Vibecode Evernote
track this build5 steps, step by step0%A personal notes app with OCR/search/import is reachable, but the hard parts are migration, sync reliability, clipper UX, OCR quality, and years of user data.
You are building a lean indie version of Evernote. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Evernote indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Evernote workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Create a Markdown/database notes app with tags, attachments, web clipper, OCR pass, and full-text search. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - web clipper quality - mobile apps - OCR/search maturity - sync - import/export edge cases - long-term reliability If those capabilities are essential, use Joplin instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal capture-and-notes app to replace Evernote. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, server-rendered pages, binds to localhost. - Notes are Markdown stored in SQLite with tags, edited in a textarea with live preview via marked. - Attachments: drag a file or image onto a note, stored in ./data/files/ and linked from the note. On upload, run tesseract.js OCR over images and PDF pages and store the extracted text so scans and receipts are searchable. - Full-text search across notes plus OCR text with SQLite FTS5, search box in the header, tag filters beside it. - Capture via bookmarklet: POSTs the current page's title, URL, and selected text into a new note. A bookmarklet, not an extension. - An import script for Evernote .enex exports: notes, tags, and attachments, so my old data actually moves in. - Weekly export of everything to a folder of .md files plus attachments, so nothing is ever trapped in the app. - No accounts, no telemetry, all data on my machine. - Out of scope: mobile apps, cross-device sync, a real browser extension. - README: setup steps and where the data lives on disk. ## Required capabilities - desktop/mobile or web app - file storage - OCR library/API - search index - browser extension if clipping matters ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Evernote. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Evernote indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Evernote workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Create a Markdown/database notes app with tags, attachments, web clipper, OCR pass, and full-text search. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - web clipper quality - mobile apps - OCR/search maturity - sync - import/export edge cases - long-term reliability If those capabilities are essential, use Joplin instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal capture-and-notes app to replace Evernote. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, server-rendered pages, binds to localhost. - Notes are Markdown stored in SQLite with tags, edited in a textarea with live preview via marked. - Attachments: drag a file or image onto a note, stored in ./data/files/ and linked from the note. On upload, run tesseract.js OCR over images and PDF pages and store the extracted text so scans and receipts are searchable. - Full-text search across notes plus OCR text with SQLite FTS5, search box in the header, tag filters beside it. - Capture via bookmarklet: POSTs the current page's title, URL, and selected text into a new note. A bookmarklet, not an extension. - An import script for Evernote .enex exports: notes, tags, and attachments, so my old data actually moves in. - Weekly export of everything to a folder of .md files plus attachments, so nothing is ever trapped in the app. - No accounts, no telemetry, all data on my machine. - Out of scope: mobile apps, cross-device sync, a real browser extension. - README: setup steps and where the data lives on disk. ## Required capabilities - desktop/mobile or web app - file storage - OCR library/API - search index - browser extension if clipping matters ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Evernote. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Evernote product brief ## Problem A personal notes app with OCR/search/import is reachable, but the hard parts are migration, sync reliability, clipper UX, OCR quality, and years of user data. ## Product outcome Create a Markdown/database notes app with tags, attachments, web clipper, OCR pass, and full-text search. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - desktop/mobile or web app - file storage - OCR library/API - search index - browser extension if clipping matters ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - web clipper quality - mobile apps - OCR/search maturity - sync - import/export edge cases - long-term reliability ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal capture-and-notes app to replace Evernote. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, server-rendered pages, binds to localhost. - Notes are Markdown stored in SQLite with tags, edited in a textarea with live preview via marked. - Attachments: drag a file or image onto a note, stored in ./data/files/ and linked from the note. On upload, run tesseract.js OCR over images and PDF pages and store the extracted text so scans and receipts are searchable. - Full-text search across notes plus OCR text with SQLite FTS5, search box in the header, tag filters beside it. - Capture via bookmarklet: POSTs the current page's title, URL, and selected text into a new note. A bookmarklet, not an extension. - An import script for Evernote .enex exports: notes, tags, and attachments, so my old data actually moves in. - Weekly export of everything to a folder of .md files plus attachments, so nothing is ever trapped in the app. - No accounts, no telemetry, all data on my machine. - Out of scope: mobile apps, cross-device sync, a real browser extension. - README: setup steps and where the data lives on disk. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Evernote capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Evernote indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Evernote workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Create a Markdown/database notes app with tags, attachments, web clipper, OCR pass, and full-text search. