Executive Summary
Evernote continues its remarkable transformation in 2025, delivering 110 improvements in just the first six months, positioning itself to double its 2024 achievement of 100 annual updates. Under Bending Spoons’ ownership, the platform has evolved from a simple note-taking application into a sophisticated AI-powered productivity ecosystem that balances innovation with user privacy concerns.
The AI Revolution: Transforming How We Capture and Retrieve Information
AI-Powered Search: Natural Language Intelligence
The standout innovation in Evernote’s 2025 arsenal is its AI-Powered Search functionality, which fundamentally reimagines information retrieval. Users can now enter questions in natural language and receive accurate answers based on their note content within seconds. This isn’t merely a keyword enhancement—it’s a paradigm shift in how we interact with our digital knowledge base.
The system employs dual AI processes depending on query type:
- Direct questions extract specific information from scattered notes
- Filtering queries intelligently identify optimal keywords for refined results
What sets this apart is the privacy-first approach: all AI features are opt-in only, with data remaining confidential and deleted by third parties within 30 days. Your information never trains external AI models, addressing a critical concern in today’s data-conscious environment.
AI Edit: The Intelligent Writing Assistant
Replacing the previous AI Cleanup feature, AI Edit represents a sophisticated evolution in content refinement. The tool offers multiple capabilities:
- Summarization styles: Transform verbose meeting notes into concise paragraphs, detailed summaries, or even social media posts complete with hashtags
- Tone adjustment: Adapt content for different audiences and contexts
- Translation services: Break language barriers with multi-language support
- Writing assistance: Generate introductions, titles, and conclusions automatically
The nuanced approach here is noteworthy—AI only processes data when explicitly directed by users, maintaining complete user control over when and how AI interacts with their content.
AI Transcribe: Multimedia to Text Revolution
Perhaps the most versatile addition, AI Transcribe transforms how we capture information across media formats. Supporting audio files (MP3, WAV, AAC), video files (MP4, AVI, MOV), and images (JPG, PNG, PDF), this feature handles everything from Zoom recordings to handwritten notes.
The browser tab recording capability deserves special mention—users can capture live meetings directly from platforms like Google Meet or Zoom without waiting for export files. Transcription supports over 50 languages, making it invaluable for international teams and multilingual environments.
Collaboration Features: Building Digital Workspaces
Shareable Workspaces and Real-Time Editing
In February 2025, Evernote made Spaces (formerly Teams-only) available to all users, democratizing collaborative organization. The implementation is refreshingly straightforward—click “Share,” set permissions, and collaborate instantly.
Real-time editing has matured significantly, with synchronization improvements ensuring that changes appear instantaneously across devices. This isn’t just about seeing updates—it’s about eliminating version conflicts and enabling genuine collaborative workflows.
Enhanced Sharing Experience
The redesigned sharing modal addresses long-standing user frustrations with clearer permission management and streamlined access controls. Combined with unified link sharing (eliminating the confusion between app and web links), these improvements reduce friction in team environments.
Core Editor Improvements: Refinement Over Revolution
Custom Default Fonts and Formatting
Released in May 2025, custom default fonts allow users to set preferred styles, sizes, and colors that automatically apply to all new notes. This seemingly simple feature addresses accessibility needs while enabling personal expression—a balance often overlooked in productivity software.
Template Gallery Overhaul
The January 2025 template redesign makes jumping into structured note-taking effortless. The refreshed gallery offers dozens of ready-made templates accessible with single clicks, eliminating the repetitive formatting that plagued power users.
Slash Commands Evolution
Building on their March 2024 introduction, slash commands now work within headers and tables, with improved typo tolerance and context awareness. These incremental improvements demonstrate Evernote’s commitment to keyboard-first workflows.
Performance Enhancements: The Invisible Revolution
While less glamorous than AI features, backend optimizations deliver tangible benefits:
- Note list loading times improved by 3x on mobile devices
- Note and notebook creation speeds increased up to 10x for Teams accounts
These improvements result from meticulous query optimization and backend restructuring—technical achievements that users feel rather than see.
Pricing Structure 2025: Value Proposition Analysis
Current Pricing Tiers
As of November 2023, Evernote’s pricing increased significantly, with the Personal Plan rising from $8.99 to $14.99 monthly (66% increase) and Professional Plan jumping from $10.99 to $17.99.
