Why Evernote Note Taking App Users Need to Cancel and Delete Their Accounts Now

There are is an important reason why anyone who has a Personal Evernote Note Taking App account should delete their account and find an alternative now.

Bending Spoons, who acquired Evernote in 2023, has recently changed their plan offerings for personal users and both are unacceptable. 

There is the “Starter Plan” that imposes draconian limits on content and device use. This is a problem for someone who has been using Evernote more than 10 years, who can’t use this plan without severely deleting content. It also eliminates one of the major reasons I use the application, which is the ability to use across all the devices I want. This plan limits you to 3 devices. 

The other plan offering, the “Advanced Plan”, is basically what I have now, with unlimited content and devices, but it is over 100 dollars more per year. I'm sorry, but I do not see Evernote's value increasing that much in one year.

Now, I acknowledge that when you go in and start to cancel your subscription=, Bending Spoons offers you a one-time, $100 off subscription which brings it back to $149, but that alone should be a red flag. Why should they offer only two plans, and then offer a one-time discount? Do they want to keep me hooked for one more year to get me further locked in as a user? That’s dishonest business in my thinking, but typical of Silicon Valley and Big Tech.

Why would I spend another year, uploading more content to Evernote, only to find myself in the same situation next year? I would have even more content. Perhaps Bending Spoons is gambling that I would take the additional year, and because I have even more content, I would be so invested that I would be forced to continue using Evernote. Not happening with this user.

Another reason to move on from Evernote is that they are apparently using the “Microsoft Product Design Playbook.” That playbook is “Add a bunch of features to Evernote so you can ultimately charge more because users are locked in as users, they won’t go anywhere.” This notion includes adding a gazillon features that users haven’t even asked for or wanted. Then charge your users more. Microsoft has so bloated Windows with “features” I left their product behind a long time ago, and I am doing the same with Bending Spoons’ Evernote.

I have exported all my content. I have cancelled my subscription. I will delete my account and move on. Bending Spoons could have continued the Personal Plan option, but they gambled and lost with me.

One thing Bending Spoons should learn, just like Microsoft, you can’t treat customers crappy. And, don’t always think that all the added features like AI and Video transcripting is what all your customers want and will pay for. Not all users want new bells and whistles, especially long-time users who found your product versatile and reliable, who now have been dumped on by the company.

Evernote has been deformed beyond use for me by Bending Spoons, and even though they brag on their website that they “Acquire and improve iconic products” they certainly failed in this case. Time to move on and find another solution.