Evernote cuts back on free plans, pushing users to upgrade

Evernote is considering how it can push users toward paid plans by introducing even more limits to its free tier, according to a new report by TechCrunch.

Evernote’s online pricing structure currently remains unchanged, but the company did confirm to TechCrunch that it had been running small-scale tests. So, the days of Evernote’s existing, robust free plan could be numbered.

Some users are now seeing a pop-up alerting them to a new restriction – 50 notes and just one notebook. Already, the free tier has a 60MB monthly maximum upload quota and notes are capped to 25MB.

Evernote will get more expensive for some

Those needing more allocation of online note-taking space will need to cough up at least $14.99 a month or $129.99 per year for the personal plan, which increases file size to 200MB and total monthly uploads to 10GB, as well as adding new features.

Earlier in September, some customers on cheaper legacy plans were reporting that they were being moved over to more expensive current counterparts, however many wrote that they were told this change was made in error, and that they were able to retain legacy pricing.

In June, the company announced that it would be getting acquired by Bending Spoons, moving its headquarters from the US to Europe. Subsequently, most US- and Chile-based workers were made redundant, and the company alluded that Evernote’s workers would be replaced with Bending Spoons workers.

Several cost-cutting measures and changes to pricing structures affecting customers could be a cause for concern for Evernote, even leading customers to find solutions elsewhere. The likes of OneNote is cheaper than Evernote, while changes made to many note-taking apps built into operating systems mean that a growing number of customers will now be satisfied with their pre-installed, free app.

TechRadar Pro has asked Evernote for more information regarding the potential restrictions on free plans.