Current Structure:
- Free Plan: 60MB monthly upload, 2-device sync
- Personal: $14.99/month or $10.83/month (annual)
- Professional: $17.99/month or $14.17/month (annual)
- Teams: $24.99/user/month (annual only)
Value Assessment
The price increases reflect a strategic pivot toward premium functionality. While the first price increase in almost seven years for most subscribers caused initial friction, the feature density now justifies the premium positioning.
However, this creates a nuanced situation:
- Strengths: Feature-rich environment surpassing most competitors
- Concerns: Entry barrier for casual users; competitive pressure from lower-cost alternatives
Competitive Landscape: Market Position Analysis
Evernote vs. Competition
When compared to alternatives:
- OneNote: Offers basic functionality at $1.99/month but lacks Evernote’s AI sophistication
- Notion: Provides database functionality Evernote lacks but with steeper learning curves
- Bear: Minimalist approach at $1.49/month appeals to simplicity seekers
Evernote’s premium pricing reflects its positioning as a comprehensive productivity platform rather than a simple note-taking tool.
Security and Privacy: Addressing Modern Concerns
The platform’s approach to AI privacy deserves recognition. Using OpenAI’s API with explicit no-training clauses ensures user data remains protected. The opt-in model for all AI features respects user autonomy while enabling innovation.
Key privacy safeguards:
- 30-day data deletion policies
- No model training on user content
- Selective processing of relevant notes only
- Transparent data handling notifications
Mobile Experience: Catching Up to Desktop
The new mobile home page, released in 2025, prioritizes quick capture—acknowledging that mobile usage patterns differ fundamentally from desktop workflows. Additional mobile enhancements include:
- Multiple calendar views (week, month at-a-glance)
- Event creation from anywhere in the app
- Improved note readability with optimized layouts
- Native notification support for tasks and reminders
Areas for Improvement: Constructive Critique
Despite impressive progress, several areas warrant attention:
- Pricing accessibility: The significant cost increase may alienate long-time users and create barriers for students or casual users
- Feature complexity: The proliferation of features risks overwhelming new users
- Platform limitations: Lack of native Linux support remains problematic for technical users
- Storage constraints: Free tier’s 60MB monthly limit feels increasingly restrictive in 2025
Future Roadmap: What’s Next
Evernote plans to release even more powerful AI features, additional search improvements, and extensive mobile updates in the second half of 2025. The aggressive development pace suggests continued evolution toward an AI-first productivity platform.
Expected developments:
- Enhanced AI capabilities with broader language support
- Deeper calendar integration across platforms
- Improved offline functionality
- Advanced collaboration tools for enterprise users
Bottom Line: Is Evernote 2025 Worth It?
Evernote’s 2025 iteration represents a mature platform successfully navigating the AI transition while maintaining core strengths. The substantial improvements justify the premium pricing for power users and teams, though casual users may find better value elsewhere.
Recommended for:
- Professional knowledge workers requiring robust organization
- Teams needing collaborative workspaces
- Users prioritizing AI-powered productivity
- Cross-platform power users
Consider alternatives if:
- Budget constraints are primary concerns
- Minimal note-taking needs
- Preference for simpler, focused tools
- Requiring specialized features (databases, code editing)
Conclusion: Evolution, Not Revolution
Evernote’s 2025 updates demonstrate thoughtful evolution rather than disruptive revolution. The platform has successfully integrated AI capabilities while respecting user privacy—a delicate balance many competitors struggle to achieve. While pricing increases may cause friction, the feature density and performance improvements deliver substantial value for committed users.
The question isn’t whether Evernote has improved—it demonstrably has. The question is whether these improvements align with your specific workflow needs and budget constraints. For those seeking a comprehensive, AI-enhanced productivity ecosystem, Evernote 2025 delivers on its promises. For others, the premium pricing may prompt exploration of emerging alternatives.
What’s clear is that Evernote has shed its stagnation narrative, emerging as a forward-thinking platform ready for the AI-powered productivity era. The 110 improvements in six months aren’t just numbers—they represent a fundamental commitment to continuous enhancement that should reassure both current users and potential adopters.