’s desktop app, which Breef writes up as linked notes, or as Markdown converted from an .enex export, imported as it is.
Does Breef have a web clipper?
No. Paste a link into a note and it becomes a badge with a preview of the page; to keep a whole page, save it and drop it in, and Breef writes it up as notes.
Is there a device limit?
No. Breef runs in the browser on as many computers and phones as you like, and can be installed as an app.
How much does it cost?
Free to start, with reviews, linking and your map free for good. Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year.
More comparisons
Start with one note.
Free to start, nothing to install. Your notes are never sold, used for ads or used to train AI.