Cross-platform note-taking service Evernote has announced new limits for its Basic account holders on the same day the company hiked the prices on its paid subscription plans.
Users of Evernote's free Basic plan will soon be limited to using the service on no more than two devices, such as a computer and a phone, two computers, or a phone and a tablet.
/article-new/2016/06/Evernote-800x710.jpg?lossy)
Meanwhile, Plus and Premium subscriptions are now $3.99 per month (or $34.99 a year) and $7.99 per month (or $69.99 a year), respectively. Previously a Plus plan cost $2.99 per month, while a Premium account was $4.99.
News of the two-device limit imposed on Basic plan holders came in an email last night, explaining that users had 30 days to adjust to the change. The company said Plus and Premium account subscribers would continue to enjoy the note-taking service from an unlimited number of devices.
Evernote CEO Chris O'Neil explained the new pricing tiers and the device-limit decision in a blog post:
We don’t take any change to our pricing model lightly, and we never take you for granted. Our goal is to continue improving Evernote for the long-term, investing in our core products to make them more powerful and intuitive while also delivering often-requested new features. But that requires a significant investment of energy, time, and money. We’re asking those people who get the most value from Evernote to help us make that investment and, in return, to reap the benefits that result.
Evernote isn’t a vast corporation, and note-taking isn’t a sideline for us. It’s what we do, and we strive to do it better than anyone else. We hope you’ll continue to capture your thoughts and develop your ideas with us.
Evernote is a free download for Mac on the Mac App Store, and available for iPad and iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
I fully understand their need to increase prices, but I have to beware of my own budget too. My renewal is in November, so I have time to seek alternatives, or fix my budget to feel more comfortable with the increase.
Evernote is an amazing system, especially if you actually learn how to use its features.
When I first heard the news I started to wonder if I should switch to Apple notes, but the fact is, Evernote still has a lot of awesome features (e.g. the web clipper in simplified mode). It's also has a very nice open format so that vendor lock-in isn't an issue. It's cross platform and it's got a great and open community.
Looks like increased competition has them looking for better ways to monetize. Unlike Apple and Microsoft who can offer note systems as part of a bigger platform, this is what Evernote does. Kinda sucks for me but... I'm not opposed to paying for quality services either. Do I get $4 worth of use out of this per month? Yes. I pay more for a lunch.
It's okay if you prefer another service or don't want to pay, but I sense the negative comments are from people who have no idea how powerful the platform is and have never used it beyond basic note taking.