Switching from Evernote to Apple's built-in Notes app

Preface

I have a cleanliness obsession with note-taking apps—only one app of the same category is allowed, and it must meet the following requirements. If your needs differ, feel free to stop reading here:

1. Developed by a major company
2. Stable and fast syncing on Apple platforms (no PC consideration)
3. Notes are migratable with good compatibility
4. Aesthetically pleasing with excellent formatting
5. Priorities 1/2 are non-negotiable; if they’re exceptionally met, 3/4 can be overlooked
6. Family sharing and collaboration

Evernote isn’t bad, but between “Apple going bankrupt” and “Evernote going bankrupt,” the former seems far less likely. However, Apple’s native Notes app has one drawback: it only supports PDF exports. While third-party tools can export to TXT, the lack of images in exports is a major issue. That said, I trust Apple won’t collapse easily, so I’ve decided to use its native Notes app as a transit hub for my notes.

I call it a transit hub rather than a container because these notes are ultimately meant to be deleted—their final destination is my brain. Additionally, my wife is inherently lazy and refuses to download extra apps for minor features; she prefers native solutions. Thus, Apple Notes’ seamless family sharing fits the bill perfectly.

Enough preamble—let’s dive into migrating from Evernote to Apple Notes.

Option 1: AppleScript Migration

Pros: Easy and straightforward
Cons: Post-migration issues include:

1. Titles are embedded in the body text with the same font size
2. Body text is tiny (~10px or smaller)
3. Unnecessary blank lines between list items
4. Missing images (though they’re still counted in Notes’ 每条备忘录附件不超过100条 limit, oddly)
5. Evernote’s clipped notes appear as tables in Notes—likely due to format limitations
6. Each note ends with an unsightly EvernoteData: {xxx} tag

Click here for detailed steps

Note: Tested only with Evernote’s official client. Unverified for China’s Yinxiang Biji. This script was written by a foreign developer.

Option 2: Python Script Migration (evernote-export)

Pros: Compared to Option 1:

1. Images are preserved
2. Lists render correctly

Cons:

1. Requires Python 2.7 and pip (Python 3 unsupported)
2. Complex migration process; beginners may struggle with errors
3. Strict naming rules for notebooks/notes—special characters like / will break the script (treated as path separators)
4. Post-migration:
   • Body text is still smaller than Notes’ default font but more legible than Option 1

Click here for detailed steps

Note: Both methods preserve 笔记本组-笔记本-笔记 directory structures, but Option 2 initially dumps notes into the 导入的备忘录 folder, requiring manual relocation to the root directory.

Epilogue

Since Notes imports web clippings as plain links (requiring clicks to view), I now save clippings via Safari’s Reading List with 自动离线存储 enabled across all devices—effectively replacing Evernote’s clipping feature. After digesting the content, I manually transfer insights to Notes… or straight to my brain (though I believe good notes trump memory).

Finally, here’s a compressed image:

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