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - web clipper quality - mobile apps - OCR/search maturity - sync - import/export edge cases - long-term reliability If those capabilities are essential, use Joplin instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal capture-and-notes app to replace Evernote. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, server-rendered pages, binds to localhost. - Notes are Markdown stored in SQLite with tags, edited in a textarea with live preview via marked. - Attachments: drag a file or image onto a note, stored in ./data/files/ and linked from the note. On upload, run tesseract.js OCR over images and PDF pages and store the extracted text so scans and receipts are searchable. - Full-text search across notes plus OCR text with SQLite FTS5, search box in the header, tag filters beside it. - Capture via bookmarklet: POSTs the current page's title, URL, and selected text into a new note. A bookmarklet, not an extension. - An import script for Evernote .enex exports: notes, tags, and attachments, so my old data actually moves in. - Weekly export of everything to a folder of .md files plus attachments, so nothing is ever trapped in the app. - No accounts, no telemetry, all data on my machine. - Out of scope: mobile apps, cross-device sync, a real browser extension. - README: setup steps and where the data lives on disk. ## Required capabilities - desktop/mobile or web app - file storage - OCR library/API - search index - browser extension if clipping matters ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Evernote product brief ## Problem A personal notes app with OCR/search/import is reachable, but the hard parts are migration, sync reliability, clipper UX, OCR quality, and years of user data. ## Product outcome Create a Markdown/database notes app with tags, attachments, web clipper, OCR pass, and full-text search. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - desktop/mobile or web app - file storage - OCR library/API - search index - browser extension if clipping matters ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - web clipper quality - mobile apps - OCR/search maturity - sync - import/export edge cases - long-term reliability ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal capture-and-notes app to replace Evernote. Requirements: - A local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, server-rendered pages, binds to localhost. - Notes are Markdown stored in SQLite with tags, edited in a textarea with live preview via marked. - Attachments: drag a file or image onto a note, stored in ./data/files/ and linked from the note. On upload, run tesseract.js OCR over images and PDF pages and store the extracted text so scans and receipts are searchable. - Full-text search across notes plus OCR text with SQLite FTS5, search box in the header, tag filters beside it. - Capture via bookmarklet: POSTs the current page's title, URL, and selected text into a new note. A bookmarklet, not an extension. - An import script for Evernote .enex exports: notes, tags, and attachments, so my old data actually moves in. - Weekly export of everything to a folder of .md files plus attachments, so nothing is ever trapped in the app. - No accounts, no telemetry, all data on my machine. - Out of scope: mobile apps, cross-device sync, a real browser extension. - README: setup steps and where the data lives on disk. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Evernote capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay because all old notes, attachments, scans, and clipped pages are already there.
xweb clipper quality
xmobile apps
xOCR/search maturity
xsync
ximport/export edge cases
xlong-term reliability
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
all 3 free alternatives to Evernote →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Evernote pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | 50 notes; 1 notebook; 5 spaces; 20 tags; 1 device; 1 GB storage; 200 attachments; 1 calendar; 250 MB uploads/month; 200 MB max note/attachment |
| starter | $14.99/user | $8.25/user | 1,000 notes; 20 notebooks; 1,000 attachments; 10 spaces; 100 tags; 3 devices; 5 GB storage; 5 calendars |
| advanced | $24.99/user | $20.83/user | Unlimited notes, notebooks, devices, attachments and storage under safeguards; 12,000 spaces; 100,000 tags; 5 calendars |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom organization controls and support; 500 GB shared monthly upload allowance; monthly or annual contract |
free tier50 notes, 1 notebook, 5 spaces, 20 tags, 1 device, 1 GB storage, 200 attachments, 1 calendar, 250 MB uploads/month and 200 MB max note/attachment
billingStarter/Advanced monthly + annual; Enterprise monthly or annual quote; third-party app-store prices may differ
hidden costsAdvanced's 'unlimited' limits retain anti-abuse safeguards. Apple/Google prices may differ from direct billing. Exceeding Starter caps can force content reduction or an upgrade.
verified 2026-08-13 · source ↗
Vibecode Evernote
Kinda. The core of Evernote is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: web clipper quality, mobile apps. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Evernote cost?
Evernote costs about $14.99/month (Starter, checked 2026-07-30), which is $179.88 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Evernote?
Honestly: web clipper quality; mobile apps; OCR/search maturity; sync; import/export edge cases; long-term reliability. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Evernote?
Yes: Joplin (Evernote after removing the rent, the lock-in and some polish.) SiYuan (Capture, search, tasks and databases; free sync means bringing your own server.) Notesnook (Evernote with the server blindfolded and the free tier still usable.) All 3 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/evernote/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.