Switching from Evernote to Nemos on iPhone: A Clear Migration Guide

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Evernote used to be the dominant note-taking app. For many users, it became the digital equivalent of a junk drawer: everything went in, finding things was hard, and the app itself grew heavier with each update.

The company's pricing overhaul and feature decay accelerated the exodus. If you're reading this, you've probably already decided to leave — you just want to know how to do it without losing anything important.

Here's a clear, practical guide.

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What You're Actually Leaving Behind

Evernote's features that have no Nemos equivalent:

Web Clipper — the browser extension for clipping full articles. Nemos doesn't have a web clipper. (For article saving, Readwise Reader or Instapaper fill this gap better anyway.)

OCR on images — Evernote can search text inside photos. Nemos does not have OCR. iPhone's built-in Photos search handles some of this.

Attachments and PDFs — Nemos is text-first. Evernote handles attachments well.

Notebooks and Tags — Evernote's organization system. Nemos has search only.

Windows desktop app — Nemos is iOS and macOS. No Windows native app.

If any of these are critical to your workflow, factor that in. For most personal note users, they're not.

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What You Gain

Speed on iPhone. Nemos's widget capture is faster than any Evernote flow.

Simplicity. No notebooks to manage, no sync conflicts, no account tiers to worry about.

Privacy. Nemos uses iCloud. Evernote's privacy record has been controversial — they've had policy changes around employee access to notes. iCloud-only is cleaner.

No subscription anxiety. Core Nemos functionality is free. You're not one pricing change away from losing access to your notes.

An app that's actively improved. Evernote's development pace has slowed noticeably. Nemos is actively developed.

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The Migration Process

Step 1: Export from Evernote

In Evernote desktop app: 1. Select all notebooks you want to export (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A in notebook view) 2. File → Export Notes → ENEX format 3. Save the .enex file

ENEX is Evernote's XML-based format. You have your data.

Step 2: Convert ENEX to Text (Optional)

If you want to read your old notes outside of Evernote, use a free converter tool to extract readable Markdown or plain text from the ENEX file. Several web tools and open-source scripts exist for this (search "ENEX to Markdown").

For most users: you won't need to do this. The ENEX file is your archive. Store it somewhere safe (iCloud Drive, external drive) and move on.

Step 3: Identify What Actually Matters

Open your Evernote and ask: what have I referenced in the last 6 months?

Be ruthless. Most people find: - 5–20 notes they actually use (phone numbers, recipes, important references) - Hundreds to thousands of notes they've never reopened

Only move what you actively use. Manually type or paste these into Nemos — it takes 15 minutes.

Step 4: Archive the Rest

Keep your Evernote account (downgrade to free if needed) as an archive, or store the ENEX export. Don't move old notes to Nemos — they'll just create clutter you won't access.

Step 5: Install Nemos, Set Up Widget

Add the Nemos widget to your iPhone home screen. This replaces the muscle memory of reaching for the Evernote app.

Delete Evernote from your home screen. Friction is your enemy during habit change.

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Day-to-Day Differences

Evernote: Every note belongs to a notebook. New note requires choosing or defaulting to a notebook. Tags are optional but encouraged.

Nemos: All notes go to one inbox. No decisions before writing.

Evernote: Syncs to Evernote servers. Available on all platforms including Windows and Android.

Nemos: Syncs via iCloud. iPhone, iPad, Mac only.

Evernote: Full rich text editor, supports images, PDFs, audio recordings.

Nemos: Text-first. Images and attachments are limited.

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If You Need Web Clipping

The Evernote web clipper is useful and Nemos doesn't replace it. Options:

• Readwise Reader — excellent web clipping with highlights and AI summarization
• Instapaper or Pocket — save articles for later reading
• Reeder — RSS + article saving for iOS users
• Apple Safari Reading List — simple, built-in, iCloud-synced

Use one of these for article saving. Use Nemos for everything else you'd capture throughout the day.

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FAQ

Can I import my Evernote notes into Nemos? Not via built-in import. You'd need to manually copy notes you want to keep. For most users, this is a small set.

What format should I use for my Evernote export archive? ENEX is the native format and preserves the most data including attachments. Store it in iCloud Drive or an external drive.

Does Nemos work on Windows? No — Nemos is iOS and macOS only. If you need Windows access, consider Obsidian or Notion alongside Nemos.

Will my Evernote notes disappear when I stop paying? On the free tier, Evernote limits you to 2 devices and 50MB upload per month, but your existing notes remain accessible. Downgrade rather than delete.

Is Nemos actually free? Core features including iCloud sync are free. There's a premium tier for power users.

What if I have thousands of Evernote notes I might need someday? Keep the ENEX export. Don't try to move thousands of notes anywhere. Search the ENEX file directly if you ever need to find something specific (ENEX is XML — text editors and command-line grep can search it).

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Related Reading

• Nemos vs. Evernote on iPhone
• Best Evernote Alternative for iPhone 2026
• How to Organize Notes on iPhone
• Switching from Notion to Nemos on iPhone

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Sources

• Evernote ENEX format documentation — dev.evernote.com
• Evernote pricing history — various sources
• Apple iCloud privacy — apple.com/privacy

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*Nemos is available on the App Store. Free to download.*