Evernote for Windows used only locally?

[WAWood 0]

I've been a LONG TIME user of OneNote (since before 2007) and only recently learned that MS is getting rid of it -- so I'm looking around for a replacement and have been reading about Evernote.

In OneNote, I have several Notebooks, each of which contains a different set of information, each of which has a different password.

My interest is in replacing OneNote solely to have collections of sensitive data stored locally to my PC.

When I first read about EverNote , it seems I can do much the same -- but then I read about "upload limits" and "account limits".  I have NO intention of uploading anything to Evernote or  to any cloud service (e.g., OneDrive).  Nor do I want to grant access to my notes to Evernote or to any other vendor.

So, is it possible to use it locally, or does it only work online?

[EdH 1,670]

1. Microsoft is not getting rid of OneNote. They are getting rid of the OneNote client that is part of office. OneNote 2016 is the last version, but it will continue to work for years to come, probably at least until 2022.
2. They are moving everything for the Windows client into OneNote for Windows 10. It does require online access to create and store notebooks, but it does work offline if you have no connection. You just cannot create new notebooks as they must be created online. But you can edit/change/delete/add notes and notebook structures at will offline.
3. Evernote will work offline sort of. You have to install it and log into your account, which is online, but you can then create "Offline Only" notebooks if you want and that can be done offline. Evernote has said they are retaining this feature, but not actively developing/promoting it as that isn't how Evernote is really built to work.

If you want a notebook client that is exclusively offline, you need to look elsewhere. Neither OneNote for Windows 10 nor Evernote are really set up for that. A big list of note taking software is here, but like everything on Wikipedia, it is often outdated in some areas. It doesn't even have Bear listed, which is another popular notetaking app, but it too is online and doesn't even have a Windows client. I just bring it up to note that the article isn't being aggressively updated.

[DTLow 5,736]

On 11/17/2018 at 11:40 AM, WAWood said:

So, is it possible to use it locally, or does it only work online?

The default is sync'd online notebooks, however you can create Local Notebooks (Windows/Mac)

Make sure you backup your data - Evernote does not backup local notebooks

[DavidPierson 15]

Yes, as DTLow says, the Local are definitely not sync'd online.

To check where they are stored locally, click Options > General > scroll down to the bottom of the pane,l and click the Open Database folder link.

Just make sure that folder is in a location that is being backed up.

 

[CalS 5,280]

24 minutes ago, DavidPierson said:

Just make sure that folder is in a location that is being backed up.

You can backup your entire data base, the EXB file, but that makes recovery cumbersome, if not problematic.  Better to do individual local notebook exports in ENEX format as backups, IMO.  Easier to recover a lost note that way.