Joplin vs Turtl

Joplin9.2Visit TTurtl8.0Visit

Higher score Joplin #1 in Secure Notes Apps 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Joplin

vs

T Turtl #8 in Secure Notes Apps 8.0/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Turtl

• Joplin fits best

  Broad, low-cost encrypted notes across platforms

• Turtl fits best

  Encrypted notes with sharing and self-hosting

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Side by side

Feature	Joplin 9.2/10 Visit ↗	TTurtl 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.0
Ranking	#1 in Secure Notes Apps	#8 in Secure Notes Apps
Best for	Broad, low-cost encrypted notes across platforms	Encrypted notes with sharing and self-hosting
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	€2.40/mo	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	14 days	30 days
Free trial length	14 days	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension	Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome extension
Support	Community, Docs	Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Joplin 2/3 · Turtl 2/3
Offline access	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
File attachments	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Encryption model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported platforms	web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, API	windows, macos, linux, android, chrome_extension
Export formats	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free, open-source app with offline-first local storage End-to-end encrypted sync with several storage integrations Broad platform coverage, attachments, sharing, and Markdown support	Client-side encryption with offline operation and later synchronization Permission-based sharing across organized Spaces Open-source server supports self-hosting
Cons	Basic limits storage to 2 GB and attachments to 10 MB Advanced sharing and collaboration require Joplin Cloud Some features, including AI tools, are optional Cloud capabilities	iOS support is coming soon Business is the only listed tier with dedicated support Multiple note types may exceed the needs of simple note takers
Our verdict	Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking and to-do application for individuals and teams. Its offline-first design stores notes locally and supports Markdown, notebooks, tags, full-text search, and attachments such as images, videos,… Read the review →	Turtl is an encrypted note-taking and organization app for individuals, families, and teams. It supports text, bookmark, password, image, and file/document notes, with Spaces for organizing and sharing content. Permission controls include… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Joplin — where it wins

  • Free, open-source app with offline-first local storage
  • End-to-end encrypted sync with several storage integrations
  • Broad platform coverage, attachments, sharing, and Markdown support

  Where it doesn't

  • Basic limits storage to 2 GB and attachments to 10 MB
  • Advanced sharing and collaboration require Joplin Cloud
  • Some features, including AI tools, are optional Cloud capabilities

• Turtl — where it wins

  • Client-side encryption with offline operation and later synchronization
  • Permission-based sharing across organized Spaces
  • Open-source server supports self-hosting

  Where it doesn't

  • iOS support is coming soon
  • Business is the only listed tier with dedicated support
  • Multiple note types may exceed the needs of simple note takers

• Joplin9.2/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A flexible, low-cost choice for encrypted notes across desktop, mobile, and web.

  Visit JoplinFull verdict →
• TTurtl8.0/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  Turtl combines encrypted notes, sharing, offline access, and self-hosting.

  Visit TurtlFull verdict →