@yetiman, I think we all understand your deep frustrations. None of us should have to struggle to use a once-stable application.
My legacy versions worked so well. Never an issue until the Electron desktop app and whatever they're using to haphazardly build the Android version.
My work around is: I've created a handful of empty notes in the desktop app titled "New Note Use Me." I can then edit those notes while on the mobile version. Otherwise, I still cannot create new notes on my mobile device.
I'm also still unable to get any search results when on mobile. This is beyond frustrating, as you must feel, being unable to utilize the app for its intended purposes.
I honestly don't even care about the money. I would pay a few hundred dollars a year to Evernote if they just had a platform that worked for my needs.
I've heard great things about Obsidian. Unfortunately, their highest tiered paid plan doesn't provide enough storage for my needs. Although I really like everything else about them. I may use Rsync on a dedicated linux box (just an Pi4) and see how I like it.
Honestly, I think it would take less time and effort for me to export to Obsidian, setup a linux environment on a Pi, and configure Rsync vs the amount of time I've spent trying to get Evernote to work properly.
Also check out DevonThink. They're Mac/Apple only for now, but man they've got a fantastic platform. I believe they encourage WebDav for syncing, but also work with other cloud-things.