Breef vs Evernote
Evernote is for capturing and organising: notes, web clips, scans, tasks and meetings in one place. Breef does one thing, learning: your notes link to each other, come back for review at the right time, and quiz you. Here’s how they compare, and when to pick which.
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.
Which one is for you
Choose Evernote if
- You capture a lot from the web, scans and email.
- You want tasks and a calendar beside your notes.
- You record meetings and want them summarised.
Choose Breef if
- You want to remember what you study, not just file it.
- You want more than 50 notes on the free plan, on every device.
- You want spaced reviews and quizzes built in.
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 my Evernote notes?
Not as .enex files. Export notes as HTML or PDF from Evernote’s desktop app and drop them in, or convert the .enex export to Markdown and import the folder.
Does Evernote have spaced repetition?
Not built in. In Breef, every note comes back for review after 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days for as long as you remember it.
How is Breef’s free plan different?
Breef’s free plan holds up to 2,000 notes on as many devices as you like, with reviews, links and your map. Evernote Free allows 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device.
Are my notes used to train AI?
No. Your notes are never sold, used for advertising or used to train AI models, and they’re stored in the EU.
More comparisons
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